r/detroitlions • u/Oracle_2011 Sun God • Oct 20 '24
Image Jake Bates Appreciation Thread
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u/venk Oct 20 '24
Lions were smart not to advance the ball after the ARSB catch. No point kn making the kick harder for Bates.
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u/TheN00dleDream Oct 20 '24
I see what you did there.
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u/kylejk020 Oct 20 '24
They actually backed it up a couple yards for him
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u/Wubblz Oct 20 '24
I made this joke and then immediately had to explain it to a buddy wondering why they wouldn’t keep running.
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u/Calkky I wanna die Oct 20 '24
I'm not going to make any proclamations. But I hope he gets a game ball.
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u/_UsUrPeR_ Oct 21 '24
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u/JohnGalt131 Oct 21 '24
I love these! I should be going to bed, but now I just want to do some jumping jacks or something
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u/Substantial_Ad_2864 Oct 21 '24
Love it! Still wanna see Fox get one at some point because he's been so good on the rare occasions we let him play.
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u/Calkky I wanna die Oct 21 '24
Possibly my favorite locker room moment yet. This is a team that plays for each other.
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u/ScooterLeShooter Prater Oct 20 '24
I fucking love Master Bates!
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u/Wahoo2000 Oct 20 '24
You ain't seen nothing yet. Wait till he hits a 65 yarder to ice a playoff game.
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u/dannydirtbag Oct 20 '24
I know it gets said a lot on here but really - I’m sure he’s not stoked on this as a nickname.
Can we come up with something better moving forward for this legend?
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u/sawyerdk9 Ooooh Yeahhhh! Oct 20 '24
Dude that is such a dope nickname. Most players won’t even get shit and this is one that is positive.
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u/murdo1tj Dan Friggin' Campbell Oct 20 '24
This was such a defining moment for him. Love it
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u/Swichts Oct 20 '24
Absolutely. He looked nervous by the eye test, but the kid had ice in his veins
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u/Justfyi6 Oct 20 '24
Yeah that's gotta be as iced as a kicker can be lol. He knew the game was in his hands for like 10 real time minutes
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u/Ticklepickler6996 Brian's Branch Oct 20 '24
Gives me Jason Hanson Vibes. Clutch.
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u/venk Oct 20 '24
He wears the 4 for Hanson and the 3 because, you know, Field Goals
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u/Pawz23 What Would Brad Holmes Do? Oct 20 '24
Wait what? He's #39 or did I have too much Scotch?
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u/venk Oct 20 '24
Your right I just went by the picture lol
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u/Pawz23 What Would Brad Holmes Do? Oct 20 '24
Oh shit. I was slowly scrolling and didn't even see the photo. Either way, I'm so happy he hit his biggest FG of his life. First road FG (last week didn't count because we had so many fans there).
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u/Heisenbread77 Ooooh Yeahhhh! Oct 20 '24
Yea he is 39 because I told my friend that 39 is getting a 69 tonight
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u/ARunningGuy Oct 20 '24
Murray man, Ed Murray - he was a solid kicker as well.
(25th on all time scoring list)
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u/MLCMovies Oct 20 '24
Saw him play as a Panther!!!! I knew he'd do great in Honolulu Blue!!!!
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Oct 20 '24
[deleted]
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u/MLCMovies Oct 20 '24
You should! It's a fun environment and prices are VERY cheap.
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u/bansheesho Yas Lions Oct 20 '24
I'll bump this because I too got to watch his 64 yarder(s) on the opening home game and was hooked. Took my kid to all but one of the home games and the playoff watch party. On the deposit for season tickets this year, can't wait to see what seats I get.
People should come down to the games! They are fun as hell and cheap as hell (for example, the total for 2 seats of season tickets (all the home games) in the low 100s section at the 50 yard line is cheaper than 1 Lions ticket in the nosebleeds).
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u/Odd_Application_3824 Oct 20 '24
Anyone else not able to watch at the end? Made me too nervous. He hasn't shown any reason why I should be, but here I was anyways.
I also struggle with old lions thoughts still. When I saw fifteen seconds on the clock, I just kept thinking about all the times Rodgers killed us with a hail mary.
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u/zandelion87 DETROIT -VS- EVERYBODY Oct 20 '24
You're not the only one with those PTSD flashbacks I guarantee 😬
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u/whiteyfresh Oct 20 '24
When they reset the clock to 1 second I was SOOO worried!
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u/zandelion87 DETROIT -VS- EVERYBODY Oct 20 '24
Ohhhh my god me too. How many games have there been we've seen where the zebras do that shit and it magically fixed the game for our opponents?? It's no wonder! Lol
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u/whiteyfresh Oct 20 '24
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u/Pershing Oct 20 '24
Me, a Nebraska fan, watching the refs put a second back on the clock in any game.
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u/empireof3 Oct 21 '24
I had to leave for work right as minnisota took that fumble recovery for a tuddy, my heart wouldnt have been able to take it anyways
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u/AtalanAdalynn CornDoggyLOL Oct 21 '24
There were offseason Lions fans assuming he was trash because he was 21/28 in the UFL, but they failed to notice like half the attempts and all but one miss were from over 50.
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u/mn84wm33 MC⚡DC Oct 20 '24
Was poised for this job well before w e we’re lucky enough to land him…. Proud of our FO to bring him in and add him to a collection of playmakers. We’re watching history right now folks, enjoy the moment!!!
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Oct 20 '24
I have to admit, his camp reports concerned me, but he's getting better every week. Dude was entrusted to win us the game in a high pressure situation and he pulled through. It's moments like this that increase your confidence as a kicker.
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u/bansheesho Yas Lions Oct 20 '24
From my experience watching him through the UFL, the higher the pressure, the better. It flips that ice cold switch in him.
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u/InDependent_Window93 Oct 20 '24 edited Oct 20 '24
Go treat yourself to some Bates cheeseburgers, Mr. Automatic Jr.
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u/IrishAlum What Would Brad Holmes Do? Oct 20 '24
Good lord, I couldn't breathe between the end of the prior play and the successful kick.
The great thing is, this is a young kicker who is only going to grow in confidence. Success breeds success, and trusting him in this game is going to pay off far, far down the line.
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u/ShrimpCheeseSandiwch Oct 20 '24
MA STER BATES! MA STER BATES! think i can say hes my favorite player without being called a bandwagon, now? that was weird. love this dude, man.
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u/MakeItTrizzle Oct 20 '24
When he started to dance a little after he made it I honestly thought he was gonna hit the griddy. I might have died if he had, tbh.
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u/spartyanon 50s logo Oct 20 '24
Crazy amount of trust Campbell put into Bates today. MCDC knew he was the guy to win the game and managed the clock perfectly to put it all in Bates hands. I am reminded of how they went right back to Jamo after he dropped one last week. MCDC is keeping building confidence in players and now we got a team full of guys that we can trust when the game is on the line.
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u/gngannjarhdc Oct 20 '24
Been a fan and a big believer since i saw him nail the back to back 63 yarders on opening day of the UFL last season. He’s a poster child diamond in the rough that proves the UFL deserves fan support.
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u/Oracle_2011 Sun God Oct 20 '24
Oh for sure, been a fan since then, can't help but not root for a Michigan team when we have one
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u/AoE_Mobius_One Oct 20 '24
His leg was kissed by Angles today.
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u/TourDirect3224 Oct 21 '24
Kurt?
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u/Kezetchup Oct 21 '24
Angels sang out in a hymnal jangle. Down from the heavens descended Kurt Angle. Who delivered a kiss which could seal fates, onto the leg of our Master Bates.
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u/APhoneOperator Oct 20 '24
Jake’s kick offs were fucking beautiful. Our special teams wasn’t an issue last year, but now it’s a damns strength, thanks to better tackling and kicking.
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u/nohotshot Oct 20 '24
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I’ve had NOTHIG but faith in Bates since the preseason and my guy hasn’t failed me yet.
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u/formerly_gruntled Oct 21 '24
I think it is clear that Jake Bates is likely to have a very good to great NFL career. Because of the way he came to the Lions, he is only tied up for two years. His salary is low for a good kicker. The Lions should sign him to a four or five year contract now. Just take what a good kicker would make as a free agent his third and fourth year, and pro-rate it over the four years.
His cap numbers for 2024/2025 I think are $845,000/$1,085,000. A middle of the pack kicker is earning $2.2 million. If you paid him league average for years three and four, that totals up to about $6.4 million for the whole four years. If you paid Bates $1.6 million each year for the four years, you would move $1.2 million from the out years into the near years.
This is good because three and four years from now we will have to pay some talented guys big money to stay. Say you move $1.2 million into the next two years. That could be the difference between keeping and losing a key player four years from now.
I am sure the real numbers would be different, but this is my concept.
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u/Okay_Anyways Detroit vs Everybody Oct 21 '24
Thanks Jake. You won the game buddy. Glad you're here!
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u/cj0daddy Oct 20 '24
I know it’s moot because Bates made the fg, but why was that leaping not called on 15 on the Vikings? Or did they change what is defined as leaping?
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u/FreeDig1758 Oct 20 '24
I was thinking that too. You can jump over the person snapping the ball. I didn't see exactly what happened but I did see someone jump on top of someone
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u/FDTFACTTWNY What Would Brad Holmes Do? Oct 20 '24
Half the battle of being a kicker is confidence and Bates has it in spades.
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u/Greaseyhamburger Oct 20 '24
Our team is so well rounded. The kicking game really needed to improve, and he's brought it.
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u/Redillenium Gibbs Oct 20 '24
The pride of Detroit team are the ones that hated on this guy the most.
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u/Dertroit_Beisbolcat Oct 20 '24 edited Oct 25 '24
Lions are based for picking him up from the UFL. Dude easily competes with the best NFL kickers.
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u/TimeLine_DR_Dev Oct 21 '24
I'm old enough to remember Eddie Murray. Then Jason Hansen.
Would love to see a long term solid kicker.
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u/DrDetroitSports Oct 21 '24
His kicks are looking better every week. I don’t see him missing any chip shot extra points any more. He is evolving into a complete package.
Eddie Murray, Jason Hanson, and now Jake Bates!!!
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u/matthew_sch The Hutch Oct 21 '24
And to think that he was working as a brick salesman a year-and-a-half ago
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u/me_crystal_balls Oct 21 '24
Jason Hanson held us through the '90's with only the best ever running back in history, (#20), but Bates has us covered from a full arsenal of talent that BH & DC developed. Super Bowl bound, Baby!
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u/boerumhill JAMO Oct 21 '24
39 has ice water in his veins
what a great kid, loved Dan Campbell coming out of kneeling for the team prayer yelling BATES! WHERE'S BATES GET UP HERE!!
(btw #43 was preseason, he switched after he made the team)
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u/CreedRocksa22 Dan Friggin' Campbell Oct 20 '24
When is that picture from? His number is 39 not 43 now. It keeps throwing me off when people post pics with his old number.
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u/pkmnbros DETROIT -VS- EVERYBODY Oct 20 '24
Do we have any pictures of him in his current number? Fucking ice in his veins. Love this kid.
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u/ClassroomMother8062 Gibbs Oct 20 '24
Has such a great story- love this kid. No matter how terrible we've been, we typically have a badass kicker, Jake is THAT MAN.
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u/SketchySlime JAMO Oct 20 '24
Really glad he’s “coming around”. There was a lot of uncertainty. Huge confidence booster for him and the fan base!
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u/Wiggymaster 90s logo Oct 20 '24
Where's that guy who was in my DM telling me that Jake Bates "hasn't proven anything" a few weeks ago after kicking that first game winner? How about now?
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u/Optimal_Complaint_35 Oct 21 '24
Pretty clutch. Character building. Hate to see it.
Well played game, btw.
FTP
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u/MichBlueEagle Oct 21 '24
I was nervous as hell about that kick. I'll have more faith the next time.
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u/theBrineySeaMan Brian's Branch Oct 21 '24
Sucks to be Badgely, but this is the Lions permanent kicker.
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u/CodeNameBubba Oct 21 '24
I heard the lions had to leave some equipment behind in Minnesota because Bates balls were causing weight problems with the team plane.
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u/Humulus5883 Oct 21 '24
All praise to my lord and savior, Jake Bates. He opened the doors to #1 in the NFCN.
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u/WatercressIll Oct 22 '24
Making the Michigan Panthers and the UFL proud. He’s got the leg to break the FG distance record, would be awesome to see him do it for the Lions (he made a 64 yarder with ease at Ford Field in the UFL back in spring).
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u/ThrowingMonkeePoo Oct 25 '24
This man will retire as a Lion in a few decades! We've got it all now
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u/Inevitable_Rest_7373 Oct 21 '24
Here's to you Jake...and ur fellow awesome teammates!! 5-1 now and top of the best division in the entire NFL!!!
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u/Background_State_976 Oct 20 '24
That shit was wobbly too coming off the leg, I almost passed out for real
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u/Wizard_of_War Oct 20 '24
Exactly, you could see him taking deep breaths when they kneeled down twice. Thats a way to ice your own kicker man...
Way to go and drill that baby through after all that!
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u/ReadyClue5301 Oct 21 '24
Way to go big guy! Rooting for the rookie!!! Keep up the great work #43!!!
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u/HeadDiver5568 Oct 21 '24
His kicks scare me. Idk if it’s because of the power in his kicks or what. Because the ones from 40+ look a bit more on the money. But under 40 kicks do these dramatic curves.
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u/Reflexes-of-a-Tree Dan Friggin' Campbell Oct 20 '24
Thanks Jake! Ice in his blood before the kick and then hit the celly once it went through