Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images Handing out the game ball and unsung hero from the Lions comeback win against the Texans. The Detroit Lions don’t flinch. The team seemingly accomplishes a new feat or milestone each and every week. Against the Houston Texans on “Sunday Night Football,” the Lions overcame their first double-digit halftime deficit for victory in the Dan Campbell era. The Lions trailed 23-7 at halftime and Jared Goff had already thrown three of his five interceptions. The 23 points allowed in the first half and the 16-point deficit comeback were both the most for the Lions in a game this season. The team overcame those obstacles to become only the third team in franchise history, and first since 1954, to start 8-1. It was a full team effort that had several worthy candidates for game ball and unsung hero that helped build towards their biggest comeback of the season. Game Balls – Jake Bates and Carlton Davis III Pretty surreal that a former brick salesman, the Lions’ “rookie” kicker Jake Bates, hasn’t bricked a single kick this year. *Note: Bates isn’t technically a rookie, having spent time briefly with the Texans last year, but this year is his first NFL action. Three weeks after Bates hammered home a 44-yard, game-winning field goal in the final seconds on the road against the Vikings, he followed it up with quite an encore in Houston. Bates closed out the Lions’ resounding second half efforts by piping two 50+ yard field goals in the final 5:01 of the game. Bates came through clutch with a 58-yard field goal, following a fluke Amon-Ra St. Brown drop on third down, to tie up the game. Not soon after, with the Lions’ destiny on the shoulders of long-snapper Hogan Hatten, holder Jack Fox, and Bates, the Lions kicker drilled a walk-off 52-yard game winner to cap off the dramatic second half comeback. Bates is now the last remaining starting kicker in the NFL to not miss a field goal season. Add him to the long list of Lions players with incredible backgrounds that are easy to root for and are great characters in the locker room. But also add him to the list of kickers that coaches confidently trot out for both game-winners on long-distance kicks. Not bad for the former USFL Michigan Panthers’ legend. My second game ball goes to another first-year Lion. Carlton Davis III spearheaded the Lions’ dominant second half efforts and manufactured his first memorable moments to engrain himself to this team’s fans. Entering the game, the Lions were still waiting on their first interception from a cornerback. Davis ended that early and often in the second half. NBC was airing their halftime interview of Dan Campbell, who was asking for the defense to get the ball back, Davis perfectly jumped the first pass of the second half—a comeback route to Tank Dell on a comeback route—to set the tone for the remainder of the football game. Not soon after, with only a 10-point deficit, Davis provided the team with its largest jolt of momentum. Davis intercepted another Stroud pass to Dell in the end zone. Fittingly, it was Davis’ first career multi-interception game. Per Next Gen Stats, Davis allowed two receptions for 16 yards on his six targets as the nearest defender in Week 10. Those interceptions helped Davis generate a -11.6 target EPA—ninth-fewest by a player in a single game this season. PFF also gave Davis a 91.3 overall grade, which ranked first among all Week 10 cornerbacks. He allowed just a 9.2 passer rating when targeted and added two defensive stops. This season, Davis has been the Lions best cornerback since Darius Slay, and Sunday night he displayed every trait that Brad Holmes envisioned when he traded for him in the offseason. Unsung Heroes – Jameson Williams and Dan Campbell There’s been a lot of negative noise surrounding Jameson Williams since he was last on the football field. But while he served a two-game suspension, the Lions’ nucleus reaffirmed their trust and support in Williams, and he responded by silencing that noise and being one of my two unsung heroes. On a night where the Lions put themselves behind with mistakes and the margins were thin, Williams made the most of his opportunities to the tune of three catches for 53 receiving yards. All three catches came on routes over the middle and resulted in first downs. Williams first two catches came on the Lions’ first, much needed, touchdown drive. Both also came on third down, including his first catch on a “gotta have it” third-and-16 for 23 receiving yards. Williams’ last catch was easily his most difficult—a contested catch that Williams went up to get as incoming defenders were ready to split him at the torso. Yet Williams hung onto the ball for the big-time conversion. That vice grip grab to move the chains helped eventually lead to the Lions’ last touchdown to make it only a 23-20 deficit. Nothing flashy by Williams in his first game back, just reliable and refined receiver play over the middle. The second unsung hero from the come from behind primetime victory comes from the sidelines. Not many teams can go on the road for the fourth time in five weeks, have their field general throw five interceptions, and come back from a 16-point halftime deficit. Most teams don’t have that fight. Most teams don’t have that belief. Most teams pack it in, coast, and go home against a formidable opponent in those circumstances. The offense scored 19 straight points. The defense shut out the Texans in the second half. It was a total team effort and a lot of the credit for that team effort is Dan Campbell. The Lions’ momentum was an infectious belief. The players and staff believed they could do it. They believed in themselves and in each other. It’s a powerful force, that belief that Dan Campbell helped instill. Even the fans believe. Dan Campbell developed a steady, successful locker room, that was easy to root for, and caused fans to travel in droves. Those fans, and their belief of the team, helped provide a small amount of momentum and support with a home-field advantage feel during their comeback. Jared Goff didn’t crater. He was part of a supportive ecosystem that knew he would bounce back and drill throw after throw down the stretch. The offensive line and running backs didn’t lose faith after being shut down in the first half. Instead, they responded with 82 rushing yards on 19 carries in the second half (4.3 yards/carry) including three rushes over 10 yards. The defense didn’t let up. They kept bringing it even after each sudden challenge following another turnover. They cranked it up and in the last seven Texans possessions (all second half), they forced four punts, two interceptions, and a missed field goal. They made Stroud uncomfortable all game, started to take him down in the backfield, and made it incredibly tough sledding for Joe Mixon. The Lions are such a mentally tough team. It’s so hard to actually put them away. They’re going to keep coming back at an opponent and coach Campbell said it best. Perhaps trying to warn opponents, back in 2022 training camp during HBO’s “Hard Knocks”: “We’ll tread water as long as it takes to fucking bury you.”