If Freeman Goes Down… Disaster
September 2nd, 2009
Just the bickering between fans is enough to tell Joe that the Bucs don’t have a solid quarterback. As the old saying goes, if you have two (three?) quarterbacks, you have none.
The Bucs may have four, which is to say, the Bucs may have none. Initially.
Pat Kirwan of NFL.com breaks down all the quarterback tandems in the NFL and he has the Bucs at No. 28 and on the brink of disaster early.
If the Buccaneers struggle with Byron Leftwich as the starter, they will turn over the quarterback reins to Luke McCown or rookie Josh Freeman, who isn’t close to being ready to play. This situation could get ugly fast.
This could get really ugly if Freeman goes down in the first 10 weeks. The Bucs schedule is ugly enough. If Luke McCown plays early, he will be running for his life. If Josh Freeman plays early, he could be ruined for his career.
Stay healthy, Byron!
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:37 am
Joe you wrote, “…Luke will be running for his life.”
Wasn’t/Isn’t the Bucs O-Line supposed to be one of the few highlights for the Bucs offense?
Sure Luke didn’t get much protection against Miami but that wasn’t the 1st team was it?
I know that Luke has happy feet (a.k.a. Garcia-syndrome) but…what gives?
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:40 am
The Bucs have had to rely on defense and the running game for a long time. Nothing has changed but the faces.
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:53 am
Mr Lucky, Luke didn’t get protection because he cannot read defenses and they will blitz every play. He will see a blitz from every team on every play because he will just run side ways out of the pocket.
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:03 am
You answered your own question Mr. Lucky. Remember how McCown was running around like a scared rabbit against Nashville?
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:07 am
Every day Freeman does not start is a wasted day for the future of this team. To many junior GM’s and Pat Kirwan sports writers who think they know what’s best for everyone and know the formula. The NFL sometimes becomes to fact locked and non visionary. A one size fits all way of doing things.
If Freeman can’t handle the fire then perhaps he’s not a NFL QB. Plenty of those around.
Hey maybe Freeman can’t cut it and he will be “ruined” for his career, but better to know now rather than waste this year and next.
I don’t wish ill on the health of Leftwich and I will be rooting for him come Sunday’s but I’m sorry unless he has a career rebirth (like say Jim Plunkett or Rich Gannon – both Raiders too hmmm) nothing Leftwich does this year matters one bit. He has little to offer as a teacher. And the sooner the Freeman era begins the sooner we know what we have.
Also Kirwan is wrong the situation is already ugly and we haven’t played a game. Should have listened to the boo birds in Leftwich’s first appereance in a Bucs uniform at Ray Jay.
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:59 am
In the end, i think the QB decision came down to who is best suited to managing the game (in the dilfer/Ravens mode). Everyone may have their own opinion of which QB is a better “manager”, but judging from pre-season, and McCown’s other performances as a Buc… I would say Lefty is the way to go. Lefty isn’t awe inspiring (what Buccaneer QB is?), but Luke is down right terrifying!
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:20 am
“The Bucs may have four, which is to say, the Bucs may have none. Initially.”
Exactly! That is the true root of the problem. If the Buccs had a proven, talented, quality, consistant, trust worthy, reliable QB their would not be all this termoil amongst fans.
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Tye, this is the Buccaneers we’re talking about, when have the Bucs EVER had a “proven, talented, quality, consistent, trustworthy, reliable QB”??? This is a team that can’t even draft quality 1st Round Draft picks (Gaines Adams over Adrian Peterson, who Chucky was practically peeing his pants over Monday night–WTF??)