RB Ben Tate, Houston Texans

HT: 5-11, WT: 220, Born: 8-21-1988, College: Auburn, Drafted: Round 2

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 21st. [Full ADP list]

Overall: J Franklin (105), D Moore (106), Ben Tate (107), B Roethlisberger (108), B Pierce (109)
Position: B Brown (102-RB39), J Franklin (105-RB40), Ben Tate (107 - RB41), B Pierce (109-RB42), I Pead (111-RB43)
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PPR Average draft position

Current as of May 21st. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: A Gates (103), B Roethlisberger (104), Ben Tate (105), G Bernard (106), B Brown (107)
Position: J Rodgers (100-RB36), M Ball (102-RB37), Ben Tate (105 - RB38), G Bernard (106-RB39), B Brown (107-RB40)
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Outlook

Ben Tate suffered from injuries to his foot and hamstring last year that kept him from being a contributor in the Texans backfield. As the season went on, Houston turned to Arian Foster more and more, limiting Tate's touches. In 2011 Tate was much more involved in the offense, despite also being a supplement to Foster. His success as a backup yielded 175 carries for 942 yards and 4 touchdowns. Houston uses a zone blocking system in their offensive approach. Not only is it a perfect match for Foster, but Tate also has proven that he can be very effective as well. If he stays healthy, he should continue to see a decent number of touches in 2013. He is also playing for a new contract that could see him exploring a starting role with another team in 2014.

2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Tate only received 5 carries in relief of starter Arian Foster and generated only 6 meager yards from those carries. That said, he did factor in to the passing game catching 3 passes out of the backfield. Tate looked decisive after the catch in turning upfield and fighting for yardage after first contact. However, as a rusher he was not able to get through many holes and was met at the line of scrimmage by the Miami defense on most every carry.

Week 2 - Tate's stat line doesn't quite show how productive he was against the Jaguars. He served as a sparkplug in a running game that otherwise started slow and plodding. Tate took a carry on the Texans third drive off tackle to the right and sped through the Jaguars defense looking for a touchdown. He was brought down at the last possible moment and although the call on the field was a touchdown, replays showed that he had not broken the plane of the goalline. He was not able to score on the next play, but the run lit a fire in the rest of the Houston offense which went from lethargic to lethal in a matter of moments. Tate continues to spell starter Arian Foster at odd times. Against the Jaguars it was Tate that received the first two carries out of the backfield. He runs best between the tackles and keeps his legs high through the first point of contact. Tate later scored on an eight yard run up the middle to put the Texans ahead 17-0 at halftime and on a two yard run off tackle to put the game away for good.

Week 3 - After Tate’s big day in week 2, Tate returned to earth in week 3 against the Broncos. The Broncos did a nice job containing both Foster and Tate, but the two were pivotal in both on the Texans’ 99-yard drive and in the passing game (via fakes to the RBs). Tate had a long of nine yards, but he also fumbled at midfield to nearly swing the momentum in Denver’s favor with only ten minutes remaining in the game. Houston appeared to be driving for the final nail in the coffin, but Tate was hit just as he took the hand off allowing Justin Bannan to fall on the loose ball. Ball security has been an issue for both Foster and Tate, but Tate’s much shorter leash had him on the bench for remainder of the game following the gaffe. Tate is going to have his big days here and there, but the split is quite evident and if the fumbles continue, it will become even greater.

Week 4 - Tate was called on early in relief of Adrian Foster but did not have much production on the day. He earned 5 carries but was only able to break one run (a seven yard gain) for more than a couple of yards. The Texans ran Tate up the middle on numerous occasions in a power running game instead of letting him wait for holes to develop outside. He ran with good power and balance but simply was not able to get through the line of scrimmage in to the open field. Tate also had two receptions as an outlet receiver.

Week 6 - Early, Tate was not a factor as the Texans did not run the ball much, and gave Foster the lion's share of the touches. Tate finished with just 14 yards on 3 carries.

Week 7 - Ben Tate was largely effective in spelling Adrian Foster against the Ravens. Tate was able to gain positive yardage on each of his carries despite running off guard most of the time. He showed excellent acceleration in getting to the line and good power once he arrived at the first point of contact. Tate's best run came on a ten yard gain in the early part of the fourth quarter. On the play, Tate took the handoff up the middle and made a quick cut to the outside to avoid the Ravens' defense. He was pushed out of bounds at the Baltimore two yard line, setting up an Arian Foster touchdown.

Week 13 - Tate finally returned from injury but was limited to three carries against the Titans. His best run came on a carry around the right end that netted him eight yards before being brought down by Sean Marks. Tate appeared to be fully healthy and showed no lingering effects from the injury. His return gives the Texans three effective backs with which to finish the season.

Week 14 - After missing time to injury and having his workload reduced in favor of Justin Forsett, Tate returned to form against the Patriots. He finished the day with eight carries and ran hard both between the tackles and to the outside. Tate's best run came in the third quarter. On the play, he ran off guard to the left and then deftly cut back to the middle of the field. He kept his legs powering for a 24 yard gain. Tate also had an excellent run in the fourth quarter off guard to the right. On the play, he ran through the hole and cut back to the right, powering through three defenders for a nine yard gain.

Week 15 - Tate had five carries against the Colts including a carry that lost yardage as well as his helmet. With Arian Foster running so well, the opportunities for Tate were few an far between. His best run came on first down in Indianapolis territory. On the play, Tate took the ball off guard and scampered for nine yards by keeping his legs driving after first contact.

Week 16 - Tate led the texans in rushing against the Vikings in their week 16 loss.  He only had 4 carries but finished with 17 yards (2 more than Arian Foster).  Tate's best run came on a 13 yard gain on a draw that saw him make a cut to the hole at the line of scrimmage before bursting upfield to the second level of the defense.  Tate shows no ill affects from his injury and is likely to play a big role in the Texans' plans for the postseason

Week 17 - Tate got an early carry, but the Texans had to go to plan B and away from the run when they fell behind, but he was basically useless in this game.

Week 18 - Tate only received two carries on Saturday, amassing one yard and was clearly relegated to the sideline, as Houston needed Foster to carry the team.