Brandon Tate

[PatsFan2]

Is developing right before our eyes...we know how WR's are like a box of chocolate "you never know what you gona get". After making mistakes at that position with the selections of Bethel Johnson and Chad Jackson, we may have hit the jackpot on Mr. Tate. That TD catch he made against the jets last Monday even though it was his only catch is so significant the way he caught the ball him working back to Brady giving him a Target shows maturity. Also that beautiful catch along the sidelines in Chicago yesterday was a thing of beauty. Tate was damaged goods and we took a chance on him last year and basically redshirted him. This is really Tate's rookie year and i think he has a very high ceiling. The Best is yet to come from him and i wouldn't mind seeing it in the Playoffs.

 

[DarrylS]

Tate brings a lot to the table, and has done a few things well lately, but not sure we have hit the "jackpot" yet...

 

[muslimman]

Beautiful.

 

[resdubwhite]

That 4th quarter diving catch.

Amazing. Credit where it is due. Game was over for sure. but ut was still nice to watch.

 

[sbpatfan]

One thing to remember is Tate missed most of his senior season and lost pretty much all of his rookie year due to injures. I imagine he hit a bit of a rookie wall himself when he got sick there along with a couple tough games.

We were hearing about those types of catches in training camp from Tate. It was good to see him do that in a game.

 

[A_Ghost_In_The_Machine]

That was a lovely diving catch he made but for me one nice catch doesn't make him a great player. I hope he does improve and get to the point where he is a legitimate threat on every down but he isn't there yet and I'm not sure if he ever will be. I'm sure he'll become a solid reciever but probably not someone that is going to draw a whole lot of attention from opposing defenses. Let's hope he proves me wrong

 

[Mack Herron]

That was a lovely diving catch he made but for me one nice catch doesn't make him a great player. I hope he does improve and get to the point where he is a legitimate threat on every down but he isn't there yet and I'm not sure if he ever will be. I'm sure he'll become a solid reciever but probably not someone that is going to draw a whole lot of attention from opposing defenses. Let's hope he proves me wrong

Didn't Chad Jackson make a nice sideline catch his rookie year?

 

[BTTA]

Wow, I missed that one. Best catch of the year by any Patriot, given the conditions.

His hands were one of the questions, and he's beginning to answer that.

Getting smart about routes, and on the same page with Brady, was another one of the questions. And he seems to be getting there as well.

It will be very useful for Brady to start to look his way more often, to keep the defenses in the playoffs from focusing quite so much on Welker.

 

[ausbacker]

Been a little disappointed in Tate this year. For some reason I expected a little more from him. As it goes his improvement looks like it might be a little slower than some of the other younger Patriots but he's showing signs which is all we can ask.

Perhaps it's beginning to click for him. Let's hope as as another deep threat gives this offense another dynamic all together.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

He still has a ways to go. He would not have had to make such a spectacular catch if he did not slow down.

 

[Robdude]

That was a lovely diving catch he made but for me one nice catch doesn't make him a great player. I hope he does improve and get to the point where he is a legitimate threat on every down but he isn't there yet and I'm not sure if he ever will be. I'm sure he'll become a solid reciever but probably not someone that is going to draw a whole lot of attention from opposing defenses. Let's hope he proves me wrong

I agree. I have been thinking Tate has been somewhat of a let down. Yes, everyonce in awhile he has made a great catch but he is by no means a go to receiver. He still has time to develope into one but so far he has shown the same types of flashes that our other ho hum draft picks have.

 

[Kdo5]

I was glad for him but one great catch means nothing as of now. Good to see him getting over that funk with the drops.

 

[fnordcircle]

After he dropped that pass from Brady a few weeks back he started saying all the right things and it's nice to see him consistently make the most of his chances now so he's also doing the right things.

I'd like to see him get the ball thrown his way 3-4 more times a game and for him to get some routes that give him opportunities for some YAC. But I don't think that's his role that year - Welker, Gronk, Hernandez and Branch have been pretty good at that.

 

[Haley]

Wow, I missed that one. Best catch of the year by any Patriot, given the conditions.

His hands were one of the questions, and he's beginning to answer that.

Getting smart about routes, and on the same page with Brady, was another one of the questions. And he seems to be getting there as well.

It will be very useful for Brady to start to look his way more often, to keep the defenses in the playoffs from focusing quite so much on Welker.

I agree with this. His hands have always been in question for me. Now that he has shown that he has the aptitude, I'd like to see him get consistent with it.

 

[mgteich]

Tate is a work in progress. I remember single great catches from Johnson and Childress. As of now, Tate is a solid kick returner and a disappointment as a WR. He is a disappointmnet because he has lots of reps and few catches. To me, that means that he hasn't been open much. But it is early in his career; he has time to learn.

 

[patchick]

We were hearing about those types of catches in training camp from Tate.

Yep, exactly those types. In TC Tate made a remarkable number of holy-smokes-how-did-he-stay-inbounds sideline catches. Now he has them in 2 straight real games as well, and I think it's fair to say that he has exceptional body control to go along with his speed.

So route running is the big piece to come.

It makes me think of Branch saying that the "amazing chemistry" he had with Brady was the simple product of vast numbers of off-season reps. And of all the photos of Brady and Welker working out together at UCLA this summer.

Mr. Tate, how does summer in Los Angeles sound to you?

 

[abdul7]

Agree, that this young man is playing really in his rookie year, and is going to be a heck of a player in the future. What we all must remember is not what a 'great' catch he made but WHEN ! Late in the 4th Q, game over, freezing cold, yet he made a Patriot Effort, a catch only a New England player would make in game that was over. Great catch young man but most of all Great Effort. Bravo Brandon.

 

[A_Ghost_In_The_Machine]

Agree, that this young man is playing really in his rookie year, and is going to be a heck of a player in the future. What we all must remember is not what a 'great' catch he made but WHEN ! Late in the 4th Q, game over, freezing cold, yet he made a Patriot Effort, a catch only a New England player would make in game that was over. Great catch young man but most of all Great Effort. Bravo Brandon.

On the flip side there was no pressure on him to make the catch. By that point the game was already out of hand. Maybe if he doesn't make it and the Pats punt then the Bears get another score but all that does is make the game look closer than it was. Honestly I'd have been more impressed if he made that catch on 3rd and long in a situation where we're down and need to keep the drive alive. Don't want to take away from the catch but that's all it was, one nice looking catch.

 

[WhiZa]

Tate is a work in progress. I remember single great catches from Johnson and Childress. As of now, Tate is a solid kick returner and a disappointment as a WR. He is a disappointmnet because he has lots of reps and few catches. To me, that means that he hasn't been open much. But it is early in his career; he has time to learn.

Right. We've learned to know better then to get our hopes up from a play or two. We really won't know what we have until next year as long as he's consistent.

 

[patsox23]

Tate brings a lot to the table, and has done a few things well lately, but not sure we have hit the "jackpot" yet...

What he said. Like Tate, but let's take a breath.