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The Detroit Lions (12-1) were fighting to maintain their NFC preeminence in a Week 14 rivalry game versus the Green Bay Packers (9-4). Wide receiver Tim Patrick was obviously fighting for that same goal, but he was also being fueled by something that transcends the field of competition– the memory of his father, and the determination to conquer all obstacles that stand in his way.
The end result was a supremely clutch and euphoric performance that lifted his team to a 34-31 win. Patrick, who battled overwhelming injury troubles during the last couple of years, scored his first touchdown since Dec. 19, 2021 to give the Lions a 24-21 lead in the third quarter. Quarterback Jared Goff gifted him the ball to commemorate the long-awaited moment, but Patrick was not done.
After the Packers regained control of the game, he gave Detroit another crucial boost with less than nine minutes left on the clock. His one-yard score put the Lions back on top and forced Green Bay to play from behind in crunch time. Patrick also snagged an 11-yard catch that nudged the team into enemy territory on the would-be game-winning field goal drive (finished with 43 yards). He expressed what he was feeling after Detroit secured the W.
“Amazing, my dad's birthday is tomorrow,” Tim Patrick told Amazon Prime's Kaylee Hartung. “He passed away, man. That was all Him. It was all God. I'm blessed, very blessed.” If it was not already memorable enough, the San Diego, California native ensured that Dec. 5, 2024 will be a night he and his family never forget.
Tim Patrick writes his comeback story amid the Lions' own inspiring quest
Although the NFL path of the undrafted receiver was always destined to be a gravelly one, his underdog tale belongs in a special section in the library. He found a home for himself with the Denver Broncos after being cut by the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers in 2017, but his struggles were far from over. Patrick suffered a torn ACL during practice in August of 2022, pushed through his recovery and then tore his Achilles almost exactly one year later.
When a secondary offensive contributor who is approaching 30 years of age (now 31) sustains a second devastating lower-body injury, there is little reason to envision a comeback. Patrick's best-case scenario was supposed to be a practice squad slot and maybe a brief stint on an NFL roster. He just helped the Lions conquer their divisional foe on Thursday Night Football, enjoying a fairy-tale moment on the eve of a day that carries great emotional weight for him.
That is the essence of why we watch sports. It is fitting that Tim Patrick is continuing a journey that appeared to be finished, courtesy of one of history's biggest underdogs. Given the avalanche of adversity that both the player and franchise have overcome, there might come a time when America has no other choice but to label the Lions as “the team of fate.”
