Detroit Lions appear to have found a secret weapon

Dec 3, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Detroit Lions helmet during warmups before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions appear to have found a secret weapon and made the most of a bad situation.

Detroit suffered a bad injury blow in July when kicker Michael Badgley suffered a torn hamstring that ended his season. They may be in good shape despite that.

The team has signed kicker Jake Bates, who had a standout performance during the team’s 24-23 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Saturday.

Bates went 4/4 on field goals in the game. He made a 55-yard kick and also the winning kick from 43 yards out. Bates did miss an extra point though.

Bates comes to the Lions with an excellent reputation he built up in the UFL. There, Bates went 6/10 on field goals of 50-plus yards and also made a 64-yarder.

Maybe field goal kicking will be a strength for the Lions this season despite the Badgley injury, though of course the team would love to focus on scoring touchdowns rather than kicking field goals.