Golden Tate earned a flag for a violent-looking block on the Dallas Cowboys' Sean Lee on Saturday, and the Seattle Seahawks receiver doesn't think he was in the wrong. Tate went on Dave "Softy" Mahler's show on KJR in Seattle to discuss the block, and in the interview transcribed by Sports Radio Interviews, he explained his understanding of the rules and why he believes he'll be in the clear from further punishment.
"I don't think I hit him as hard as it looked, to be honest. I felt fine. The comparison I gave was any time you hit a baseball bat square, you don't really feel it that much, or hitting a perfect drive. That was the feeling I got, kind of. It didn't hurt me, my neck feels fine, I'm not very sore today. So I made it out of that one safely."
Video replays of the block show Tate running out to the left flats as a receiver, then quickly turning and throwing a block on Lee, who doesn't appear to see the receiver reversing field to make a play after Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson took off toward the left side of the field. Tate appears to hit Lee right under the helmet.
"I didn't think I was leading with my helmet and I think I purposely aimed lower than I think anyone else would have because I didn't want to get head-to-head contact and I had no interest in hurting him. So no, I didn't lead with my head. I didn't think so."
Lee didn't even seem to have much problem with the block, saying it was part of football. Dallas owner Jerry Jones, however, was not as impressed with the play, saying that he believed the NFL would come down with a penalty.
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