Despite focusing on their upcoming game against the Washington Commanders, the Detroit Lions cannot wrap their heads around last week’s crushing defeat to the Minnesota Vikings. While both the offense and defense share responsibility for the loss, much of the blame has been dealt to second-year kicker Jake Bates.
According to Detroit Lions beat reporter Jeremy Reisman, special teams coach Dave Fipp attributed the blocked field goal attempt “entirely because of the kick trajectory”. Down seven with 6:29 left in the game, Bates’ 45-yard field goal was blocked and returned to Detroit’s 26-yard line. Just before Bates kicked the ball, his foot hit the turf early, kicking up pellets and affecting his kick.
This momentum-swinging play ultimately crushed the Lions’ hopes of mounting a comeback, as the Vikings extended their lead to 10 with a field goal with just 3:33 remaining in the game.
Jake Bates’ Recent Kicking Struggles Starting to Raise Concerns
Bates' blocked kick has summed up his kicking struggles this season. Through eight games, the 26-year-old has made nine of his 13 field goal attempts, hitting just 69.2% of his kicks, which is well below the league average of 83.9%. While Bates has connected on all of his 30 extra point attempts and has made all but one kick from under 50 yards, he’s struggled to hit kicks from 50 and beyond, nailing just two of his five attempts.
This comes as a surprise considering how terrific he was in his rookie season. Last year, Bates quickly emerged as one of the best kickers in the league, connecting on 26 of his 29 field goal attempts, ranking 11th in field goal percentage (89.7%), while hitting six of his eight attempts from over 50 yards. His 64 made extra points ranks seventh all-time for the most extra points made in a season.
Lions’ fans have every right to be concerned and frustrated with Bates’ recent performance. He’s already missed more field goals than he did all of last year, and he’s had a miss in each of Detroit's past two games. While Bates rightly received criticism for his low kick that played a part in last week’s loss, fans shouldn’t expect his disappointing play to continue.
All kickers, no matter how good they are, will go through slumps. Kickers, just like baseball players, go through stretches where they are unable to hit and have to make adjustments to their approach. In these times, their coaches should be the ones giving them encouragement and advice on how to get them back on track.
Fipp made a bold move, giving Bates criticism for his slip-up, and while it was fair for him to do so, he should be the one responsible for getting Bates back into his rookie form. Whether it's a technique or confidence issue, the Lions must rebuild Bates and put him in the right position to succeed.
Perhaps it’s bypassing a short-yardage situation on fourth down and opting instead to attempt a field goal that gets Bates out of his slump. Regardless, Lions fans shouldn’t give up on Bates just yet, as having quality kickers has become a rarity, and Bates has demonstrated that he is one of them.
This week is the perfect time for Bates to come out of his slump, as the Commanders will be without quarterback Jayden Daniels for the foreseeable future. Detroit's offense should be able to score at will and give Bates plenty of opportunities to put the ball through the goalpost.