AP

In a radio interview this week, Lions wide receiver Golden Tate said that he’s heard defenders from the opposing team in all three losses this season call out Detroit’s offensive play before the snap.

Tate said that the team has to “figure it out because we’re clearly giving away” what they intend to do on offense, which Tate quite accurately assessed as a “bad” way to go about your business. Tate’s comments were free of mentions of Lions players or coaches, but he didn’t have to name names for his comments to reflect poorly on offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

Lombardi’s the one calling the plays and designing the offensive scheme, so it’s predictability falls on his shoulders and many people pointed that out after Tate shared his comments. On Wednesday, Tate addressed that reaction and said that he wasn’t “throwing anyone under the bus.”

“I think Joe’s a heck of a coach,” Tate said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I can’t sit here and speak ill about a guy who helped take us to the playoffs and also a guy who helped me have a career year, who also put his tail on the line to get me here in this offense. He’s one of the first guys I met with when I came on my trip, so I have nothing but great things to say about him and I’m super, super appreciative for him.”

Tate said that he plans to look back at film of the team’s games to see if he can pick up on ways that the offense is tipping its intentions and says that it isn’t about finding someone to blame because the “we win together, we lose together.” The Lions have only been doing the latter so far this season and speculation about Lombardi’s future will be as predictable as his offense if things continue down that road.