Lions kicker and Houston native Jake Bates hit a 58-yard field goal with five minutes left and a 52-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Texans Sunday night in Houston. He can hardly believe how lucky he was to get into that position and get through it.

“It almost feels too scripted, too good to be true,” Bates said after the game.

But it was true, and the entire Lions sideline rushed toward Bates as the final field goal crept into the left post with 0:00 left. Bates said he’s never been the hero of a game like that.

“I have never been so lifted up. That was pretty cool,” Bates said.

Bates said the most important part of his mentality when he walked onto the field for the two big kicks was to treat them no differently than the long field goals he routinely makes in practice.

“Don’t change anything. Don’t make the moment bigger than it needs to be. We practice so much,” Bates said.

The Lions identified Bates when he was kicking for the UFL’s Michigan Panthers at Detroit’s Ford Field this offseason. Bates has proven to be one of their most valuable offseason signings.