Freeman Talks About Being A Goat, Playoffs
December 10th, 2010
Joe routinely listens to the Total Access player shows on the Buccaneers Radio Network to try and glean a nugget or two of interest during the one-hour sessions, which are often love feasts rivaling a Karl Rove interview on FOX News.
On Thursday, host Scott Ledger sat down for The Josh Freeman Show, and Freeman talked about the final Bucs drive against the Falcons and had a pensive-sounding moment when he said he lost the game for his team before getting cut off quickly by Ledger.
“When we got the ball back [trailing in the fourth quarter] we were all just kind of like, ‘Alright, let’s get this thing over with and go ahead and win this game.’ I mean everyone in the huddle, we knew we were going to get it done,” Freeman said. “It’s a great play by [Brent] Grimes. That’s all. You hate to be the guy that loses a game for the team.”
“Nananananana. No. No. No,” Ledger interjected.
Freeman then tried to talk over Ledger. “I mean, yeah, it’s rough. It really was. But at the same time my teammates were like, ‘Hey, it’s all right, man, we’ll get’em next time,’ Freeman said.
Joe appreciated learning that Freeman’s mindset is that he was the goat of the day Sunday. That was a real “total access” moment for fans before it was cut off.
Joe surely didn’t feel for a moment that that Freeman was a goat when he tossed the game-ending interception Sunday. Joe’s mind was going more toward the death knell that was the 102-yard kickoff return by the Falcons and the gaffes on defense late.
But it makes sense that Freeman put the loss on himself. He threw the pick.
Freeman went on to talk about the Bucs’ desire to meet Atlanta in the playoffs.
“We really feel like if we can go out and run the table we’ll have a chance to back to Atlanta. That would be the ideal matchup,” Freeman said.
Of course, the Falcons are on track to have an opening-week bye in the playoffs. So if Freeman’s goal comes to fruition, that would mean the Bucs would face Atlanta after winning a playoff game of their own. Joe would like the Bucs chances if that came to pass.
December 10th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Running the table and getting back to Atlanta to pay them back? I give one of my children away for that opportunity… (I’m Kidding) But you know what I mean. 🙂
December 10th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
With all the injuries, I’ll be very impressed if they get to 10 wins. I like his attitude though.
December 10th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
I just saw the replay of this INT on NFL.com because of the $5000 fine for Free’s hit on Grimes. When Grimes hits the ground, he is bobbling the ball on his hip and in my eyes, the ball hit the ground. It should have been an incomplete pass but because the Sucka$$ Refs blew yet another call, it was not clear enough to overturn. All Refs suck, all the time, every minute of every day, no questions asked, hands down, period, period, finis.
December 10th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
BigMac,
Although it was a questionable int catch(looked incomplete to me), my concern is, Freeman shouldn’t have even thrown it to begin with to give them that int opportunity.
December 10th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Gotta love this kid’s mentality. I know one thing win or lose he will not let this team give up and use injuries or youth as an excuse these last 4 games.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
I agree with BigMac, it looked to me like it hit the ground. That being said, it was not a good throw. I dont think it is a throw he shouldn’t have made, but had he thrown it to the outside (sideline) and low, only Williams has a shot at making the catch. He threw it too far inside and Grimes did make a good play to go down and “catch”it.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
I agree OAR. I was at the game and they were not showing us replays on anything. The whole Stadium saw Stroughter get blocked in the back on the ATL kick return, and the ref was right there when it happened. This is the first time that I’ve really considered not renewing my seats. I’m so sick of getting screwed by the Zebras, game after game. You spend all that money on tickets, parking, beer, etc, and leave the game so peaved, that you wonder why am I paying all this money to take it up the @$$, when I can stay home and get screwed for free. Either way, it’s really getting old, and 3 plays in 3 games and it changes the outcome of Atlanta and the Bucs records. The pass interference call in the first ATL game that happened at the 6 yd line and they marked it at the 11, was the drive that Blount missed by 1″. How much difference would 6 yards have made? It is what it is, but we sure don’t have to pay for it.
December 10th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Scott Ledger doesn’t have time to follow dead end subjects like Freeman taking responsibility for the loss. He has to make sure he has time to ask “how important is it to you to have the crowd out their cheering you on?” and to remind everyone that “plenty of seats are still available” and “we need every fan to come out and support the team”.
December 10th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Now that I think about it too bad it wasn’t Dave Moore doing the show. Then we could have gotten to the bottom of “Are you a big trash talker?”.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
I love the Buccaneers and it litterally kills me when they lose a home game in an empty stadium. I live in Boston and have to deal with a bunch of obnoxious fitzies all day every day yapping about Tom Brady and the cheating Patroits. I get down to Tampa a few games a year if possible I’d be at every one of them. The thing I can’t understand is the tickets are cheap at RayJay where the hell are the fans. You have to pay 50 bucks just to to park at any event here in Taxachusetts then walk a country mile in sub zero tempatures to get into the event.
December 11th, 2010 at 1:53 am
Yea the into and bobble is old news. During that last minute when once Grimes got the so called pick fox brought Mike Ferrera (head of referee’s) on to talk about the call and what he saw and he said he thought the refs would overturn it. Sure enough, even what their boss had to say meant jack squat cause they still chose not to overturn it.
December 11th, 2010 at 2:42 am
Joe I’m glad you’re here to relay what’s said during Total Access. After week 3 I just couldn’t take any more of Scott Ledger. The man is too much of a cornball unenthusiastic homer. And he’s a fake, he started out doing DJ work for 98 rock and classic rock stations. You can tell he never really gave a damn about sports, he just needed a new job.
And the worst part, is that I really think these athletes would put more into the show, and sound like they care if they if they had a decent sports host to work with.
December 11th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Thanks Rican. That’s good to know. I missed that because they don’t show Jack Squat on the big screen at the game. It sucks. Mike Periera is the one guy I respect, but he works for FOX now and no longer means anything to the Zebras. They have free reign now. Does anyone know who the least penalized team this year happens to be? The Falcons. Go figure. Please tell me this isn’t corruption at it’s best.
December 11th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Freeman’s got a great attitude about losses. That’s what lead me to believe he will be successful in the NFL. I did notice something about the play calling though on the last drive. It looked a lot like the play calling on all the last minute drives. Olsen has to roll Freeman to thew left more. DB’s are looking for the picks when he rolls to the right. If you watch the replays there stacking up. But that is a minor fix. The throw to Penn in the end zone was the kind of plays I would like to see the Bucs throw in more.
December 11th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Yeah Ryan is using his whity Bulger connection
December 12th, 2010 at 2:40 am
Good point MTM on Freeman rolling right. it seems he’s starting to favor that side a little too much, giving DB’s better odds at anticipating and intercepting