Cleveland Browns running back Ben Tate says there were no open running lanes against the Oakland Raiders in Week 8. Tate has struggled over the past couple games, and when asked about running lanes, Tate asked reporters, "Did you watch the game?" according to Tom Reed of Cleveland.com.
Ben Tate says there were no running lanes against Raiders, should rebound for fantasy owners
Ben Tate has struggled in recent weeks but is trying to rebound against the Buccaneers in Week 9. We break down the fantasy implications.
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After returning from an injury that forced him to miss multiple games, Tate put up 124 yards against the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 5. He then put up 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers the following week, but has had two poor outings since then. He ran for 36 and 26 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the aforementioned Raiders, respectively. Tate posted per-carry averages of 2.3 and 1.7 yards in those games.
Fantasy Impact: Obviously, it's been a rough stretch for Tate. Asking the reporters if they saw any running lanes is a good example of potential frustration. It also explains the issues: Teams are keying in on Tate, despite the fact that Cleveland's passing offense has generally been working. He's a solid running back, though, and has fantasy value moving forward. He'll get over this slump and is a solid option against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9.
