Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bate has reached a pair of milestones this week.
After knocking through his first career game-winner against the Minnesota Vikings, Bates took home NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, as announced by the league on Wednesday.
Bates converted on all four of his extra-point attempts, as well as the game-winning 44-yard field-goal attempt with 0:15 remaining to defeat the Minnesota Vikings.
The former UFL kicker has had a perfect start to his career on field-goal attempts, as he is 10-for-10 through the Lions’ first six games of the year. He has missed one extra point, which came in Week 3 against Arizona.
“I think I said it, right? I think that’s what I said. He felt good about it. When you — we had five games with him, NFL games,” Campbell said after Sunday’s win. “And then, when you see him every day in practice and you give him the crowd noise and you move the spot and I’m yelling at him, and you just apply pressure, you watch him, he continues to make these kicks. You feel pretty good when he gets thrust into it. It’s not the same, but it is. We felt like his confidence has grown. He can go out there and get the kick. He did that. Really proud of him; really proud of him.”
Originally from Texas, Bates did not attempt a field goal at the college level. He staked his reputation during the spring while kicking for the Michigan Panthers of the UFL, where he made several kicks of 50-plus yards.
This marks the fourth consecutive week, excluding Detroit’s Week 5 bye, where a Lions player has won a weekly award. Punter Jack Fox took home special teams honors in Week 3, quarterback Jared Goff in Week 4 and safety Brian Branch in Week 6, after a two-interception performance against Dallas.
