Jets DE Mocks Josh Freeman
September 6th, 2013
Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson doesn’t think much of Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman.
There are all sorts of angles to monitor Sunday when the Bucs travel to the New Jersey Swamplands to face the Jets to open the season. There’s Darrelle Revis, there’s the Bucs’ pass rush, there’s the Bucs secondary, there’s the instability on the Bucs’ offensive line.
And, as usual, there is enigmatic Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman. In his last 15 starts on the road, Freeman is a troubling 4-11. That simply isn’t acceptable if the Bucs hope to play meaningful games in January.
It seems Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson is aware of these numbers, and more. Wilkerson, speaking to BSPN New York’s Rich Cimini, all but stated Freeman is soft mentally and thus, is not a concern to him or his fellow Jets defenders.
“We feel like we have a great game plan to get him off his mark and get him uncomfortable,” the veteran defensive end said Wednesday.
Asked if Freeman is vulnerable, Wilkerson nodded his head.
“You see it on film,” he said. “You get him off his mark and get him kind of rattled, and he kind of just makes mistakes on his own. It’s not even so much the defense, it’s just him not being comfortable. If we do that, we should definitely be fine and come out with a victory on Sunday.”
Joe has stated all along that Freeman wilts under pressure, especially in big games. His 6-15 record against teams with winning records documents this disturbing trend, a pattern that must end if the Bucs want to make the postseason. Or perhaps more importantly to Freeman, it must end if he is to be wealthy beyond his dreams.
It’s interesting that a veteran NFLer like Wilkerson, who studies tape and does research much more than Joe, senses the same thing with the Bucs’ starting signal-caller.
September 6th, 2013 at 6:47 am
Nobody should be allowed to mock JF#5 except us Buc fans.
September 6th, 2013 at 6:56 am
Whoops.
September 6th, 2013 at 7:16 am
Aw Sh!t!!! They figured out our dirty little secret
September 6th, 2013 at 7:26 am
Geno Smith…..nuff said
September 6th, 2013 at 7:27 am
Thats the right word. “soft.” He lacks fire. Listen to him talk. I would have loved to hear him rip Fran Trankenton but the guy is verbal-paint-drying.
September 6th, 2013 at 7:30 am
Translation: Blitzing more times than not.
What nine lives Myron was Joe, is what Ted Larson is to me. Larson is a swinging door and should have been cut a long time ago. I hope dj and nicks are in at guard because New England highlighted Freeman’s inability to handle the pressure. (I know we had back ups at ol that game)
If we have all our starters in and healthy,(no Larson please) free should have a decent pocket to work in.
September 6th, 2013 at 7:43 am
It’s not really pressure that gets to Freeman. If you look at the numbers Freeman was 6 best against the blitz when he is pressure. Freeman’s numbers plummet when blitz and the pressure DOESN’T get to him. http://www.bucsnation.com/2013/8/3/4582774/analyzing-josh-freeman-blitz-problems-or-coverage-issues
Hopefully they found a way to fix this
September 6th, 2013 at 7:54 am
I am a huge Freeman fan, but on the surface the guy is right.
There are just more contributing factors than the guy acknowledged. I’m not making excuses because Freeman does share part of the blame, but in the last 8 games of last year our offensive line only played consistently in 1 game…the last one. Larsen was a swinging door, but he wasn’t the only one. Missing Nicks and Joseph hurt badly.
Which is why I wish the Glennon pick had been spent on an offensive guard instead. We could have waited a season to get a backup QB. With a better oline Freeman would have been protected better.
Also the evolving and complicated playbook had QB & WRs out of sync.
As I mentioned, Josh Freeman shared the blame as well. However, with a healthy oline and a better grip on the playbook, the QB pressures should be handled better. Until the oline can prove they can handle it, Josh is going to be rushed a lot.
The good news is Sully should know this will happen and should have made adjustments for it by now.
And finally…if the coaches let Freeman run more…he will play like he is meant to play and he’ll have mkre fun doing it. Truth be told, if he is permitted to run 2-3 times per game and if the oline performs the Bucs offense should catch some teams off guard. We already know they plan to try to rattle Freeman.
That makes teams predictable. Hopefully Sully will capitalize on that.
September 6th, 2013 at 8:09 am
All qbs are bad against pressure. That’s why they pressure. If you get to Brady early and often he will have a bad day. Same with free
September 6th, 2013 at 8:11 am
This Wilkerson guy is a walking bust. He’s right about Freeman but having amounted to nothing himself, he should shut his yap.
September 6th, 2013 at 8:14 am
It’s simple. If they blitz Freeman must make them pay. If the don’t and only send 3-4 and we can’t block then it will be a long day. My expectations are high for this game and this season. Go bucs
September 6th, 2013 at 8:14 am
@BuccaneerBonzai
Glad the old lady didn’t wear you out last night and you are with us to give us your astute opinion…..
You hit the nail on the head….Freeman needs to feel he can run. If he does, he will burn the Jets more than once or twice.
The leaner Josh Freeman has got to be quicker as in 2010 when he was quick enough to be the number 2 running QB in the NFL behind Vick.
That coupled with some dumps to Martin & whoever our FB is should get the job done.
He need to get out of the pocket.
Also, some more creative playcalling will help….for instance, let him pass on 2nd and 2. Help him out coach!!!
September 6th, 2013 at 8:15 am
And Muhammad can kiss our collective azzes…..
September 6th, 2013 at 8:20 am
Dont see how this is a “mock”. All he said is true.
September 6th, 2013 at 8:23 am
Thisis not in defense of Freeman, but is that not the same record for every other member of the team? I still feel the defense lost more games against teams with winning records than Freeman did. GMChas the same record, but why are you guys not bashing him for his W/L record? Either way, I hope he uses these remarks from NY as modivation.
September 6th, 2013 at 8:31 am
Hey Joe… I thought you weren’t supposed to publish pictures of “Muhammad.”
September 6th, 2013 at 8:32 am
I hate to break it to you guys, but most QBs make mistakes when rattled and hit allot. That is why the pass rush is so important. This is just pointing out what everyone knows. Make the QG uncomfortable and he will make mistakes. DUH!
September 6th, 2013 at 8:33 am
Joe,
Who will Muhammad be matching up with…does he play on the left or right side?
September 6th, 2013 at 8:33 am
Can the Bucs trade the whole team for Peyton Manning?
September 6th, 2013 at 8:38 am
Freeman, easily rattled under pressure?? I just… dont believe it?!
September 6th, 2013 at 8:53 am
Well, it’s hard to argue with the facts.
September 6th, 2013 at 8:54 am
Josh Freeman, one of many Buccaneer QB’s to consistently wilt under pressure.
Free = Buc Dilfer = Buc Testeverde = Shaun King = …
September 6th, 2013 at 8:55 am
BS…Captain DJ..take care of this…
September 6th, 2013 at 8:59 am
Wilkerson is referencing Freeman’s bitch Gosh-face after a bad play.
September 6th, 2013 at 8:59 am
Sarcasm, people. If this is sonething you have not seen in the first four years, hell, in one game, rhen you havent been paying attention
September 6th, 2013 at 9:01 am
While Josh struggles at times, I think dilkerson and the jets defense should be a bit more concerned with what Doug Martin will do . If Martin runs wild, Freeman will be the least of their worries . Look for the Bucs to feed him over and over , as he treats the jets D as to his backside as he consistently runs through , over, and past them . Go Bucs!
September 6th, 2013 at 9:11 am
Using my best “I’m so surprised face”. Gosh can be brilliant with some throws but God awful at pivotal moments. I know physically he is a beast but mentally he strikes no fear in our opponents. I would be much happier and hopeful if we had a ball controll qb like Brad Johnson. Freeman has proved he can throw for lots of yardage, has trouble when facing NFL defensive schemes designed to fluster him, and has a knack for throwing picks in bunches and gives up the sack fumble play often due to his inability to sense pressure and get rid of the ball on time. I pray I’m wrong about Gosh but fear another let down year for Buc fans like me unless Freeman uses this contract year to make 100 million plus. Love my Bucs and hoping for a limited turnover machine qb
September 6th, 2013 at 9:12 am
e I just hope we can get some pressure on geno. All the things this guysays about free are also true about geno smith. With even decent pressure we should force geno to make mistakes himself. He seems to want to throw first, run second. pressure from our dl can make a good qb, bad, and a bad rookie qb worse. (Or better) We shall see, just two more days:)
September 6th, 2013 at 9:14 am
Ya know there’s a statistic for that. It’s called QB pressures or hurries. Pressure means the QB had to act before he was ready. That causes problems to the execution of the play and mistakes get made. How is that different with Freeman than any other QB? Oh by the way, the sun rises in the east – what an insight.
September 6th, 2013 at 9:22 am
[…] One Jets players thinks Josh Freeman doesn’t need much help to make mistakes. [JoeBucsFan] […]
September 6th, 2013 at 9:44 am
Freemans 4th quarter comebacks belie your notion that he wilts under pressure. Would his record be 6-15 if he didn’t have a defense that couldn’t stop anyone? No.
September 6th, 2013 at 9:47 am
You know Joe for a couple of guys who say stats don’t always paint the whole story, you sure like to throw the 6 – 15 around a lot. When you do that you’re essentially saying that Josh was completely responsible for all those losses himself. That’s an unfair judgement, especially when you’re supposedly talking about one of your own players.
I mean really? Do you think Rich Cimini is looking for every bad stat to cast his team in a bad light 3 days before the first game of the season? NO.. Why? .. because unlike you he realizes that 3 days before a crucial game is not the time to throw your team and it’s QB under the bus. In fact, you can bet they will be talking Geno Smith up.
The NY’s like their team, regardless of all it’s problems. The media market here is so enamored by the NY media, that they wanting to be so much like them, will actually pick up the slack trashing their own team and players long after NY has moved on. It’s like they brainwash you into doing their deeds.
How about some negative stories on the Jets? Let’s do some Jet trashing for a change? Let’s shine them in a bad light. Let’s make them look like the enemy rather than ourselves.
September 6th, 2013 at 9:49 am
This is like saying “We found out that if someone is hungry and you throw him food…he will eat it.” It’s the same friggin’ thing you can say about any QB in the entire NFL. Every defensive game plan is to get the QB off of their mark because they all make mistakes when they are pressured. Sometimes these articles are just plain stupid in their attempt to make it look like this is something that pertains to Freeman alone.
September 6th, 2013 at 9:50 am
Exactly ^^^
September 6th, 2013 at 9:53 am
Wilkerson obviously didn’t do his research here on JoeBucsFan. If he had, per the JFro Jock Sniffing Mob, he would know JFro had over 4,000 passing yards last year, threw more TDs than all but 6 QBs last year, and would have won every game he started had it not been for an awful defense. Knowing all this, I’m sure he’d be more concerned.
September 6th, 2013 at 10:05 am
Max-
Spot on. The NFL players have always maintained a code of ethics. You earn the right to comment on your breathren- only after you have proven yourself over the years.
Mohammed critiqued Freeman- because it’s the only way he can get press, unless there is an article about “bust” or “underachievers”.
We’ll let Freeman and the Bucs address Wilkerson Sunday. That’s how it’s done
September 6th, 2013 at 10:10 am
I think what Wilkerson is trying to say is that Freeman’s footwork is terrible. He does not slide well in the pocket and still maintain a good throwing stance. I have been saying this now for a year as it has become obvious. You will see P Manning working on footwork drills all the time in practice and it shows in the games. A good QB has to quickly bounce left, right or forward and be ready to throw.
September 6th, 2013 at 10:15 am
I see no mocking or insults by the guy. He simply stated his opinion. We all know how soft josh is when pressured. Only story here is if Josh can handle it better this year.
Let’s see how this high powered offense handles what should be a formidable defense. GO BUCS!
September 6th, 2013 at 10:46 am
Yeah Freeman does a little twelve year old temper tantrum face after a bad play. Definitely what you want to see out of your starting quarterback.
September 6th, 2013 at 12:02 pm
I think I’m going to reserve my judgement on Freeman’s play until after the game. For all we know it might turn out to be the Doug Martin Show. I’m also not going to look to Freeman’s past anymore either, because he has a good and bad past. Six Flags right? I think I’m just going to sit and watch the game and then determine if the coaching staff has fixed Josh or not in 2013. All I care about right now as far as Freeman goes, is 2013 Freeman. That, the pass rush and pass protection in 2013. Other posters can sit and whine about Josh all they want, what good is it going to do for them? He is the only decent QB the Bucs have right now. Period.
September 6th, 2013 at 12:32 pm
“Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson doesn’t think much of Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman.”
You are 1 in several million to feel that way but The Bucs have Doug Martin……. POUND THE ROCK!
September 6th, 2013 at 1:15 pm
This is why I pointed out when coach Schiano said in a presser about 6 weeks ago that he thought Free was the best QB in the League with pressure in his face. I couldn’t figure out if he was trying to cover for His weakness or really believed what he was saying.
September 6th, 2013 at 3:18 pm
@stanglassman
Actually what coach Schiano said was that josh is the best he’s ever seen at keeping his eyes down the field. Not that he was the best QB with pressure stating him in the face. And it’s true. Josh is absolutely amazing at staying calm and keeping his eyes downfield. He trust his o-line. Unfortunately this sometimes leads to sacks bc by the time josh realizes there’s no one open and it’s time to run its usually too late
September 6th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
always the jets running their mouths and not being able to back it up. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS WERE THE #9 OFFENSE IN THE LEAGUE LAST YEAR….IN PASSING YARDS CHECK FOR YOURSELF WE WERE #10, TOP 10 IN TOTAL PASSING YEAR DIRECTLY BEHIND AARON RODGERS…HEY LETS SEE HOW THIS SEASON PLAYS OUT
September 6th, 2013 at 4:40 pm
I hear Brad Johnson is backing Josh, any one else hear anything about it. If so, with the start of the season just 2 days away I wouldn’t mind a little write up on that !
September 7th, 2013 at 3:47 am
Josh needs to fix himself its year 5, prove you belong here.