Golden Tate: I had it the whole way

By Josh Kerns

During the last two weeks, Golden Tate has been at the center of the biggest plays as the Seahawks defeated Dallas and Green Bay. From a punishing block on Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee to the controversial catch that ended the Monday night game against the Packers, Tate has suddenly found himself in the national spotlight.

But the Seahawks receiver says he’s not letting all of the newfound attention get to his head.

“I’m just trying to stay focused and week by week I’m already letting what happened last week go and I’m focusing on the St. Louis Rams now,” Tate told “Bob and Groz” on Wednesday.

Expectations have been high for Tate since he was drafted out of Notre Dame in the second round in 2010. And he says he always knew he could be an important part of the Seahawks offense.

“I personally feel like since I was younger if I can get the ball in my hands someway or just get looked at I have a chance to be special and do something special on each and every play,” Tate said.

When it comes to the controversial catch against Green Bay, Tate said he hasn’t watched the replay hundreds of times like others have. But he said he’s convinced it was a touchdown.

“I felt like the whole time I had the ball and that’s end of story. I haven’t seen it. It may look different. My feeling, I had the ball in my hands the entire way,” Tate said.

Before the catch, Tate is seen pushing a defender out of the way. Even the NFL said it should have been called pass interference. But Tate isn’t apologetic.

“I’m just playing football. I didn’t intentionally push him in the back to move him out of the way. I was trying to get the ball. And it’s not like I haven’t been pushed on a route and it didn’t get called. It happens,” he said.

Now the focus shifts to St. Louis and the greatly improved Rams. Tate faces a tough matchup against cornerback Cortland Finnegan, who’s known for physical play and plenty of trash talk.

“I know that he’s going to be physical and part of his game is trying to get in his opponents’ head to make them start messing up and start thinking about stuff that’s not important,” Tate said. “So for me I’m going to try and keep my head in the game.”

While Tate caught two touchdown passes Monday night against Green Bay, Seattle’s struggling passing game is last in the league, averaging just 127 yards a game. But Tate is confident it will soon get on track while the Seahawks continue relying on the NFL’s sixth-best running game.

“I think if we establish that each and every game it’s going to open up the passing game,” he said. “We don’t know when it’s all going to happen, it’s going to click.”