Dan Campbell Praises Jake Bates’ Composure After Game-Winning Field Goal

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is beaming with pride over rookie kicker Jake Bates. After Bates drilled the game-winning 44-yard field goal against the Minnesota Vikings, Campbell couldn’t hold back his praise for the young kicker. Despite Bates being relatively new to the NFL, Campbell has been impressed with his composure, even under pressure.

“We’ve had five games with him, NFL games,” Campbell said via the Detroit Free Press. “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’re just applying pressure and you watch him, he just continues to make these kicks, you feel pretty good when he gets thrust into it.”

Campbell added that Bates’ confidence has been growing, and when it comes to game time, the pressure doesn’t seem to faze him. “It’s not the same, but yet it is,” Campbell said. “We just feel like his confidence has grown, and he would just go out there, and it’s just the next kick. And he did that. So really proud of him, man. Really proud of him.”