Pat McAfee Has Electric Four-Word Reaction To Lions' Clutch Last Second Win Vs. Vikings

The Detroit Lions staged a comeback for the ages on Sunday with a last second field goal to beat the first place Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis.

Detroit knocked off Sam Darnold's crew on the leg of unexpected hero Jake Bates, who booted a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left on the clock to give Detroit a 31-29 lead that they would not look back from en route to the victory.

Detroit's win pulled them even with the Vikings at 5-1 on the season and prompted a jubilant reaction from Pat McAfee, the rising star ESPN host whose posts and antics have become the stuff of legends.

"Bates with THE BOOM," McAfee wrote on his Instagram page after the kick was executed in a post that drew nearly 19,000 likes from the peanut gallery.

The former Arkansas Razorbacks kicker and current Detroit Lion Bates is now a perfect 10 for 10 on the season from field goal range and 20 for 21 on extra points.

He has yet to attempt a field goal of longer than 50 yards, an anomaly for an NFL kicker, but has nevertheless made good on both routine and pressure kicks this season for the Lions in their quest to make the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

Bates, a former USFL kicker and SEC Conference Kicker Of The Year in 2022, has completed a rags to riches story that is worthy of a major screenplay similar to former Rams star and grocery bagger Kurt Warner's story, as told in the movie 'American Underdog.'

"Eighteen months ago, I thought I was through with football," Bates said. "I was selling bricks back in Houston. I thought the dream was dead."

Lions coach Dan Campbell intimated that he had a good feeling about the drive and Bates' game-winning kick.

"I just felt good about it," Campbell said. "We've had five NFL games with him, 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 — you're just applying pressure and watching as he continues to make these kicks."

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