Antonio Cromartie , Golden Tate

Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate was targeted just twice in the loss to the Cardinals.

(AP Photo)

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Turn on sports talk radio, read comments online or simply engage in chatter at a local pub and one of the top topics coming out of the Detroit Lions' 14-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals is the lack of targets for wide receiver Golden Tate.

After averaging 12 passes thrown his direction the previous six games, Tate was officially targeted twice in the defeat.

Lions coach Jim Caldwell said the play calls weren't necessarily different, it's just Tate either wasn't open when quarterback Matthew Stafford looked his direction or the Cardinals pass rush got to Stafford before he could make the throw.

As you might imagine, there's quite a bit of film to look at when studying a topic this broad. Instead of just highlighting a handful of examples, I'm going to try something a little different today. You're going to get my raw notes on every play where Stafford dropped back to pass. That includes every sack and every snap erased by penalty.

The format will include down and distance and time remaining in the quarter. The bolded text is directly from the official box score. My notes include formation, Tate's alignment and route and why he wasn't targeted.

At the very bottom, if you don't want to read a brief breakdown of all 37 plays, I'll post some concluding thoughts from my study.

FIRST QUARTER

2-12-DET 17 (11:19) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short left to G.Tate to DET 28 for 11 yards (A.Cromartie).

Two wide, one tight end, two backs. Tate is wide left and runs a 10-yard curl, sitting down against zone coverage. Stafford finds him for a 14-yard gain. Tate was the second read. The pass rush didn't get any pressure.

1-10-DET 20 (6:06) M.Stafford pass short right to E.Ebron pushed ob at DET 27 for 7 yards (D.Bucannon).

Three receivers, single back, one tight end who motions to h-back. Tate wide left, slot receiver is to opposite side. Lions run play-action, bootleg away from Tate. Ebron is the first read and gains seven yards. Tate was covered by two defenders while dragging across the middle.

3-5-ARZ 35 (3:34) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short right to J.Bell to ARZ 32 for 3 yards (R.Johnson).

Two wide, single back, two tight ends stacked in left slot. Tate is wide left. Lions run layered crossing routes across the middle, with Ebron deep, Tate middle depth and Bell shallow. Bell most open, with running room, but gains just three yards. There was no pressure from the pass rush.

SECOND QUARTER

1-10-DET 22 (14:16) M.Stafford pass incomplete short left to J.Bell [D.Williams].

Three receivers, tight end off right tackle, Tate in the right slot. Lions run play-action and Tate runs a post where he's bracketed by the nickel corner and deep safety. Cardinals DT Tommy Kelly beats Travis Swanson, forced Stafford to roll out and check down to Joique Bell. Pass sails wide.

2-10-DET 22 (14:11) (Shotgun) M.Stafford sacked at DET 20 for -2 yards (A.Okafor).

Three wide, single back, tight end off right tackle. Tate wide left, Fuller in the slot. Tate motions into stack behind Fuller. Play is designed to be a quick out to Tate, but Cardinals CB Jarraud Powers reads it and jumps the route, forcing Stafford to pull the throw down and take a sack.

3-12-DET 20 (13:27) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass deep left to G.Tate to 50 for 30 yards (A.Cromartie) [T.Kelly].

Three wide, single back, tight end off left tackle. Tate in the left slot. Cardinals bring pressure with five, Calvin Johnson runs a go route and clears out space. Tate beats his Powers with a double move, faking a sideline out and to getting separation on a post.

2-9-ARZ 49 (12:02) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short middle to E.Ebron to ARZ 41 for 8 yards (D.Bucannon).

Three wide, single back, tight end in right slot. Tate in left slot. Man coverage, two-high safety shell, Tate covered well on a deeper crossing route. Ebron has more separation underneath and gets the ball from Stafford.

3-1-ARZ 41 (11:20) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short right to C.Johnson ran ob at ARZ 37 for 4 yards. P3

Three wide, single back, tight end offset next to right tackle. Tate in the right slot. Cardinals bracket Tate on the snap, blanketing him as he runs up the seam. Johnson open on a short out route for the first down. Easily the right read.

1-10-ARZ 37 (10:46) M.Stafford pass incomplete deep right to G.Tate [S.Acho].

Three wide, single back, tight end offset next to left tackle. All receivers are bunched close to the formation with Tate alone to the left side. Cardinals bring pressure and linebacker Sam Acho blows past Kellen Davis forcing Stafford to fire the pass early.

The route combination worked, with Johnson drawing the deep and freeing up Tate on a deep crossing pattern underneath, but the quarterback missed wide. The play would have been negated by a penalty, even if the throw had been accurate.

1-25-DET 48 (10:40) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short middle to T.Riddick to ARZ 47 for 5 yards (D.Bucannon) [T.Kelly].

Three wide, single back, tight end off right tackle. Tate in the left slot. Cardinals bracket Tate early, take away the quick pass, but he runs a deep post. With pressure coming from Calais Campbell, Stafford checks down to Riddick before Tate even reaches his break.

2-20-ARZ 47 (9:55) M.Stafford pass short left to J.Ross to ARZ 40 for 7 yards (P.Peterson; R.Johnson).

Three wide, single back, tight end off right tackle. Tate alone to the right. The Cardinals have two deep safeties and are playing off-man coverage. Tate finds some space running a square in route at a 12-yard depth, but he's not part of Stafford's progression. Quarterback never looks that direction, throwing a flare to Jeremy Ross out of the left slot.

3-13-ARZ 40 (9:17) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass incomplete short right to C.Johnson.

Penalty on DET-L.Waddle, Offensive Holding, declined.

Three wide, single back, tight end off right tackle. Tate lines up wide right and runs a go route meant to clear out space for Johnson. Cardinals blitz, three defenders beat blocks, flush Stafford from the pocket, blowing up the play before Johnson's route develops.

1-10-DET 34 (4:06) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass incomplete short right to C.Johnson (J.Powers).

Three wide, single back, tight end off left tackle. Tate lined up in right slot, Johnson wide to that side. Johnson and Tate run dino concept (double post). Cardinals are in zone and Powers makes the read, jumping the throw to Johnson out of his break, nearly snagging the interception. No pressure, well defended by the secondary.

PENALTY on DET-E.Ebron, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at DET 39 - No Play.

Trips to the right, single back and Ebron split wide left. Play was going Ebron's way the entire time. The short hitch route picks up the first down, but the tight end is flagged for offensive pass interference for pushing off against cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

3-15-DET 29 (2:48) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass incomplete deep middle to C.Johnson.

Three wide, single back, tight end off right tackle. Tate in the right slot with Johnson wide. Johnson runs a deep post, Tate an out route at 12 yards depth and Ross, on the opposite side, a 15-yard dig. Cardinals drop eight in a deep zone and take away all three routes. Stafford looks to Johnson first, then to Ross. Even with three rushers, pressure eventually gets to Stafford and the quarterback is forced to step up where he sees Johnson coming free deep, but the quarterback's throw is a little behind his receiver and is dropped.

(:34) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short right to E.Ebron pushed ob at ARZ 10 for 4 yards (D.Bucannon).

Tightly bunched formation with Tate on the shoulder of the left tackle. Stafford quickly checks the coverage on Johnson, wide left, and sees plenty of red before finding Ebron running a short out pattern for the would-be first down. Bad spot, play stands after review.

THIRD QUARTER

1-10-DET 20 (15:00) M.Stafford pass short middle to C.Johnson to DET 35 for 15 yards (R.Johnson; D.Bucannon) [T.Mathieu]. P5

Three wide, single back, tight end off left tackle. Tate wide left with Ross in the slot. Tate blanketed on a curl route. Johnson runs a dig route and is Stafford's only read. Johnson picks up 15 after Patrick Peterson stumbles while jostling for position.

2-13-ARZ 47 (13:03) (Shotgun) M.Stafford sacked at DET 46 for -7 yards (A.Okafor).

Trips to the right, single back, tight end off left tackle. Tate in the right slot, nearest to the formation. All three receivers are well covered. Tate runs a comeback, but pressure gets to Stafford quickly as Alex Okafor gets around right tackle LaAdrian Waddle.

3-20-DET 46 (12:17) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short right to C.Johnson pushed ob at ARZ 40 for 14 yards (P.Peterson).

Three wide, single back (Bell), lined up in the left slot, tight end off right tackle. Tate is in the right slot and runs a deep post. He is bracketed by the nickelback and deep safety and never open. Johnson gets minimal separation running a dig route at a 12-yard depth, but gets the pass anyway. Peterson makes the play in single coverage.

1-10-DET 16 (6:34) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short left to E.Ebron to DET 19 for 3 yards (T.Mathieu).

Three wide, single back, tight end off left tackle. Tate is in the left slot. The play design is a screen to Ebron and Tate is caught off guard when his CB blitzes Stafford. This causes a slightly inaccurate throw and lets the safety drive down and make the quick stop on the tight end.

2-7-DET 19 (6:04) (No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Stafford pass incomplete short middle to T.Riddick.

Three wide, one back, one tight end all split out in a five-wide look. Tate draws two defenders and Riddick is the right read, but Stafford's throw is behind the back.

3-7-DET 19 (5:59) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short middle to C.Johnson to DET 32 for 13 yards (R.Johnson). P7

Three wide, single back, one tight end split out off right tackle creating three-wide look to the right side. Johnson the lone receiver to the left. Tate, the middle man in the trips, runs an out route and is blanketed by the corner. In fact, all three receiver to the right are covered. Stafford progresses through to Johnson, who is open on a dig across the middle.

1-10-DET 32 (5:13) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass incomplete deep left.

PENALTY on ARZ-K.Martin, Roughing the Passer, 15 yards, enforced at DET 32 - No Play. X8

Three wide, single back, tight end off left tackle. Tate lines up in the left slot and runs and out route. Coverage is there. Stafford's focus is on the right side where he wants to hit Riddick running an out route, but is blanketed by linebacker Larry Foote. Pressure comes, forcing the quarterback to throw it away.

2-13-DET 44 (4:17) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass incomplete short left to T.Riddick (T.Mathieu).

Lions go back to empty backfield, five-wide look with Riddick and Ebron split out. Tate runs a post from the right slot, but was never an option. Stafford makes a hot read to Riddick after Cardinals blitz, but Arizona has play covered as deep safety comes up and assumes the back running an out route from the left slot.

(4:14) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass deep left intended for C.Johnson INTERCEPTED by R.Johnson [T.Kelly] at ARZ 22. R.Johnson to ARZ 22 for

no gain (C.Johnson).

Lions appear to have the wrong protection call as the line slides to its left on the snap, allowing for Tommy Kelly to come free off the right edge. Tate, lined up in the right slot, appears to be the first read, but his deep dig route is taken away by Cardinals' zone coverage. With Kelly bearing down, Stafford heaves up a deep pass to Johnson in double coverage, which is intercepted by safety Rashad Johnson.

1-10-DET 36 (2:22) G.Tate left end to DET 44 for 8 yards (L.Foote).

Just looking to get Tate the ball, the Lions motion him from wide left and give him the end around after faking a handoff to Joique Bell up the gut. The play gained eight yards.

FOURTH QUARTER

2-7-DET 4 (11:17) M.Stafford pass incomplete short right to C.Johnson (P.Peterson).

Three wide, single back, tight end off left tackle. Tate is wide left. This might be the first play where Stafford locks on to Johnson, who runs an out route. It's a timing throw and the pass is behind the receiver and falls incomplete. Tate finds space running a post, but isn't a read in the quarterback's progression.

3-7-DET 4 (11:11) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short right to J.Bell to DET 25 for 21 yards (J.Powers). P9

A well-designed screen pass. Tate, opposite play side, runs a route designed to clear more space in the middle of the field.

1-10-DET 25 (10:28) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short middle to J.Bell to DET 31 for 6 yards (L.Foote).

Three wide, single back, Joseph Fauria split off right tackle. Tate in the slot to the right side with Ross wide. Ross gets jammed and collides with Tate, disrupting his route. Stafford finds Bell on a delayed wheel route. Well covered by the Cardinals.

3-6-DET 29 (9:07) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short left to T.Riddick to DET 45 for 16 yards (L.Foote). P10

Two wide, two backs (Riddick in the left slot), Ebron lines up in a stack behind Tate wide left. Both run deep routes, clearing space underneath to a swing pass to Riddick for a nice gain.

1-10-DET 45 (8:23) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass incomplete deep right to C.Johnson.

Three wide, single back, Ebron in the right slot. Tate alone on the left. Lions run three verticals, with Ebron slicing right to left across the middle on a deep dig and drawing the lone deep safety. Lions actually got Johnson in one-on-one coverage down the seam but Stafford missed him badly. Tate covered well down the left sideline.

2-10-DET 45 (8:16) (Shotgun) M.Stafford sacked at DET 40 for -5 yards (F.Rucker).

Four wide, single back. Tate in the right slot and covered well on a skinny post. Ebron is actually the open read, on a deep dig from the left slot, but Cornelius Lucas gives up a quick sack to Frostee Rucker.

3-15-DET 40 (7:32) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short left to C.Johnson ran ob at ARZ 47 for 13 yards.

Three wide, Bell, the lone back, in the left slot. Tate in the right slot and Ebron next to the right tackle. Tate is well covered on a skinny post, offensive line allows Campbell to get pressure up the gut, forcing a rushed throw to Johnson.

4-2-ARZ 47 (6:50) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass incomplete short right to C.Johnson.

Three wide, Lions try to go back to the well with Johnson on a short out route, but Cardinals have it covered. There was no second option, it was a designed quick pass.

Despite many suggesting it, Tate was not open on a short curl in the slot to the same side. A linebacker was cutting underneath the route and the window would have been extremely tight. Both Ebron and Ross were open on the other side, but the play was never designed to go that way.

1-10-DET 11 (4:34) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass incomplete short right to J.Bell.

Three wide, single back, tight end in the slot. Tate lined up in the left slot, but play was designed to be a swing pass to Bell, which the back dropped.

1-10-DET 24 (4:22) (Shotgun) M.Stafford sacked at DET 19 for -5 yards (J.Powers).

Lions line up with trips to the left, Ebron split out alone to the right and a single back (Bell in the backfield). Powers, covering Tate in the right slot, blitzes on the snap, but the Cardinals drop a linebacker, taking away the hot read to the receiver. With the initial read taken away, Riddick misses the block on Powers and Stafford is sacked.

2-15-DET 19 (3:40) (Shotgun) M.Stafford pass short middle to T.Riddick to DET 22 for 3 yards (L.Foote).

Three wide, single back, tight end split out. Tate is in the right slot. The Cardinals bracket Tate down the seam with a linebacker, taking away the route. Stafford arguably misses Ebron, running the same route as Tate on the opposite side. Instead, the quarterback checks down to Riddick on a wheel route for the short gain.

Conclusion:

Above, you'll see the words, "bracketed" and "well covered" many times. Simply put, the Cardinals made an effort to take away Tate and did an excellent job doing it. When in single coverage, Powers and Cromartie deserve plenty of praise for shadowing Detroit's speedy receiver.

Pass protection was also a big problem. Stafford was sacked or hurried more than a dozen times.

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