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          NFL Nation

          Golden Tate challenges entire organization to have good offseason

          • Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff WriterJan 4, 2015, 09:53 PM ET
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              Michael Rothstein is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Rothstein covers the Atlanta Falcons. You can follow him via Twitter @MikeRothstein.
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          ARLINGTON, Texas -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the Detroit Lions' 24-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

          • Golden Tate had a message for the entire organization. "I challenged every man in here, coaches, trainers, fan base, players obviously, to go have the best offseason of your life," Tate said. "We see how close we are as a community and that should encourage. Yeah, this season is over and it's tough to swallow right now but, hey, the Detroit Lions are not done. We're going to go out there and have a heck of an offseason and come back and be ready and be focused. This could be the start of something great, I think."

          • Lions coach Jim Caldwell did not have an update on the severity of the knee injury to right guard Travis Swanson, but "obviously it was pretty significant when he didn't come back in."

          • Caldwell said Tahir Whitehead and Don Carey cramped up because of dehydration. Both were given IVs to try and get them back in the game. Missing those two players forced the Lions to shuffle personnel again but Caldwell said, "You've got to find a way to win." Detroit had done that often throughout the year.