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Lions Fans Love Michigan Panthers Kicker Jake Bates

Could Bates be the answer to Lions' kicking problems?

Vito Chirco

Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Texans place kicker Jake Bates (49) kicks an extra point.
Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Texans place kicker Jake Bates (49) kicks an extra point. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
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Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates has quite literally become an overnight sensation.

You more than likely hadn't heard of his name prior to the Panthers’ season-opener against the St. Louis Battlehawks at Ford Field Saturday. But, if you're an internet peruser of any kind, you almost certainly have heard of him since, as a result of his late-game heroics.

Bates, who before Saturday hadn't attempted a field goal since high school, hit a 64-yard field goal to deliver an 18-16 win to Michigan. It came in the organization's first ever game as a member of the United Football League.

Upon making the seemingly improbable kick, Fox Sports play-by-play man Kevin Kugler excitedly uttered the phrase, “A star is born in the UFL!”

It was two yards shy of the longest field goal made in Ford Field history. That came via the right leg of Baltimore Ravens All-Pro kicker Justin Tucker, who drilled an NFL-record 66-yard kick to beat the Lions in Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season.

As for Bates, he served as a kickoff specialist at Texas State and Arkansas, and spent time with the Houston Texans during the 2023 campaign. Undoubtedly, he had never made a field goal as big as the one he made Saturday to kick off the inaugural UFL season.

Additionally, Bates’ season-opening performance left some Lions fans clamoring for Detroit general manager Brad Holmes to ink the place kicker to a contract.

The Lions, which used both Riley Patterson and Michael Badgley to attempt field goals in 2023, re-signed Badgley to a one-year deal earlier this offseason. It doesn't mean, however, that Holmes & Co. won't still add a kicker to provide some competition to Badgley for the starting job.

Could Bates be just what the doctor ordered?

Here is a sample of what Lions fans said online about Bates after he lifted the Panthers to a come-from-behind victory Saturday.

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Vito Chirco
VITO CHIRCO

Vito has covered the NFL and the Detroit Lions for the past five years.  Has extensive reporting history of college athletics, the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Mercy Athletics.  Chirco's work include NFL columns, analyzing potential Detroit Lions prospects coming out of college, NFL draft coverage and analysis of events occurring in the NFL.  Extensive broadcasting experience including hosting a Detroit Tigers podcast and co-hosting a Detroit Lions NFL podcast since 2019. 

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