Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/393046
IRISH IN THE PROS to play football and just be an athlete. That's one of the things I like about the offense. "In Seattle, it's all about timing. The QB is coming to you as soon as you get out of your break at 14 yards. That can be good and bad, when you consider the potential for disruption like press. … In Seattle we might have thrown 15 to 20 times a game, so it made it hard to get off there. I prefer what we have in Detroit." Tate played his best game of the young season Sept. 28, when he caught eight passes for 116 yards in a 24‑17 win against the New York Jets, a team that was rumored to have interest in him. "I'm excited to be a part of this," said Tate, who had a team‑best 24 catches for 317 yards (13.2 yards per reception). "I'm glad that Detroit decided to take a chance. Funny thing is that the Jets had a chance to get me also. They were deciding between me and [Eric] Decker and they went with Decker, a heck of a player also. " B u t [ I ' m ] t h a n k f u l f o r t h e opportunity to be here [in Detroit] and help contribute, help win games and bring that championship mentality." A c h a m p i o n s h i p m e n t a l i t y i s something typically missing in Detroit. The Lions have won just one playoff game since winning the NFL championship in 1957. NFL NOTES Through Oct. 2 • The Washington Redskins released former Notre Dame offensive lineman Braxston Cave (2008‑12) from their practice squad prior to week four. Cave had signed on with the organization after the New England Patriots cut him from their practice squad in August. • Former Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen (2007‑09) saw his first game action as the Chicago Bears' backup signal‑caller in week four. In a 38‑17 loss to the Green Bay Packers Sept. 28, Clausen com‑ pleted his only pass attempt for nine yards. • Right tackle Ryan Harris (2003‑06) has helped the Kansas City Chiefs form a cohesive offensive line since the team inserted him into the starting lineup in week two. Most recently, the Chiefs blew out the New England Patriots 41‑14 Sept. 29. • San Diego Chargers rookie Chris Watt made his first career appearance in a 33‑14 victory over Jack‑ sonville Sept. 28. The team has put him in a rotation at right guard and is looking at him as a potential starter in future weeks. • Through four weeks, a total of 29 former Notre Dame players had been active for NFL teams at some point in the first three games of the regular season. MLB NOTES • Only two former Notre Dame baseball players made the postseason, and for both it was a short stint at that. Oakland Athletics right‑handed pitcher Jeff Sa‑ mardzija — a midseason acquisition from the Chi‑ cago Cubs — did not pitch in the team's 9‑8 loss to the Kansas City Royals in 12 innings in a winner‑take‑ all wild card game Sept. 30. The team held a 7‑3 lead in the eighth inning be‑ fore the Royals stormed back to force extra innings. Oakland took an 8‑7 lead in the top of the 12th be‑ fore Kansas City scored a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Pittsburgh Pirates omitted reliever John Axford from the postseason roster for their wild card game — an 8‑0 loss to the San Francisco Giants — before bowing out of the playoffs. Since the Pirates acquired him on waivers in Au‑ gust, Axford had allowed five runs and walked six batters in 11 innings of work. ✦