The Lions were trailing Sunday night with their largest deficit this season.
They left the locker room down by 16 and left the field carrying Jake Bates victoriously. Bates used every one of the 222 inches that span the goalposts to secure the Lions’ 26-23 win in Houston.
In this defensively rich game, the Lions fought back with everything they had. The game had seven total turnovers, and the Texans could not score in the second half.
What Did We Learn?
Jake Bates Can Kick!
Bates kicked impressive field goals of 58 and 52 yards, leading the Lions to victory.
He has only missed one kick during his NFL career (an extra point during Week 3). The former brick salesman who brought his skills to the UFL has made himself known. Because of the way Ben Johnson has structured his offense, he does not need to call on Bates as often. Last night’s performance secured the city of Detroit’s trust in Bates. His NFL career long is 58 yards, but he kicked a 64-yard game-winner in the UFL last spring.
Lions Are Resilient
After the game, Campbell said, “That is the definition of resiliency, you guys just kept banging away.”
This was their largest comeback since 2011. They kept fighting. The defense held the Texans scoreless in the second half and only allowed four 1st downs. The offensive turnaround was key to the comeback as well. Jack Fox only punted his average of four times on Sunday.
This Lions played on their terms: could control the ball, protect from turnovers, force runs up the field, and create open passes. They fought hard to make this true. Anyone watching saw that the Texans’ defense knew how to tame the Lions. There is a particular mental battle that did not affect the Lions last night. They could have easily fallen to a poor rhythm making more mistakes, but they continued to trust the plays and keep working towards the endzone.
The Lions are now past the halfway point of the season. With a looming back-to-back divisional title, work remains to be done. This is not a pessimistic look at the season or Week 10. Mistakes are inevitable, but the way the Lions have fought back is unique. They have played dominantly throughout the season, and even in a game of rough mistakes, they canrally back.
The Lions next game will be at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 17th at 1 p.m.
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