Robert Mays catches Brandon Tate talking about his breakthough moment.
Returning kickoffs at the professional level was an adjustment for Tate. While openings in college left some room for hesitation, the NFL provides no such luxury.
"I’ve just to got to hit it,’’ Tate said. "Hit it and go. You can’t do too much dancing. The holes close up on you. That’s one thing I had to learn fast.
"It’s a little faster. You’ve got to make your decisions quick. You don’t have too much time to think because the dudes will be on you quick.’’
Albert Breer hears Tom Brady recount Belichick's discontent with the team after Thursday's loss to the Rams.
"He gave it to us pretty good on Friday after the game and then again yesterday," Brady said. "There's always a running joke with our team about humble pie, and he was serving it up on Friday. Just what we needed, we didn't go out and play very well. Hopefully we can learn from it and move on."
But it didn't take until that Friday meeting for the message-sending to begin. Brady got the picture when Belichick declined to go for a fourth-and-short during the game.
"I think he was just pissed off at us," Brady said. "At that point I think he was pissed off at everybody. I went over, I said, 'Coach, it's six inches.' He was like, 'Get off the field!!' I said, 'Let's go for it!' I think he wanted to do that just to yell at us, just so he could say these are the things we can't do."
Albert Breer catches up with former Patriots WR Donte Stallworth who remembers 2007 fondly and talks about what it takes to learn the Patriots offense.
"That was a special year and a special team," Stallworth said. "It’s the most fun I’ve ever had playing football. Getting to learn from coach [Bill] Belichick and Josh [McDaniels], playing with and learning from the older guys there. It was just a real special year . . . Even though we didn’t win it all, I still carry that feeling that we did."
Stallworth said he was touched by the amount of support he got from his ex-Patriot teammates during a trying time. In particular, he said his close friends Wes Welker, Sammy Morris, and Benjamin Watson helped, and he also got a lengthy email -- most guys just texted -- from Tom Brady that meant a lot.
"When I felt like the world was coming to an end, knowing they had my back, that helped a lot," he said.
As for that "special year," Stallworth said playing with Brady left an impression. "Just seeing the way he prepares for the game, watching him work, the things he does, it's easy to see why he's such a great player," he explained. "Obviously, he'll be forever etched in there with the all-time greats."
TEAM TALK
- Erik Scalavino reports Stephen Gostkowski expresses gratitude for his four-year contract extension; Friday notes from Gillette.
- Patriots Today - Not many positives from loss. (4.20 min. video)
- Patriots Roster Report - 8/27/10 Edition. Breaking down recent Patriots roster transactions, recapping the Pats loss to the Rams and player injuries. (14:35 min. audio)
- Bill Belichick Conference Call - 8/27/10. (15:37 min. audio) Plus Transcript.
LOCAL LINKS
- Mike Rodak lists the Patriots players currently on the roster who if cut and clear waivers will be eligible to be signed to the team's practice squad.
- Shalise Manza Young looks at which players will still be on the Pats roster on Saturday (the date rosters need to be cut down to 53 players.)
- Mike Reiss prints out a to-do list for the Patriots before the opener.
- Mike Reiss highlights Tom Brady's appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show this morning.
- WEEI recaps Tom Brady on the Dennis & Callahan show this morning, talking about more 'Humble Pie'.
- Karen Guregian reports the veterans have been helping the young DBs, especially with their confidence after a bad loss, and to help them learn and grow from their mistakes.
- Ian Rapoport points out how Belichick never separates the pass-rush from the secondary, saying the two have to complement each other to be successful.
- Mike Reiss offers his quick-hit thoughts from the Pats and around the NFL.
- Chris Gasper feels 'the Patriots are somewhere between the team that fell flatter than a blueberry pancake against a cupcake opponent and the one that showed promise against the Saints and Falcons.'
- Tom E. Curran looks at QB Carson Palmer's performance this preseason to get ready for the Pats season opener against the Bengals.
- Stan Grossfeld spent time with Vince Wilfork and his family at his home in Frankllin to get to know him better. Great photos.
- Monique Walker spotlights the stellar play of Randy Moss at Training Camp and in the preseason.
- Christopher Price notes Week 3 of preseason wasn't the greatest for the so-called powerhouses of the AFC East.
- Mike Reiss writes it's only a preseason game that doesn't count. So why is Bill Belichick so upset?
- Jim Donaldson reminds readers that one bad preseason loss doesn't mean much.
- Mark Farinella isn't panicking over the Patriots losing a preseason game. They can be an indicator of trouble, but there's still time to fix it before it really matters.
- Mike Reiss dissects the topic of the new position of the umpire in 2010. The Colts were burned twice with illegal snap penalties and he wonders if Bill Polian will get the league to change the rule back.
- Ian Rapoport posts some pics of the Patriots rookies awful haircuts. 'Awful' doesn't quite describe the horror.
- Mike Reiss reports DL Ron Brace is undergoing an MRI to determine the severity of the ankle injury he occurred in the 4th quarter of Thursday's game.
- Mike Reiss notes Belichick is sorting out the injury situation and seemed down about the team's effort against the Rams.
- Tom E. Curran likens the Patriots secondary to swiss cheese.
- Mike Reiss breaks down the Patriots' three quarterbacks this preseason, with one stat standing out: No interceptions.
- Mike Reiss discusses Laurence Maroney and the running back rotation through Week 3 of the preseason.
- Tom E. Curran notes that when asked if Laurence Maroney is going to contribute this year, Belichick confirms it 'absolutely'.
- Mike Reiss puts the spotlight on spread formations.
- Mike Reiss asserts that contrary to the initial impression from the Week 3 loss to the Rams, pressure wasn't the main issue for the defense, it was coverage.
- Mike Rodak reviews Thursday night's preseason game against the Rams by quarter: First , Second, Third and Fourth.
- Mike Reiss looks at the snaps played by Patriots skill-position players from Thursday's loss.
- WEEI posts a video of a 3-year-old who is clearly upset that Tom Brady hurt his knee. Pretty cute. (2.09 min. video)
NATIONAL NEWS
- PFW staff (Pro Football Weekly) Where does Maroney stand with Patriots?
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Rex Ryan eyeing Pats flop Adalius Thomas.
- Ross Tucker (SI) Week 3 preseason games not a reliable gauge for regular season.
- John P. Lopez (SI) Fifteen players who could be this NFL season's hidden rookie gems. Zoltan Mesko mentioned for the Patriots.
- Peter King (SI) MMQB: Manning, Colts worry new NFL rule will slow down hurry-up offense.
- AP (NFL.com) Up-tempo Colts plead for adjustments to umpire position rule. (Plus 2.30 min. video)
- Tim Graham (ESPN) How worried should the Jets be about Sanchez?
- Dan Pompei (Nat'l Football Post) NFP Sunday Blitz.
- Len Pasquarelli (Fox Sports) Tip Sheet: Around the league inside edition.
- Kerry J. Byrne, Cold Hard Football Facts (SI) Time for pass-happy offenses to return to basics of ground game?
- Jeff Pearlman (SI) Message to NFL players: Proposed 18-game schedule is a bad deal.
- Michael Silver (Yahoo! Sports) Players aren't quick to yield on 'enhanced season'.