Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Bates’ last-play field goal lifts Lions past Packers 20–17
Detroit survived two lost fumbles and two failed fourth-down gambles before a tipped Green Bay kick and a disciplined 71-yard final drive set up Jake Bates from 22 yards.
Jake Bates made a 22-yard field goal as time expired to give the Detroit Lions a 20–17 home win over the Green Bay Packers on October 25. Detroit improved to 4–2, while Green Bay fell to 4–3 and had a three-game winning streak stopped.
The finish was created by more than one kick. D.J. Wonnum deflected Trey Smack’s 35-yard attempt with 3:21 left, Jared Goff then moved Detroit 71 yards, and Jahmyr Gibbs twice gave up an available touchdown so the Lions could drain the clock before the final snap.
Detroit’s mistakes kept the game open
The Lions led 10–7 at halftime but lost fumbles near the Green Bay 8 and early in the third quarter. The second turnover set up Jordan Love’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Josh Jacobs and Green Bay’s only lead, 14–10. Detroit also failed on fourth down from the Packers’ 6 and later from its own 24.
Green Bay could not convert the late short field
After Keisean Nixon stopped Gibbs on fourth-and-1 at Detroit’s 22 with the score tied, Green Bay had a premium chance to take the lead. A pass to Jacobs fell incomplete, and Wonnum got a finger on Smack’s 35-yard attempt. Smack had also missed from 26 yards on the opening drive.
Goff and the receivers supplied the stable offense
Goff finished with 303 yards and two scoring passes to Williams, who had five catches for 91 yards. St. Brown added nine catches for 153. Those production lines mattered because Detroit’s turnovers and aggressive decisions repeatedly erased scoring chances.
The final drive was a clock-management sequence
Goff found Sam LaPorta for 18 yards, a roughing-the-passer penalty added field position, and Gibbs broke a 15-yard run. Green Bay later jumped offside on third-and-5. With the Packers trying to allow a touchdown, Gibbs went down twice instead, letting Detroit reach the final play before Bates kicked.
What the result changes
Detroit opened its division schedule with a win and has consecutive victories for the first time this season. Green Bay dropped to last in an NFC North in which every team remained above .500. Detroit next hosts unbeaten Minnesota; Green Bay faces Carolina on a short week. One game does not settle the division, but this one turned on late execution.
