What’s Wrong With Josh Freeman?
October 9th, 2011
NFL experts are quick to tell Joe there is no such thing as a fluke in the NFL.
But the way Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman has played in the first five games of the season, it makes one wonder if only throwing six picks for an entire year like Freeman did last year in his first full year as a starter was indeed a fluke.
Freeman has yet to have a spectacular game this year. The debacle on the left coast today was easily his worst of the season and perhaps worst of his career.
Freeman didn’t just throw interceptions, he forced passes into double- if not triple-coverage, telegraphing passes.
Moose and Goose on the Fox broadcast believed Freeman should have had more interceptions.
Look, Joe loves Freeman and last year showed how good Freeman can be. What is not known is whether Freeman, in frustration, is forcing passes, putting too much pressure on himself or if he has regressed?
Or, was 2010 a fluke?
October 9th, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Freeman is definitely pressing right now. Its like he thinks he has to build on the reputation he garnered last year by just blowing out all the stops and being a gunslinger on par with Aaron Rogers. Free will be just fine if he reigns it in and focuses on ball security instead instead of feeling like he’s got to put it all on his shoulders.
October 9th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
He’s been very inaccurate and made a ton of bad decisions. But it doesn’t help that our offense is so predictable and vanilla. Did you see how many times the 49ers knew exactly what was coming? That falls directly on Olson.
October 9th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Fire Greg Olson and Alex Van Pelt!!!
October 9th, 2011 at 7:28 pm
Mike Williams had turned into Michael Clayton 2.0. When your big play WR from one year disappears the following year, yeah he’s going to be forcing the action. Other guys need to step up and help him out. If Blount is out for any length of time, that makes it even harder for Free.
October 9th, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Put him back on the leash you can’t win a game with one throw
October 9th, 2011 at 7:37 pm
It was almost like someone told the 49ers our pass routes ?
October 9th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
This reminds me of the Dungy regime, the talent is here, we can win big time games, make the big comeback but there is NO killer instinct… Would this team play different under different coaches? I AM NOT saying its time to fire Raheem! This team needs a kick in the ass, they got one today!
As far as Freeman, there have been only a few times I’ve seen this year he throws with any confidence, he did it today a few times. The pass to Winslow right after the pick for the touchdown, he did it. His passes look soft, he still will stare down a WR. These guys believe the hype and this team is NOT ready for primetime! Game in and game out you play your game, regardless of who your playing or what there doing. The better teams do this… This team is too inconsistent!
October 9th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Freeman has been asked to take it to the next level and has not been given a ladder and he’s feeling the pressure of putting the team on his shoulders and getting there. Before the lockout, Dominik said we are going to be an offense- driven team and that he would use the draft and FA to put more weapons around Freeman. That unfortunately didn’t happen and to boot, changes were made to the offense that appears to have shaken Freeman’s confidence. As for the 49er loss, we were clearly out coached and beaten by a perfectly executed gameplan. We are better than we looked in this game and we’ll improve from it, but Freeman is not the first place to look for blame!!
October 9th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
he will be fine, its time for mr. rock star GM to trade for a speedy 3 third down back or even some speedy receiver…………..sign Terrell Owens!
October 9th, 2011 at 7:44 pm
as usual, Freeman is STARING down his receivers, along with poor coverage recognition. This is tha @$$ whooping they need 2 get back 2 reality. I woulda bet me and my family lives that we wouldn’t have been beaten this badly.
October 9th, 2011 at 7:53 pm
Lay off the boubon!
October 9th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
@D.P. Boo
Terrell Owens is done. He’s 38 and no one’s going to sign him
We should’ve signed Plaxico Burress! Or we should’ve traded a 5th round pick for Santonio Holmes when we had the chance.
October 9th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
I believe it’s a combination of Williams bad play, Olsons play calling, and maybe Freeman trying to be perfect. The dude is a great QB and just needs to play the game. Olson on the other hand contiues to call terrible calls until we are behind. Raheem needs to hypnotize the guy before the games starts and tell him were 7 points down every possession.
October 9th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Josh is the one who pulls them out of the fire on an almost weekly basis. You can’t recover from those horrific starts every time.
Josh isn’t the problem. For some reason, with the exception of the Atlanta game, the opposing team seems ready to play to start the game and we do not.
Just cant make a steady living in the NFl with that.
But i shudder to think where we would be without five. If we got anything, its him.
October 9th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
Keyshwan Johnson, Joey Galloway why not T.O. ? Or even Moss!
October 9th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
I wonder if Freeman is getting frustrated with the playcalling and trying to do too much on every throw. He really seems like a QB who wants to let it rip and is chafing at the reins being put on him.
October 9th, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Antonio Bryant and Galloway, and put em on the field at the same time……………………..
And mix in a little blocking icon.
October 9th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
I know its been ugly for free so far but I gotta stand by my man crush and believe he will turn it around. someone give josh a hug he looks like he could use one
October 9th, 2011 at 8:11 pm
his pocket awareness seems to be gone, coverage recognition is really bad, and he’s staring down his first read telegraphing. today he reminded me alot of daunte culpepper, which scares the piss out of me.
October 9th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
I really wonder if we are seeing the ramifications of the lockout on a young team. We’re a team that could have used more workouts together than just about any other team out there. Plenty of times we look out of sync or have someone lost on a coverage or play.
October 9th, 2011 at 8:31 pm
I sure with this reminded me of the Dungy regime.
October 9th, 2011 at 8:58 pm
@gotbbucs:
his pocket awareness seems to be gone, coverage recognition is really bad, and he’s staring down his first read telegraphing.
And he’s throwing passes BEYOND the line of scrimmage fairly frequently for an NFL QB. Luckily the refs don’t throw the flag every time.
He’s playing the way Cam Newton SHOULD be playing…I’m a little freaked out.
October 9th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
The play calling on the Bucs offense is offensive. All slant routes in the middle of the field that way there are 2-3 defense players in a small window or the receiver gets KILLED right after the ball hits his hands. Painful to watch.
October 9th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
I think it has more to do with over confidence. Josh seems to be throwing like Brett Favre instead of Tom Brady. Last year he was throwing with precision. He also seems to be holding onto the ball a few seconds to long. Either the WR are not able to get open like they used to. Or Freeman is looking is looking for something deeper on quick passes.
Either way. I hope this humbled the team. It was an embarrassment. Put if this is truly a great team in the making. They will find a way to come back and show out big against a divisional opponent.
Only bright side about the loss… Doesn’t hurt our chances to win the division yet.
October 9th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
I think its free, 17 and 19 and greg olsen all together. Olsen is crazy predictable. On several the the niners knew exactly what they were going to do. Like the niners were tapped into Free’s helmet radio. 17 and 19 are dropping balls, flagged on there motions before the snap, and stepping out of bounds on the routes. this is especially true for mike williams. Free plain and simple is missing wide open recivers and forcing passes into double and triple coverage! seems like mentally he’s weak. I’m a huge Freeman fan but when he doesnt play well, our offense doesn’t play well. I think blount and the o-line carry the offense.
October 10th, 2011 at 1:38 am
Why not Michael Irvin or even Don Hutson?
October 10th, 2011 at 8:57 am
The offense was bad for sure, but this game was lost on 4 lousy quarters of defense. Even if Josh had the offense clicking, the Bucs could not stop anything the 49’rs did. They were ultimately out coached by Harbaugh and formations that they didn’t adjust to, or know how too. This loss falls squarely on the shoulders of the Defensive Coordinator, but its only 1 game, 1 loss, and time to move on.
The Bucs receivers were smothered, grabbed and beat on before they ever touched a pass, yet every time the Bucs secondary did it, they called a penalty. I’m not blaming this loss on the refs, because the Bucs blew it, but it is getting frustrating to see Mike Williams get mauled every game before he gets the ball, yet never gets a call, when the opponents get all 3 different type secondary penalties. It’s really hard to get separation when a CB is holding you with 2 hands.
October 10th, 2011 at 11:25 am
With the Bucs trend of barely beating .500 and worse teams and getting exposed when playing above .500 teams, I am beginning to believe that Freeman isn’t as good as he is made out to be but rather just a recipient of fortunate outcomes against poor defenses…. Another way of explaining it is, Freeman isn’t such a good “clutch” QB but the weak defenses of other teams has given the illusion that he is!