Should Tate continue to return kicks?

[WelshPat]

Randy returned kick and punts when he was younger.

It wasn't very often though, only when the Vikes felt they needed a big play.

 

[Tyler.Durden]

Don't know who's doing your maths but it definitely isn't 1/3 of a football game. Generally way less than a 1/4

Well obviously in terms of time. But in terms of impact and momentum shift. Special teams is equally important and can win or lose you the game, just like last week.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Yes. Losing Moss weakens our WR group. Removing Tate would just weaken our ST without even making up for the loss of Moss. No point weakening two areas of your team.

There is a risk of injury, but that's football. You could get injured on any play. Tate has shown a real knack for finding the open seam, and he also seems to have a good presence around him and know when to get down. He also knows when there's nothing there and gets out of bounds or ducks down to avoid a big hit.

 

[PatsChamp88]

I would hope so...

 

[Lampshade]

Yes, because he's really very good at it.

 

[BradyMoss812]

Tate should definitely continue returning kicks. It's great to have a threat like that at every kick-off.

While Tate is now probably the only WR threat we have that can 'stretch the field', I'm guessing he'll be used a lot like Moss was - as a decoy, but then Brady could launch a bomb to him when the defense is expecting a run, but will be more of a team player about it in that role than Moss was.

 

[gregz0r]

my fantasy team really really hopes so

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Yes.

Though if Price is going to be a gameday active, it would be nice to also see what he can do as well, because I can't see him being involved much as a receiver. No to Slater (not quick enough), no to Edelman or Welker.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Tate should absolutley still be returning kicks. The problems the Pats used to have was when Ellis wa returning kicks, the KO was proceeded by a lengthy stint by Ellis on the feild. Tate should not have that problem. Tate is an absolute weapon on kick returns and not using him there is a waste of his talent.

I still can't wrap my head around this Moss trade, his talent is far superior to pretty much every other WR, but "it is what it is" the only thing the Pats can hope for is to change the offense back to the days of clock killin Corey Dillon.

I would also like to jump on the draft A.J. Green with the Seymour pick bandwagon!!!!

 

[Sicilian]

We lose more by removing him from KO duties than we would if we lost him as a WR. We'd be starving ourselves to death to avoid having to cross the street to grocery shop.

 

[Synovia]

Difference with him and Devin Hester is Tate is actually a WR, and not doing too much by having to learn the position aswell, after being drafted as a CB!

I don't know what Tate's potential or ceiling is at this point, but right now, Hester is a much better receiver than Tate.

Hester is a much better receiver than Deion Branch, who everyone around here wants to bring back.


He's not great, but hes better than Brach is now, and better than Tate is at his current developement.

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

It would be foolish to take Tate away from kick returns. He has returned 3 kick off returns for a TD in 8 games, which is including preseason. I honestly think that we may be a 2-2 team at best if not for that. This wouldn't keep him from still playing WR but I don't see it as a full time thing. I expect the running game to be a larger part of our offensive game plan with the way BJGE has performed and unlike last year where we didn't have a threat at TE, we do have one this year. We we rely more on our TE's now and slow ball control down the field, like in the dolphins game. I think we may be better off with Moss gone and I think most of us will be very surprised at this.

HELLO HERNANDEZ! We will be seeing a ton more of him and the rest of the TE's in there.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

It would be foolish to take Tate away from kick returns. He has returned 3 kick off returns for a TD in 8 games, which is including preseason. I honestly think that we may be a 2-2 team at best if not for that. This wouldn't keep him from still playing WR but I don't see it as a full time thing. I expect the running game to be a larger part of our offensive game plan with the way BJGE has performed and unlike last year where we didn't have a threat at TE, we do have one this year. We we rely more on our TE's now and slow ball control down the field, like in the dolphins game. I think we may be better off with Moss gone and I think most of us will be very surprised at this.

HELLO HERNANDEZ! We will be seeing a ton more of him and the rest of the TE's in there.

Do you really think BJGE will be able to do much of anything against Pitt,Balt or SD coming up?.....I don't expect that,it will be a Brady air festival to which I hope he can hit on those secondaries and Tate will need to respond to his 'elevated level' status.

 

[PatsChamp88]

Do you really think BJGE will be able to do much of anything against Pitt,Balt or SD coming up?.....I don't expect that,it will be a Brady air festival to which I hope he can hit on those secondaries and Tate will need to respond to his 'elevated level' status.

It all comes down to the offensive line...not BJGE

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

Do you really think BJGE will be able to do much of anything against Pitt,Balt or SD coming up?.....I don't expect that,it will be a Brady air festival to which I hope he can hit on those secondaries and Tate will need to respond to his 'elevated level' status.

Yes, I do think that BJGE will continue to perform well. Dolphins do not have a bad defense and he ran well against them. Also, Airing it down-field to Moss seemed to be either hit or miss, it just wasn't consistent. I don't think that he was as important as most thought he was. Just look at the production this season. I know that people will tell me all this crap about him stretching the field and whatnot but People will be surprised at what Tate will do.

When we played the Jets there were many passes for Moss and it was a Disaster. After watching the Dolphins game I believe that running the ball more and executing play action will be a larger factor. Throwing to Moss has recently been usually just an incomplete pass and then before you know it we're punting the ball. We may not stretch the field as much but there will still be many mismatches and to keep them guessing BJGE must do good.

 

[Synovia]

Yes, I do think that BJGE will continue to perform well. Dolphins do not have a bad defense and he ran well against them. Also, Airing it down-field to Moss seemed to be either hit or miss, it just wasn't consistent. I don't think that he was as important as most thought he was. Just look at the production this season. I know that people will tell me all this crap about him stretching the field and whatnot but People will be surprised at what Tate will do.

When we played the Jets there were many passes for Moss and it was a Disaster. After watching the Dolphins game I believe that running the ball more and executing play action will be a larger factor. Throwing to Moss has recently been usually just an incomplete pass and then before you know it we're punting the ball. We may not stretch the field as much but there will still be many mismatches and to keep them guessing BJGE must do good.

While I do agree that airing it out to Moss hasn't worked all that well this year (he has 139 yds and 3 TDs on 22 attempts, good for a 5.4 or so YPA), if you believe that Randy didn't have a big effect on that game, you weren't watching it.


On the woodhead TD, there were 3 guys covering Moss, which is why nobody was even near the middle of the field. Brandon Tate aint going to do that.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Yes, I do think that BJGE will continue to perform well. Dolphins do not have a bad defense and he ran well against them. Also, Airing it down-field to Moss seemed to be either hit or miss, it just wasn't consistent. I don't think that he was as important as most thought he was. Just look at the production this season. I know that people will tell me all this crap about him stretching the field and whatnot but People will be surprised at what Tate will do.

Miami had a lot of injuries on the D line and they exploited that, as long as BJGE can keep the D honest we'll be ok, he doesnt have to run for 100 yds.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

if he gets hurt, he gets hurt... you can get hurt at anytime, and if you play football you can't prevent it other than not playing at all...

:yeahthat: Tate's awesome, why on earth would BB not let him do what he does when he needs him to? Tate's a tough player. If he ever went down it would be a huge loss but so would a loss of some other players as well.

They risk injury the minute they take the field, they risk injury in TC for that matter.

 

[drew4008]

With how good he's doing right now, definitely keep him in there.

 

[jbb9s]

didn't ellis hobbs get hurt on a kickoff reuturn in 2007?

He went under the knife the day after the superbowl.

How did his last play go?