Carnell Tate — Week 1: Six Targets, Two Deep Balls, Neither Caught
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 14
Tate caught four of six targets for thirty-eight yards in his first NFL game, tied with Wan'Dale Robinson for the most on the Titans, and his two incompletions were both deep — twenty-one yards in the air on third and three at the New York forty-nine with a minute twenty-two left in the half, and seventeen in the air on second and five in the fourth. His longest catch was fourteen, on the drive that ended in the Titans' only touchdown, in a 23–10 loss to the Jets.
When Carnell Tate's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
The full episode, in writing
Third and three at the New York 49, a minute 22 left in the first half, Tennessee down 10 to three. Cam Ward went deep middle for Carnell Tate, 21 yards in the air, incomplete, and the Titans punted with the half running out. That throw was worth −1.0 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and five points of win probability, the chance of winning before and after the play. No Titans pass cost more by that measure all day. It was Tate's second target as a professional; the first had been a 12-yard catch on second and 15 in the first quarter, run out of bounds at the New York 35.
The line: six targets, four catches, 38 yards, no touchdowns, longest 14, +0.3 expected points on the six. 67 air yards on the six targets, the most of any Titan, and the two that did not land were the deep ones — the third-and-three shot, and second and five at the Tennessee 18 with eight 23 left in the fourth, deep left, 17 in the air, incomplete, on a drive that started at the Tennessee two. The four catches were 12, five, seven and 14, all marked short. The 14 was second and two at the Tennessee 43 with four 37 left, a first down at the New York 43, on the nine-play drive that ended with Elic Ayomanor's touchdown.
Six targets tied Wan'Dale Robinson for the team lead on 35 Titans pass plays, ahead of Gunnar Helm at five and Tyjae Spears at four. Two of Tate's targets came before halftime, when Tennessee threw 10 times, and four after, when it threw 25. Robinson caught five of six for the same 38 yards and came out at +3.0 expected points; the difference between the two lines is that Tate's targets were the deep ones and Robinson's were not.
Back in June the preview's read on Tate was the fourth pick in the draft, called the best receiver in it by his general manager, with Cam Ward saying he wanted Tate to know he trusted him early. Sunday the trust showed up as a share — six of 32 throws, the deepest targets on the team — and the yards did not follow it yet. Robert Saleh said afterward that Ward missed Tate over the middle, per Lane Mills at Titans On SI. One game is a first data point and the share is the part that carries. Tennessee is home to the Eagles on Sunday the twentieth. The number to watch is whether one of the deep ones lands.
_Data via nflverse._
When Carnell Tate's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
Keep going