A handful of close losses would frustrate any football player, and Golden Tate is no exception.
Tate's frustration boiled over in a Week 8 loss to Tampa Bay, in which Tate screamed into a TV camera demanding more targets. His outburst continued following his second and last reception of the game, and his anger lasted into the hours afterward in which he used Twitter's "like" function to endorse the possibility of his release from the Giants.
Tate was left at home for New York's Week 9 contest, an eventual win over the Washington Football Team, and he expressed remorse for his actions Friday.
"If you know me and you know my game, I play with a lot of emotion, a lot of passion," Tate explained Friday, via SNY's Ralph Vacchiano. "I just got caught up in the moment. I was wrong to draw attention to myself and I take full responsibility for that. I handled it the wrong way and brought negative attention to our organization. It was something that won't happen again."
Tate is in the midst of a year in which he's on pace to finish with less than 50 receptions, less than 500 receiving yards and a total of just four touchdowns. Tate hasn't posted such numbers since his second season in Seattle, way back in 2011. His Giants are 2-7 with seven games left to play, with five of those defeats coming by a single possession.
Targets to Tate could prove to be the difference between wins and losses. After his last game, in which he was targeted just three times, Tate clearly isn't seeing enough opportunities to satisfy him in his 11th professional season.
At 32 years old, time is running out for Tate to play in meaningful NFL games. He made clear with his response Friday he's not looking for a way out, instead content with continuing to help the Giants build toward a better future. That long-term future likely won't include him, but in the meantime, the best he can hope for is more chances to make a positive impact.
Above all, he's just looking for opportunity. And as he said Friday, the next time he catches a pass, he won't be screaming for more targets.
