Walter Football: Bucs 5-11 In 2013
June 29th, 2013
It is June 29, less than a month before the Bucs hold their first training camp practice. There’s a long way to go.
But the football thinktank at WalterFootball.com already has put out its detailed team previews and they are not kind to the Bucs. In short, the Water Football crowd is no fan of Josh Freeman and is of the opinion that Freeman will continue to regress and, therefore, the Bucs will regress to a 5-11 season this year.
Josh Freeman will almost certainly be the starting quarterback for the Buccaneers this season, but he probably won’t be holding that title much longer. The organization, particularly head coach Greg Schiano, has lost faith in him. There’s a reason they spent a third-round pick on Mike Glennon. Unless Freeman rebounds with a strong 2013 campaign, he’ll be allowed to walk as a free agent next spring.
Freeman was on fire at the beginning of this past season. He held a 18-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his first nine games. However, things quickly fell apart after that. He had just two scores compared to 10 turnovers (nine picks, one lost fumble) in his final three contests. Throughout all of December, Freeman maintained a YPA of 6.3 or worse in all but one game. It’s amazing how much Freeman managed to regress in just a couple of months. If this were only a 1-year thing, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but Freeman’s accuracy has been pretty brutal ever since getting separated from former offensive coordinator Greg Olson.
2013 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Analysis: The Buccaneers will continue to be the worst team in the NFC South as long as they’re the only franchise in the division that doesn’t have its quarterback situation figured out. Josh Freeman has just one more chance to turn things around, but things aren’t very optimistic in that regard.
Projection: 5-11 (4th in NFC South)
Joe can’t see the Bucs going backwards that badly, but if they do, it will probably be because Freeman has completely imploded. Now Joe is on record being cautious of the Bucs playing in the postseason. It’s not because Joe doesn’t think the Bucs are improved — they are — but because the NFC is as top-heavy as Joe has seen it in maybe 25 years.
On paper, it appears the best chance the Bucs have of a playoff berth is to win the division. Joe’s not ready to go there yet.
But if the Walter Football people are convinced Freeman and the Bucs will take that much of a step backward, it’s a good bet Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik and coach Greg Schiano will be quarterback shopping in February.
June 29th, 2013 at 4:04 pm
Lol ….I used to like Walter football…morons
June 29th, 2013 at 4:20 pm
Their analysis lost any sense if credibility by comparing Freeman’s accuracy under the west coast offense of Olson to the downfield attack of Sullivan. Not even a close comparison.
June 29th, 2013 at 4:21 pm
On the positive side Walter Football is always wrong on anything about the Bucs, especially when it comes to predictions. I’ve said it more times than I can count: the most accurate sources are going to be local and thoroughly familiar with all things Bucs. The local sources I’ve seen thus far are predicting a 9 or 10 win season for the most part. That’s also my own personal prediction (10 wins). We’ll see.
June 29th, 2013 at 4:30 pm
Walter football has always been extremely pessimistic about us. They even said last year that it was a bad idea signing VJax and Nicks.
Worst football site ever. I can’t believe people actually visit there site for football news and rumors.
June 29th, 2013 at 4:39 pm
So these “experts” think another year in Sullivan’s system will make Freeman worse? He also didn’t mention the defense, at all. As if the league is decided on who has the best quarterback. Reads like an ESPN article.
June 29th, 2013 at 4:45 pm
I can’t believe even after all the off season acquisitions to fix our defense, getting our pro bowl offensive line healthy, and adding a few more playmakers for the offense they pin it all on just Freeman. Hell our run game and defense should be good enough just to hand the ball off on every play and win but they are convinced that single handedly Josh will lose. Not just lose but lose to the tune of 5 – 11. Stupid. So what, this regular beer chugging FF league commissioner who has IT skills opens up their own fantasy football web page for him and his FF league buddies, to keep track of his league and to give his own unprofessional opinion and advice on fantasy football. Now, today they’re some credible prognosticators? Give me a break.
June 29th, 2013 at 4:49 pm
I don’t agree with their 5-11 at all but obviously, Freemans play is the wildcard for us.
The only real problem with their analysis is that they obviously didn’t watch any tampa games. Freeman didn’t start out hot, he got hot in the middle of the season.
June 29th, 2013 at 5:00 pm
@ Mike E
The defense is mentioned plenty. Try reading the article.
I’m curious as to what the strange individual Charlie Campbell would predict for the Bucs. Wolly never speaks favorably of the Bucs.
June 29th, 2013 at 5:00 pm
Man, Charlie Campbell has not stopped hating on the Bucs since he left PR.
Best part of the whole article:
It’s amazing how much Freeman managed to regress in just a couple of months. If this were only a 1-year thing, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but Freeman’s accuracy has been pretty brutal ever since getting separated from former offensive coordinator Greg Olson.
If I’m not mistaken, they’ve only been apart for 1 year, so it could be a 1-year thing! Good lawd.
June 29th, 2013 at 5:04 pm
Walterfootball aren’t the the only ones that are bearish on the Bucs. Mock drafts are generally useless and the ones you read in June are totally useless.
I’ve looked at several out of curiosity and it isn’t who they have us picking that caught my attention but where most of them have the Buc picking next year which is indicative of how many games they think we will win!
Want a laugh, take a look at where CBS thinks were picking. We’re going to have to make believers out of most of them and I can’t wait!
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/mock-draft
June 29th, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Apparently I didn’t read the article. Charlie did write it up, not Mr. Wolly himself.
Sheesh, I’m beginning to think Campbell is a little sore since his PR departure.
June 29th, 2013 at 5:18 pm
What did they predict for us last year? Anyone remember?
June 29th, 2013 at 5:22 pm
If Freeman doesn’t get a whole lot more consistent, and if they don’t rush the passer MUCH better – they are correct
June 29th, 2013 at 5:25 pm
Found it
http://www.walterfootball.com/offseason2012tb.php
They predicted 4-12 last year. So their predictions are usually pretty far off.
June 29th, 2013 at 5:26 pm
They also predicted we go 3-13 when we went 10-6.
June 29th, 2013 at 5:29 pm
Wait, I misread. They predicted 5 wins in 2012.
June 29th, 2013 at 6:09 pm
Because Cam Newton has proven what? Because Drew Brees is getting younger? Because Matt Ryan has won what in the playoffs? How is it that all the other teams in our division and their QB’s are such sure things? What a joke Walter football is.
June 29th, 2013 at 6:15 pm
If this prediction is true, then Mark Dominik will certainly be gone from Tampa.
Thomas 2.2 hit it exactly, in his post.
June 29th, 2013 at 6:17 pm
lol@ taking their site seriously. Just google search their 2012 predictions. They had TB at 5-11.
Here are the gems:
KC 10-6
Buffalo 11-5
Balt 9-7
Denver 8-8
Minnesota 5-11
Lions 11-5
Carolina 10-6
Arizona 9-7
SF 8-8
Seattle 5-11
That site should never be mentioned again
June 29th, 2013 at 6:18 pm
here is their 2012 predictions
http://walterfootball.com/offseason2012playoffs.php
June 29th, 2013 at 6:51 pm
Has anyone seen what Phil Steele predicted? I have been waiting to buy the magazine but turns out there is no paper version this year.
BTW–the college mag is 10 bucks, but is 300 pages of info–& he picks FSU 3rd.
June 29th, 2013 at 6:56 pm
@ Ryan
I guess this years Bucs are the new 2012 Seahawks
June 29th, 2013 at 7:05 pm
I love reading predictions months before the season starts and at the end of the season seeing who had a clue.
June 29th, 2013 at 7:12 pm
They have Buffalo at 11-5??!! They lost me right there. No way.
June 29th, 2013 at 7:15 pm
hey i am been told you already …. you can!t pick your nose !!! take the hate out your head …… thank you
June 29th, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Are these guys new? I have never heard of them before. KC…10-6….LOL! They did euro soccer or something before this, right?
June 29th, 2013 at 7:44 pm
“Penn’s motivation has always been an issue, as he seldom plays up to his talent level.”
Uhhhhh….. Has someone shown this to Donald?
June 29th, 2013 at 7:58 pm
What a bunch of horse spit, no logic whatsoever, that publication is generic toilet paper compared to reality, which they have no sense of. Really? Buc’n junkie is right on, with all the positive changes made to our defensive backfield, should parlay to additional wins from last year if anything! And we have an established running game, which wasn’t the case when we started off last year, we have our 2 best guards coming back from injuries, finally Freeman gets to enjoy back to back seasons with the same OC and same playbook, yet they think we are worse off than last year, what a pathetic bunch of wanna be writers, these guys are amateurs, I’ve seen this Charlie Campbell kid, he looks like he’s still in highschool and talks like he pops Xanax’s like Skittles, give me a break, clearly a bunch of bozo’s!
June 29th, 2013 at 8:04 pm
What’s this nonsense about Freeman being more consistent and the pass rush much better? They were that last season and they still won 7 games. This year they have a real secondary and several key players returning from injury. A year more in the system with some coaching upgrades and they say the Bucs will be worse? Really?
June 29th, 2013 at 8:09 pm
Off Topic Joe we have to get rid of That Mucsle Hamster sh!t period. Dead that name Right Now!
Picture this in lights: The Muscle Hammer!
Your the only one that can help Doug kill that ridiculous name..He Hates that name. Imaging Gene saying the MUSCLE HAMMER!
June 29th, 2013 at 8:45 pm
I think we win 10 games whether Freeman steps up or not.
June 29th, 2013 at 8:48 pm
Criminitly!!!!! We split wins with the Saints and Falcons last year and beat the Panthers twice. I’ve read all the critics and so-called experts predictions. The median average prediction is like 6-7 wins. I just think this is going to motivate this team even more. I hope they post all these predictions in the locker room. I bought my 1st season tickets EVER since 87 for a reason. Hellooooooooooooooooo. These experts are going to freak, because unlike Joe I think the Bucs are going to win the division.
June 29th, 2013 at 8:56 pm
Im baffled at how everyone thinks the Saints will be good this year. That defense is really bad and this year is where Brees will show his age. Carolina is going to be very very good but the Bucs schedule is so weak this year, I think if they are out of it by November, Josh will get benched and we’ll be starting the Glennon era.
June 29th, 2013 at 8:59 pm
SacBucs Says:
“Off Topic Joe we have to get rid of That Muscle Hamster sh!t period.”
I like the name. He’ll always be Muscle Hamster to me now.
June 29th, 2013 at 9:20 pm
SacBucs Says:
“Off Topic Joe we have to get rid of That Muscle Hamster sh!t period.”
I just call him Dougie.
June 29th, 2013 at 9:26 pm
7-9 last year…
1) 2nd year in the offensive and defensive systems.
2) Huge upgrades in the D-backfield, last year’s achilles’ heel.
3) Improved depth and competition at nearly every position.
I don’t see how the team goes backward in record unless Freeman has a complete meltdown. I don’t see how one can predict that. I could understand if they predicted 8-8, which I think is way below what they’re capable of doing this year.
5-11 is a dumb prediction.
June 29th, 2013 at 9:34 pm
My goodness what a bunch of HOMERS!!!!
Thank goodness Thomas 2.2 still posts some reality to the punch drunk crowd.
Oh yeah gotta mention that Chris is another level headed Bucs fans:
To the rest of your HOMERS WAKE UP
This is the NFL and teams with QB that produce win divisions and playoffs.
Of the teams in the NFC South I’d take any of their QB over Freeman any day of the week and especially on Sunday.
Let’s face it Freeman has REGRESSED the past 2 years as the season progressed. QB’s that put their teams into the playoffs got better.
Freeman on the other hand wanted to play dress up and pose for ESPN.
Yes the Bucs have upgraded on Defense (But the Eagles did that in 2012 and we saw how that turned out didn’t we?)
Predictions are nothing, especially at this time of year. Heck one significant injury to Muscle Dougie and the Bucs look pretty dismal.
June 29th, 2013 at 9:51 pm
@ Mr. Lucky
HOMERS?
You say “Predictions are nothing” yet you follow up with “one significant injury to Muscle Dougie and the Bucs look pretty dismal” ?
Who looks like a HOMER now?
June 29th, 2013 at 10:22 pm
The Bucs have a 1-year proven RB, if Martin is injured and misses 6 games or more what happens to the Bucs Run first mentality?
That’s not a prediction, heck no I DON’T WANT THAT!
It’s call a reality.
Last year everyone was so excited about the upgrade of the Bucs O-Line – I was one of those. However look what happened to Davin Joseph and Carl Nicks – INJURIES.
We’re counting on Clayborn and Bowers to have a significant impact on the D-Line and rushing the opposing QB’s – we did that last year too and what happened? INJURIES.
This is the NFL, it’s not intermurals. Being excited is one thing, but putting your brains on hold because you claim to be a fan, quite another.
June 29th, 2013 at 10:31 pm
IMO *11-5
GO BUCS!!!
June 29th, 2013 at 10:40 pm
I was Josh’s biggest fan last season, but you have to put a percentage of the failure on the O line injuries and defensive collapses. Josh blew many a play in those losses but he made some too. The Bucs were better than the Panthers and the Saints better than the Bucs. Walter seems to over look this fact as well as how downright horrible Cam was. He was way worse than Freeman and will be again, not to mention #1 pick in the entire Draft. The Bucs also lost some close games last year. The best players in all sports (not on PEDs) have slumps. I thought Josh played better overall in the win at ATL, and should have beat them here.
Remember, Trent Difer won a Super Bowl.
June 29th, 2013 at 10:46 pm
I’m a homer. I drink Koolaid. I think Dom is great, Schiano is Great. I really like our chances this year and don’t care what anyone thinks. Hate me, I don’t care. It’s all good and I feel like I am heading to FAO Schwartz when our first home game starts. I’ll probably get there so early, I’ll have to cut the lock on the Gate, and skip work for two days leading up to it.
June 29th, 2013 at 10:49 pm
How do you call yourself Mr. Lucky and have a defeatist attitude.
another oxymoron
June 29th, 2013 at 10:52 pm
Mr Lucky, explain to me how Freeman regressed last year. I know you’ve heard the talking heads (who have very little real knowledge of the state of the franchise) and parrot this “Freeman regressed” garbage. Without sticking up for him too much; so I don’t get labeled a homer; how can you realistically say he regressed. He had some bad games and can be inconsistent, but he was lighting it during the middle of the year when we really had an opportunity to take control of the South but let games slip away because of a historically bad secondary. Grow up and admit that you don’t like the guy, stop with all this he regressed bs! He didn’t set franchise records for TD passes and yards because he regressed. What he did is quite the opposite of that by definition.
The view must suck from the cheap seats.
June 29th, 2013 at 11:12 pm
It sounds about right in line for an average season for a mark dominik team.
Coaching staff won’t hold up vs. NFC south IMO.
June 29th, 2013 at 11:21 pm
Yeah Eric, you’re a hard sale, and rightfully so. You’ll get there though. This team is going to Kick A$$.
June 29th, 2013 at 11:27 pm
Please tell me Mr. Lucky that you are just trolling for attention. There is no way you can always have the most idiotic post every time. The funniest part is how smug you are, don’t you know everyone laughs at you. Please enlighten us all some more with your wisdom.
June 29th, 2013 at 11:53 pm
There is no reason to believe this team will regress to 5-11. Freeman will do worse with all the same players and coaches around him? Really? There has been nothing but improvements everywhere on this team but it is realistic to think we will be worse? Where is the logic here?
Outside of catastrophic injury, the bottom line for this team is 9-7.
June 30th, 2013 at 12:33 am
On the contrary, Joe believes this is one of the best nicknames in years. If anything, Joe would prefer to keep it alive and well.
June 30th, 2013 at 12:54 am
Mr Lucky it’s official. This site now has a new punching bag, and you make it so easy. I am an unbiased Buc fan. I do realize injuries happen. If you want to go that route. What happens if Brees goes down with an injury, Cam or Ryan goes down? Got answer? Nope. Because nobody knows ifs. When I say the Bucs will WIN the NFC South, I am going by what I see on paper. Because as of right now that’s all anybody has to go on. I’m not just predicting it as an overzealous fan it’s what I’m looking at. You can take your “HOMER” and put it where the sun don’t shine. We’ll see soon enough!
June 30th, 2013 at 1:19 am
Ok Joe I like the name also. Its creative funny and unforgetable. Doug hates it. Get it!
I wouldn’t keep calling you something you disliked!
Im jus saying… if Im wrong about how Doug feels then my apolygies for the false info.
I just feel like its disrespecting him.
Im from another planet anyway!
June 30th, 2013 at 1:28 am
@Mr Lucky
F@#k you. That is all.
June 30th, 2013 at 1:42 am
Joe another thing sir..Warren Sapp hasnt realized he is the 2nd may I repeat 2nd Buc in history to EVER make the HOF. Or maybe he has but HE making us look bad. He right about Rice but his mouf making us look bad. Get your yellowjacket delivery a tear jerking speech amongst your peers. Wait a couple of years then post a case for Super Simeon and Lynch Brooks Alstott Dunn and our whole fricking Super Bowl Team.
June 30th, 2013 at 3:28 am
Does anyone wonder if having a historically bad defense might have had an effect on the guy who had to counter that?
June 30th, 2013 at 5:04 am
Still flying under the radar (way under to those jokes)….loving it!
June 30th, 2013 at 5:13 am
@mr.lucky
My prediction is NFC Championship…put that in your pessimistic pipe and smoke it!
June 30th, 2013 at 6:01 am
Not to be too critical of the youngster Charlie Campbell; but that kid hasn’t seen enough to have any sort of credibility with any prediction he makes. The NFL is so much a mental thing, meaning that sometimes one has to understand the psyche of the team to forecast what lies ahead. The team first has to think it can win. I believe the swagger is beginning to develop. With the additions the team made coupled with the return of a few key players and the familiarity with the systems, I just don’t see how the 2013 version will not be much improved in the win column. Placing the success or failure of the team’s chances this upcoming season on the still young shoulders of Josh Freeman is quite an over simplification.
June 30th, 2013 at 7:16 am
Wow look at all the haters who come out of the woodwork.
I guess when you can’t argue with FACTS you just throw around profanity and bullspit then?
As to anyone who actually watched the Bucs play last year it was painfully obvious that Josh Freeman made POOR decisions during his “bad spell”. Franchise records be damned – did those franchise records help the Bucs in the Denver game when Freeman could complete a pass to save his life – unless it was to a Bronco defender?
Freeman is full of the worst word in the NFL – POTENTIAL.
POTENTIAL doesn’t win games
POTENTIAL gives false hope
POTENTIAL usually costs coaches their jobs.
If anyone really read and comprehended my prior posts you’d realized that I said any predictions (W-L records) at this juncture in time are useless because:
1. Injuries need to be accounted for
2. Player performance hasn’t been evaluated.
Right now everyone says the Bucs upgraded their secondary – count me in that camp. But let me ask you this, “what happens if Revis’s knee isn’t to the level of performance it was in 2011?”
“has anyone seen Revis actually play on that knee in a game setting? No!”
The entire point of this article is this ONE SIMPLE FACT: THE BUCS WILL ONLY GO AS FAR AS JOSH FREEMAN PERFORMS IN 2013.
Yes Trent Dilfer won a SB but the NFL now is a different NFL then it was back then.
If Freeman reverts back to his 2010 form, takes command of this team, uses his legs to get first downs, etc., then the Bucs stand a good chance of winning the NFC South.
However if Freeman plays inconsistent like he did in 2012 or even poorly like he did in 2011 the the Bucs will be watching the playoffs from their sofa.
Freeman is the Key and I don’t have faith in him.
I HOPE I’m wrong, unfortunately history has shown that’s usually not the case.
June 30th, 2013 at 7:17 am
@MadMax,
I hope you’re right sir, however based on my observations I’d say that Atlanta has to be the favorites for the NFC South, then Saints/Bucs tied followed by Carolina.
June 30th, 2013 at 7:19 am
@Pewter Power
Thank you for your demonstration of logic and the power of the English language.
And people wonder why we fear for the future of America? Just follow Pewter Power as exhibit A.
June 30th, 2013 at 8:08 am
Mr Lucky…It is a team sport…Breese had a great year and did not lead his team to the play offs. He also had some really bad games, like all QBs in the NFL. Lighten up, this is the time of the year when all fans have high hopes for their team. It must suck to be so negative all the time, and try to justify it by calling it realism…
June 30th, 2013 at 8:34 am
McBuc….I agree that in order to win titles it is a TEAM sport. The failure of the Saints in 2012 made me want to nominate Sean Peyton as coach of the year.
Tom Brady is another example of how a great QB can only bring his team to a point.
Exhibit A: Denver with Peyton Manning against Flacko and the Ravens. Peyton does everything right then Flacko steps up and makes that throw that burns the Bronco’s defense.
The great QB’s “somehow” make those plays.
Yes McBuc I too have higher hopes for the Bucs in 2013 than I did in 2012. On paper they look better, but I’m not about to put any bets in Vegas on the Bucs just yet.
June 30th, 2013 at 8:36 am
McBuc, please indicate WHERE I posted something negative?
Stating that the Bucs will only go as far as Josh Freeman takes them is negative?
Saying that the Bucs are not the NFC favorites is negative?
June 30th, 2013 at 9:12 am
Why bother, the NFC is too tough.
Can’t be expected to compete.
June 30th, 2013 at 9:35 am
Mr Lucky, everyone knows injuries play a role. Especially in Tampa. That said, as fans we can’t expect a losing year every year because of them. We have to hope that they do not occur in key places or that they are overcome by backups.
You ask where you were negative? Everywhere. Because instead of making the case for winning you make the case for losing. You just use the word “reality” in place of negativity. That makes it your opinion but it doesn’t make it fact.
June 30th, 2013 at 9:42 am
The Bucs haven’t had the opportunity to draft a Matt Ryan or a Brees. Even when the Bucs had a high pick in 2012′ there was no way to get high enough to pick Luck or RG3. Look at the price paid by the Skins. Josh was mid first pick and still the best of that class. Cam #1 pick. The Bucs haven’t had QB choices when they pick high in the first round. Russell Wilson is the exception that everybody overlooked, but still a rookie and needs to prove it again. Chucky should have went after Drew Brees when he was available, but he didn’t and that’s history now.
Either you are a fan or you’re not and at some point you have to move on and accept what you have and make the most of it. The truth is that you can’t change it. Only the Bucs can change it. You can whine and complain and it may help, but save it for when there is something tangible to complain about. Don’t create and invent hypothetical problems to reinforce a weak argument.
June 30th, 2013 at 11:01 am
@Mr Lucky…if they let Freeman go, he will be signed the very next day by another team. Not making excuses for him, but how many times has his playbook changed over the last 4 years? YES at times he does piss me off too. Those batted balls make me afraid for the health of my TV as I clutch my remote. I also second what THB36 said :”Does anyone wonder if having a historically bad defense might have had an effect on the guy who had to counter that?” No THB36 I don’t “wonder” it, I know it did. Since I got my season tix I have been trying to collect many different jerseys. The one jersey I’m waitng on buying is Freeman and with good reason. Am I Freeman fan? Damn right I am. Like I said on another thread. I wonder how many Super Bowls the Bucs would have won in the late 90’s with Josh as the QB instead of Trent, King, and Brad. Is Josh better than Brad Johnson was? I think so. DEFENSE people we as Buc fans know the importance of it.
Everyone needs to stop blaming Josh and wait to see what happens.
Anyone going to the 1st pre-season game this season look for me and the wife. We’ll be the ones holding up the massive sign that reads: WE BELIEVE IN JOSH. I’m done with this thread and growing very, very tired of the Josh bashing it’s becoming redundant.
Definition of redundant : no longer needed or useful.
June 30th, 2013 at 11:01 am
To me to say Freeman “regressed” is in accurate. Last season was just about in line with the rest of his career. Few great flashes and a whole lot of inconsistency combined with an upgrade of talent around him. He did a little bit better last year than in years past. However, I do agree if we are going anywhere this year he will have to play better. The fools who think last years offense was “good enough” are sadly mistaken. Stop letting the stats fool you. It was by no means good enough. Heres looking to a much improved offense, defense and hopefully special teams.
June 30th, 2013 at 11:30 am
I don’t see the logic in Josh digressing, he may not “improve” and become the QB of the future we are looking for but at the very least I would expect a similar type of record to the one we had this past season..
June 30th, 2013 at 11:57 am
12-4 Super Bowl bound.You stupid idiots who know nothing about our BUCS!
June 30th, 2013 at 1:35 pm
I feel sorry for the fools that fail to see that the Bucs were ahead in the fourth quarter in four games that were lost last year. If you are leading in the fourth quarter and you lose the game, it is hardly your offense’s fault. What if the second worst pass defense in almost 100 years held up in those four games? We would have been in the post season talking about how great Freeman and the offense was with the exact same stats.
The reason I say the offense is “good enough” is because the defense kept us out of the post season, not the offense. The offense was good enough to win those four games but not with literally the worst pass defense in the league. Drew Brees is a perfect example of a QB needing a team to get to the playoffs, not just a QB.
June 30th, 2013 at 1:46 pm
Why do you always drift off topic? Nobody once again is talking about the defense. I swear you must be glued to Josh’s jock.
Once again let me say this slowly so your mind can comprehend. I already know the defense was horrid. We’ve gone over this many many times….
That does not excuse the fact Josh has struggled consistently. The dallas game? The philly game? The New Orleans game? All games where josh could of done MUCH better.
Scoring 0 points against the worst team in the league is in excusable. Thats not excusing the rest of the team as everyone could of played better… but please stop with the stupid BS and acting like Freeman has played soo well and its everyone around him who has disappointed..
Stay on topic shall we? Freeman article. Not the defense, not the coaches, not the former coaches.
June 30th, 2013 at 2:30 pm
You proceed to miss my point completely.
The entire point of my post is to say that the offense was good enough last year to have us in the post season. (Not sure how that is off topic from your post but, okay.) I am not saying the offense was perfect or that Freeman didn’t have bad games. Just that the offense had us in a position to win enough games to make the post season and the defense did every thing it could to keep that from happening.
My point has been, and continues to be, that we were in position to win at least four more games last year that can be strictly blamed on the defense. The games where Josh played bad were bad games by the whole team but the games where Josh was good and the game was still lost was because of the defense.
I don’t know why this is so hard for you to grasp. I am saying that, on top of the seven games that were won, four more could have been won with even a top 25 defense. I don’t know how much more simple I can make this.
I mean, is anything I have said here debatable? If the defense had been even “below average”, as opposed to franchise history horrible, we would have been in the post season. Yes? Are you saying that even if the defense had been better we would have lost those games anyway? Please, tell me.
June 30th, 2013 at 3:01 pm
I think the disconnect here is that you believe I think Freeman is some elite quarterback that has yet to break out. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Freeman is wildly inconsistent. The truth is, he probably always will be. The reason why we need to keep him is that his “peaks” are high enough to get us in the post season while his “valleys” are not so bad they can’t be compensated for with a mediocre defense and a good ground game.
Freeman’s, statistically, worst game was against the Cowboys. He was 10 of 28 for 110 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT and a 35.7% completion. The score of this game was 10-16. Meaning in Freeman’s statistically worst game of the year, we still had a chance to win. His, statistically, best game was the first loss to New Orleans. He was 24 of 42 for 420 yards (57.1%) with 3 TDs and 0 INTs. The score of that game was 35-28. If 420 yards with 3 TDs and no interceptions doesn’t give you a win then how much more can you ask for from the QB?
We were within one score in all but two losses last year. (Three of those were by three points or less.) Those two losses were the horrific Saints game by 41 points and the Rams game by 15 points. (Only a two score game.) My point is that, look at how close we were in most of our losses. Now do you think it is more logical to ask the offense to play better in most of these losses, or the defense? (If you had to choose one.)
Overall, Freeman was above average. Now he achieved that by being best-in-the-league good at times and bottom-ten-in-the-league bad at times. The good outweighs the bad with Freeman. He is a quarterback that NEEDS a supporting cast when he goes into his infamous slumps.
This is not to say that I don’t think we should pursue an upgrade. I just think Freeman is the best we can do at this point in time. There has not been any QBs realistically available to us that would have been a sure fire upgrade at the time they were available.
June 30th, 2013 at 4:42 pm
The Glazers will be GM/Coach shopping in February if this team wins only 5 games…
There’s no way in hell with this much talent that we win 5 games…no way.
June 30th, 2013 at 7:14 pm
In speaking terms of QBs, I don’t mean to be a bragger, but I was one who said Russell Wilson was the #2 QB in this draft and would have gone top 5 if he wasn’t 5’11=6’0 and would end up a steal for some team.
Before the 2011 season, I was skeptical of Josh Freeman because he struggled against good teams and noticed that a lot of his issues were he doesn’t anticipate well and doesn;t do a good job with his eyes. When teams played zone against him, he struggled the most.
Now, I just got done looking through the entire 2012 film. I realized I was a bit more harsh than I thought, but there was still bad there with him and bad in key situations of big games the Bucs needed to win.
July 1st, 2013 at 5:25 am
Quote of WCBucsfan: I think the disconnect here is that you believe I think Freeman is some elite quarterback that has yet to break out. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Freeman is wildly inconsistent. The truth is, he probably always will be. The reason why we need to keep him is that his “peaks” are high enough to get us in the post season while his “valleys” are not so bad they can’t be compensated for with a mediocre defense and a good ground game.
Da!mn straight!