Keep Josh Freeman In The Shotgun
November 19th, 2009
Last week Joe brought you, via Vacation Man of BSPN.com, about how much better Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman threw out of a shotgun formation than he did taking snaps from center.
Despite Freeman playing in only two games, the numbers he puts up out of a shotgun formation compared to taking a direct snap are significant. Vacation Man notes how only Philip Rivers of the Chargers throws for a better passer rating out of a shotgun than Freeman.
He’s at his best when operating out of the shotgun formation. Of the league’s 44 quarterbacks who have taken at least 20 snaps out of the shotgun, Freeman has the second-best passer rating. His 105.0 rating is second only to San Diego’s Philip Rivers (105.2).
Freeman’s completed 27 of 45 passes for 352 yards with four touchdowns and one interception out of the shotgun.
New Orleans’ Drew Brees (98.9) ranks sixth in the NFL. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan is No. 22 with an 81.3 rating and Carolina’s Jake Delhomme is 25th with a 79.3 rating.
Maybe this explains why the Bucs were able to rally late the past two games? The Bucs had to start passing, i.e. shotgun formation.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Joe, The Bucs are just playing for a draft pick now. The rest of the year is just a scrimmage from here on out. ( sorry fans that paid season tickets to watch nfl games. ) Olsen should just run this as pratice. if Their are problems with under center snaps. Do it until the wrinkles come out.
This just in. Bates just realized that he did not have the Front 7 to make it in Denver.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:29 am
LOL!
November 19th, 2009 at 10:39 am
I’d like to ask Steve White if there’s a good reason not to use the shotgun consistently from an offensive coordinator’s viewpoint looking at the opponents defense? Is that as clear as mud? Is there an offensive advantage not to keep using it, I guess I’m trying to ask.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Because we aren’t going anywere soon, keep him under center, make him learn to execute a good play-action fake. This is what leads to effective passing from under center and is becoming a lost art in college due to proliferation of the spread. Sure he has been exceptional from the shotgun, great, love it….develop from under center so 4 years from now…maybe if the NFL gets its business together we will be able to compete. Won’t be next year, if we are going to be at the bottom of the cap in a capped season we aren’t going to open up the coffers in an uncapped situation.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:58 am
My guess is that the shotgun delays running plays as the running back has to wait on the ball to start moving, rather than receive the ball already moving with the under-center snap. Without looking at film with a stopwatch, I can’t say that definitively, but if that’s the case it means the run has to be predicated on our passing threat, rather then our passing game predicated on our running threat.
November 19th, 2009 at 11:01 am
These numbers are VERY skewed. He has been in the shotgun most of the 4th quarters because they are losing right? That means the defenses are a little more lax and giving him some things. I’m not taking anything away from him, because he is getting better as the games go on, but thereis WAAAAY to little information on this right now.