Jake Bates, UFL star and Detroit Lions target, blasts another long field goal.…..

Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates, one of the stars of the 2024 UFL season, hit another long field goal in Week 7 against the D.C. Defenders. During the second quarter, with the Panthers ahead 13-6, Bates was called upon to make a 51-yard field goal, which at this moment looks like a chip shot for the excellent kicker.

As expected, Bates nailed it with plenty of distance to spare. The make was the 13th of his remarkable season, and he now has six from 50 and up, including three from over 60.

With those three wins, Bates now has five away from Ford Field, where he could play later this year after the Detroit Lions reportedly expressed interest in him. Bates also started the competition with only one make in an outdoor stadium before his three on Sunday.

While Bates is expected to generate a lot of interest in the NFL, he won’t be able to talk to or sign with a team until after the UFL season, which ends in mid-June. “That’s not true; I can’t talk to them,” Bates replied. “I’m not sure where that came from, but no, I can’t. I guess we’re under contract; we can’t speak to anyone. So, that will happen in the future, hopefully, but not right now.”

Bates is coming off a 5-for-5 effort in Week 6, including a 60-yarder and a game-winning kick in the final seconds. Overall, he’s 15 for 17.

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The Detroit Lions’ failure has left supporters devastated and in tears.

California – A catastrophic Lions collapse in the second half allowed the San Francisco 49ers to overcome a 17-point lead Sunday night, upsetting Detroit fans, especially hundreds who travelled to Levi’s Stadium from all over to see a promising season end one victory shy of the Super Bowl.

Free Press writers and photographers documented the day’s hope, followed by the heartbreaking finale to a game that had started so brightly.

Lions fans at Levi’s Stadium watched in anguish as time expired in their team’s loss against the 49ers.

And as their team drew closer to the Super Bowl, West Coast fans became increasingly vocal. When the victory was declared, they erupted. Lions fans stood immobile as the thrill faded. Then some yelled expletives, while others fled minutes before the final. James Williams felt sadness and disbelief.

We had a few opportunities to put points on the board, but we did not. “I think that hurt us a little bit,” said Williams of Detroit, who was standing in a stadium concourse at the finish. “It is what it is, we’ve been living with it.” Regardless, the Lions’ success this far benefits both the team and the city.