10-13-2015, 11:25 AM
(10-12-2015, 10:49 PM)Go Cards Wrote: Horrid decisions on kick off returns all day.
Exactly. I have long assumed that he has some dirt on Marvin, and that's why he gets to play.
Early in his career, it seemed like he fumbled constantly. As recently as last year, he put a game totally out of reach by coming out of the end zone, getting leveled at the 10, and fumbling it for a TD. Then this week (the first game this year I have been able to watch, instead of listen to) he came out of the end zone constantly and made it to the 20 once?
Some points that we discussed with Tate returning kickoffs out of the end zone:
1. When he makes it to the 10 or 15 instead of the 20 that he would have been handed for free, it's like having an offensive lineman who starts every drive with a holding penalty or a false start. The yardage loss is the same, but one would be viewed as totally unacceptable while the many turn a blind eye to Tate. This bad field position (an extra 12.5% of the field to go) affects the offense, defense, and special teams and takes points off the board by turning TDs into field goals, field goals into punts, and punts into less effective punts, giving the defense less room for error.
2. The turnover potential when getting slammed at the ten is overlooked any time there isn't actually a turnover. But the chance of a turnover goes from virtually zero by kneeling in the end zone to pretty damned significant when you run straight into a swarm of defenders.
3. The risk of injury to your entire team by adding unnecessary plays and simultaneously stretching your field. Take a knee, the whistle blows, play over. Start at the 20. Pretty simple, right? Tate runs out, doesn't follow blocks, gets plowed before reaching the 20, and risks injury to himself and his teammates by simply being stupid. One more bad play, one more chance for a dirty hit, and never anything to show for it. Then you make the offense have to run more plays to pick up the yards you lost for them. I know I'm not the only who cringes every time a lineman gets rolled up on, and Tate's piss-poor returns cause it to happen more on every drive. Football is an inherently dangerous sport, but there's a reason teams take a knee to close out games. If taking a knee nets you ten more yards than you could have run for, why not do it?
As mentioned previously, Jones is a different story. He deserves the benefit of the doubt (on the field). Tate's best kick returns are touchbacks. Every other time, he risks giving up points, turning the ball over, and hurting his teammates.
