Freeman’s Numbers Mingle With Legends
January 5th, 2011
"You'll be a trivia question when I'm through with you, Drew."
The Bucs may have missed the playoffs, but this team left a lot to be excited about moving forward. Josh Freeman, who was only 22 this season, put together a sophomore campaign that left him in some very elite company.
Freeman finished with a QB rating of 95.9. In the last 50 years, only two other quarterbacks had a QB rating of at least 90.0 under the age of 23 (minimum eight starts). You might have heard of them: Dan Marino and sleazy Ben Roethlisberger.
Freeman also threw 25 touchdowns, one short of the team record. Only three quarterbacks under the age of 23 in the Super Bowl era have even thrown 20 touchdowns in a season. Again, this group is a who’s who of successful QBs, that includes Peyton Manning, Drew Bledsoe, and Marino.
Let’s take a look at how Freeman’s 2010 numbers compare to these great quarterbacks…
Freeman’s numbers compare quite nicely with that group. And one could argue that Freeman’s 2010 season is the best-ever for a QB under the age of 23.
And oh yeah, those other quarterbacks have combined for six Super Bowl appearances and three wins (so far).
Now if we can just get Freeman to do something about that Taco Bell fetish.
January 5th, 2011 at 9:34 am
Yo quiero TDs!
January 5th, 2011 at 9:45 am
Holy crap! Look at how much taller Freeman is than Brees.
January 5th, 2011 at 10:23 am
I think that the only thing Josh needs now is a somewhat better line and a hair cut, his hats and helmets would fit better, but he would look shorter.
January 5th, 2011 at 11:22 am
Email that to John Clayton Joe!
January 5th, 2011 at 11:49 am
Look at Bledsoe’s and Mannings TD/INT %. Freemans is lightyears better than theirs. I don’t even know that I would put them in the category with Ben, Marino, and Freeman. I would argue that Freeman could be the best of that bunch playing under 23, but Marino got his stats in only 9 games which was pretty amazing.
January 5th, 2011 at 11:54 am
Ibledpewter,
“but Marino got his stats in only 9 games which was pretty amazing.”
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Marino has to be the best in this particular discussion!
January 5th, 2011 at 11:56 am
oops “bleed”
January 5th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Yes, those 9 starts were better than any 9 games Freeman played, but it is still only 9 games, whereas Freeman played the entire year.
And I don’t want to imply that I think Freeman is as good or better than Marino. In his age-23 season, Marino did things That would get Freeman slapped for even thinking about doing.
I would say that these numbers reiterate what some have already said, that Freeman looks like the next Roethlisberger. You never watch him and think “oh my, this guy is super-duper awesome!” but when the games are over the stats surprise you and the team has won. I’ll take it.
January 5th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
OB: Don’t even START on the haircut!
It is mesmerizing! Whenever he does the presser, I cannot look away from the FreeFro.
It is, in fact, the most awesome hair style on an NFL player since Otis Sistrunk.
By far the best Tampa Bay sports hairstyle since Carlos Valderrama.
January 5th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
That Taco Bell fetish may be why Josh played so well–you don’t f@#k with a streak!
January 5th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
I can’t help but laugh when I look at the picture in this article, its just ridiculous the size difference between Brees and Freeman.
January 5th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
If Free can avoid pulling a Michael Clayton and keep up the body of work that he displayed last year, then we may have a future hall of famer as our QB. Too cool!!!
January 5th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
I have to agree with Skookum…It is like that dude from Busstats.com says, Freeman has championship hair.
January 5th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
Freeman looks like the late great Andre The Giant standing there next to Brees. The fro is what brings the whole thing together.
January 6th, 2011 at 1:52 am
Wow, I may very well have the next Payton Manning, or Dan Marino on my football team. o.O Amazing.