Jake Bates scores the winning field goal as the Detroit Lions move to 8-1.

 HOUSTON – Nineteen months ago, Jake Bates was in Houston training to be a salesman at Acme Brick, convinced his NFL dreams had ended. On Sunday night, the Detroit Lions kicker made a 52-yard walk-off field goal to lead the Lions past the Texans 26-23, overcoming a 16-point deficit.

"I just don't deserve this," said Bates, who played for the Michigan Panthers in the UFL last season. "Growing up as a soccer player, I idolized NFL players. To be here now is surreal. I'm still pinching myself. I'm so grateful for all the opportunities God has given me."

A native of Tomball, Texas, Bates also hit a crucial 58-yard field goal with 5:01 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 23-23, marking the third-longest kick in Lions history. His clutch performances were pivotal in Detroit's victory, especially considering Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw a career-high five interceptions during the game.

After helping Detroit improve to 8-1 for the first time since 1954, Bates was at a loss for words. His teammates, however, were full of praise.

"I was holding my breath, hoping he'd make it," said Lions cornerback Carlton Davis, who also had two interceptions. "He did his job, and I'm so happy for him."

Bates' game-winning 44-yard field goal in Week 7 helped the Lions secure a divisional win, and he's now perfect on the season, making all 14 field goals attempted.

As Bates prepared for the decisive kick at NRG Stadium, Goff admitted his first thought was, "Holy smokes."

In the same game, Goff became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw five interceptions on the road and still lead his team to victory. Despite his struggles, he remained confident. "I kept telling the guys, 'I'm good. I’ll get this figured out,'" Goff said. "Our defense really bailed us out, and they stuck with me."

Detroit overcame the largest halftime deficit (16 points) ever by a winning team with five or more interceptions. Goff described the game as a "roller coaster" and a "mental battle," but he believes the experience will help the team down the stretch. "When you can dig deep in those situations and come out on top, it prepares you for the next one," he said. "It's never over until it's over."

With seven consecutive victories, including four road wins, the Lions will return home to face the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday. Coach Dan Campbell has confidence in his team, saying, "They’ve done exactly what I expected. The fight they’ve got in them is incredible."

Texans' Collapse: Stroud Takes the Blame

HOUSTON – C.J. Stroud, the Texans’ second-year quarterback, took full responsibility for Houston’s 26-23 loss to the Detroit Lions, saying, "This game is on me." Despite five interceptions by the Texans’ defense, Houston’s offense failed to capitalize in the second half, allowing the Lions to come back and win after trailing by 16 points at halftime.

"We should have won this game," Stroud said. "My job is to lead the offense to score points, and I didn’t do that today. We should have put them away after the first half."

The Texans (6-4) became just the second team since 1933 to lose a game despite recording five interceptions and leading by at least 15 points. The first was in 1970, when the Chicago Bears lost to the Baltimore Colts despite five picks from Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas.

In the first half, Stroud threw for 164 yards and a touchdown, leading the Texans to 23 points. But in the second half, his performance faltered: he threw for just 68 yards, completing 39% of his passes, and threw two interceptions, including one in the red zone with the Texans leading 23-13.

"It’s not good enough," said coach DeMeco Ryans. "We talked about coming out better in the second half, but we turned the ball over early and couldn’t capitalize on the turnovers we forced."

Ryans expressed frustration with his team's inability to score after forcing turnovers. "We didn’t play complementary football," he said. "Five turnovers should result in more points."

Despite the loss, running back Joe Mixon remains optimistic. "This stings, but we're not going anywhere," he said. "We know what we're capable of, we just need to finish."

Texans offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil echoed those sentiments, saying, "In the second half, we’ve been taking our foot off the pedal. We can’t do that if we want to be a championship team."