Freeman’s Thumb Will Be A Browns Target
September 9th, 2010
This week Joe heard his friend and former Bucs QB Shaun King talking about how a quarterback’s throwing thumb will take a couple of good shots during a typical NFL game.
And King, speaking on The King David Show on WQYK-AM 1010, said that in the case of Josh Freeman’s busted thumb, it surely would take that many or more blows because the Browns would be going after it on Sunday.
That caused Joe to take pause. The thought of the Browns gunning for the thumb of Raheem Morris’ groom gave Joe a painful shiver(though nothing like the kind felt during a Rachel Watson sighting).
So Joe turned to former Bucs defensive end Steve White, a JoeBucsFan.com columnist, to get his expert take on a defense’s attack plan on an injured quarterback.
White said he’d expect the Browns to make a greater effort to swipe at the ball when near Freeman, “so even if you don’t get the sack you might get a hit on that bad hand.”
But White downplayed a bit the effect of the Browns targeting Freeman’s thumb, saying it would get hit regardless and “Freeman is just going to have to be able to deal with some pain for the rest of the year.”
Joe is still having a hard time fathoming Freeman playing on Sunday, especially after he sat out practice on Wednesday. Joe’s just not seeing it, not a 22-year-old QB with a yet-to-be healed throwing thumb.
Frankly, Joe was always under the assumption a team employs a backup quarterback because said team thinks the QB can win games. Well, with Freeman’s messed up hand, this should be Josh Johnson’s time to prove his value.
If he can’t perform well against the Browns at home before 49,000 raucous, Bucs-loving maniacs, what good is he?
September 9th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Yeah, the Brownies will definitely go after Josh’s thumb. That’s the way it’s always worked in football. You go after a guys weak point. And for Josh, that just happens to be his thumb.
He’s just gonna have to hang tough on Sunday, because that thumb is gonna get knocked around a few times.
Go Bucs!
September 9th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
49,000??????? Try 24,000.
September 9th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Joe, you are making more out of this than what it is. The kid jammed the tip of his thumb. He should have been practicing a week after he fractured the tip of his thumb. Its not that big of a deal.
September 9th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Wow, only team in the NFl with a blackout for opening day. Nice work Glazer boys.
September 9th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
49,000???? Joe, surely you jest! By the way, Joe sssshhhh! Morris is trying to make the Browns think that Freeman is healthy and playing!
sssshhhh! Don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret, genius move by the great Raheem.
September 9th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
5 teams combined for 22 blackouts last year. This year, it’s expected that there will be 11 teams facing blackouts, the Bucs being the first of them.
September 10th, 2010 at 7:30 am
I had mentioned a few weeks ago that out of all the digits I had broken playing sports, the thumb was the most painful and took the longest to heal. I can’t imagine the guy throwing (consistently and accurately) 25 to 30 times in just a few weeks post injury. I still say, what’s the rush? An extra week or two to get the is not that much time.
The other option of course is let him risk it and if he re-fractures the thumb they may have to put pins in it. Not trying to be the gato negro, but doesn’t it always seem to happen that way?
September 10th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Eric, do not blame the Glazers, blame the Tampa Bay fan base.