Lions’ Tate: ‘110 percent’ certain Vikings took cheap shots

Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate did not mince any words when he was asked Monday if the Minnesota Vikings took some cheap shots Sunday in the Lions’ 26-16 loss.

“One hundred and ten percent,” Tate said slowly and emphatically. “After watching the film there were several holds, late hits that I thought should have been called. A couple of them I wouldn’t be surprised if we turn them in (to the NFL).

“But then again, that’s part of playing on the road. You’ve got to control that by not making the game close and busting it wide open. So that’s what we should have done better. But there were a few plays out there that I think were clear violations of this game.”

Among the most egregious examples of the Vikings’ aggressive play was linebacker Anthony Barr’s two-handed shove to the back of Matthew Stafford that sent Stafford flying into the benches on his sideline.

Barr received an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play. Tate wouldn’t say specifically if Barr’s hit on Stafford was the cheapest of the cheap shots.

“There were a couple,” he said. “Several. A bunch.”

Lions coach Jim Caldwell took a very different tack Monday and said he didn’t think the Vikings’ play crossed the line.

“No, sir,” he said. “That’s just the way our game is played. It’s a tough, hard-nosed game. The officials are there to keep those within the rules and when there’s an infraction, they call it. There was an infraction on the one that was out of bounds and they called it. I think they do a good job of that.”

After the game, analyst and former All-Pro safety Rodney Harrison said on NBC’s “Football Night in America” that the lack of retaliation by the Lions on Barr “just shows me how much respect this team has for Matthew Stafford. Not a lot.”

Tate calmly dismissed Harrison’s opinion.

“That’s one thing we don’t listen to,” Tate said. “People are always going to try to stir up something, try to start something. That’s not the case at all.

“I think everyone in this building, and hopefully everyone in this state, supports Stafford and this team and that’s exactly what we do. I wouldn’t pay too much attention of all that BS. That’s just someone trying to start something, give someone something to talk about.”

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