DETROIT – Detroit Lions rookie offensive lineman Tate Ratledge was a bit dumbfounded over what he witnessed near the end of regulation during Sunday’s game at Ford Field.
With 28 seconds left, the Lions trailed the New York Giants 27-24 in their Week 12 matchup and were facing a fourth-and-10 from New York’s 41-yard line.
After a stretch of confusion and arguable clock mismanagement on the drive, Jake Bates — who has had an up-and-down year on the Lions’ turf — lined up and made a career-long 59-yard field goal that tied the game 27-27, paving the way for a 34-27 comeback victory. The win pushed Detroit to 7-4 entering a short week.
“I thought he missed it. I’ve never seen a football do that,” Ratledge told reporters about Bates’ kick. “It started off right, and I was like, ‘Oh (expletive), here we go.’ And then the Giants are celebrating, and I kind of like walk off the field, and I kind of looked back up and saw it peel back in. I was like, ‘What in the world?’”
The 59-yard kick is the longest of Bates’ short career with the Lions and, for now, one of the most important as Detroit fights to regain its footing in the NFC and make the postseason for a third straight year.
Coming through in the clutch again, Bates is now 5-for-5 in game-tying or go-ahead situations. After the game, he discussed his mindset in those moments.
“That’s where our preparation comes into play. Don’t let it change anything,” Bates said. “If you let it change a lot, you’re probably going to miss it. So just trying to hit every ball the same. And definitely that one did.”
Bates continued, explaining what it means when the coaching staff leans on him and trusts him to deliver.
“It feels good. I just want to be somebody that this team can count on,” Bates said. “We have so many people on this team that you can count on when times get tough, so hopefully I can be one of them. And I pride myself on that a lot, just in my routine and not changing anything regardless of the moment. So I was happy to be able to have that one go through.”
In their previous home game, a 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Bates finished 1-for-2 as the Vikings blocked his 45-yard attempt with 6:28 remaining.
Since then, the former Houston bricklayer has dialed in, making all six of his field goals — including back-to-back weeks with makes of 50-plus yards.
The Lions now face a short week, hosting the Green Bay Packers in Thursday’s annual Thanksgiving game. Detroit will likely need Bates ready for another key moment, especially if the offense struggles to get into the end zone.
As he and his teammates quickly shift their attention to that matchup, Bates shared what keeps him grounded in high-pressure situations.
“I think just not making the moment bigger than it needs to be keeps me calm a little bit,” Bates said. “I also don’t find my identity in these moments. My identity is secure in the Lord and who He says I am, and this is something I get to do — I don’t have to do — and I’m so happy to do it.”
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