Packers lose out on free agent target to Lions, and it was painfully obvious

Remember when the Green Bay Packers never lost to the Detroit Lions? Those days were fun.

While Jordan Love did ruin the Lions' Thanksgiving, which is the last time the two teams met, the Lions have gotten the better of the Packers far too often in recent years. They even handed Aaron Rodgers a loss in his final game in the green and gold.

We may never know whether the Packers would've drafted Terrion Arnold, but the Lions gave them no chance by trading up.

And here we are again, with the Lions getting one over on the Packers this week.

Lions reportedly beat Packers to sign UFL star kicker Jake Bates

The NFC North's top two are coming off excellent seasons and almost met in the conference championships. However, kicking is a concern for both teams. It's no surprise that they both had interest in bringing in kicker Jake Bates, who turned heads in the UFL this spring.

Unfortunately, the Lions win again. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Detroit is expected to sign Bates.

It's not surprising, having played his home games for the Michigan Panthers at Ford Field. Staying in Detroit makes sense for Bates, where he gets the benefit of kicking indoors in favorable conditions. It's the complete opposite in Green Bay, especially late in the year when wind and a drop in temperature makes life miserable for kickers.

There's likely also a clearer path to the Lions' kicking job. The Packers drafted Anders Carlson only last year and currently have three kickers on the roster. It will be a challenging competition to win this summer.

Bates is a talented kicker, making three field goals from over 60 yards during the UFL season. He only had one miss on kicks closer than 50 yards. With consistency on manageable kicks and a rare ability to convert from distance, Bates has the opportunity to land a job in the NFL.

Unfortunately, he is signing with a Packers rival.

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