Olson “More Comfortable” With Josh Johnson
August 23rd, 2010
Aside from the obvious scare of losing starting quarterback Josh Freeman for who knows how many weeks, the next thought that likely shot through Bucs fans’ minds was how well can Josh Johnson play.
The “career backup” didn’t look much like a starter when he started four games last year after replacing Byron Leftwich. And Johnson continued to play like the moniker Raheem Morris labeled him with last year.
Saturday, coming off the bench for Freeman, Johnson may have had his best game as a Bucs quarterback. Sure, it was a preseason game, but still, Johnson was sharp.
Fear not, says Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who told Anwar Richardson, of the Tampa Tribune, that he has a mental bond with Johnson.
Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson says he’s convinced Johnson can lead his team in Freeman’s absence.
“Being around the guy for the last two years, I feel as comfortable with him, well, to be honest with you, probably more comfortable with him, the mental part of it, than Free (Freeman), just because of us being together,” Olson said.
Olson’s confidence stems from becoming Johnson’s quarterback coach after the 2008 draft. Johnson did not appear in any games as a rookie, but Olson worked with him after most practices that season to further his development. Olson was typically Johnson’s receiver after practice as they worked together.
If Johnson can continue to play the way he did Saturday night, the Bucs should be OK until Freeman’s thumb is OK.
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:21 pm
yeah….what else can he say
this team has zero back up QB….
fact Jack…..errrrr Joe
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:23 pm
He would look even better if Olsen would stop lining up Clayton and Ward when Johnson hits the field.
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:27 pm
jj isnt bad, his feet give him an added and difficult to prepare for dimension which is good for a temporary player.
I posted this before but the difference between Free and JJ isnt that much, yes Free is a better player, but not by much. In fact, I would not be shocked if JJ over a long sampling of time would have a better completion percentage and fewer ints.
So, if Free is out for a game or so, don’t panick – its not like your going from Manning to Jim Sorgi or Curtis Painter.
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Anwar is an idiot period. JJ is a terrible back up option. I don’t care if he understands the offense better that means nothing. He’s not a starting caliber qb in this league and never will be. The bucs need a vet qb who’s won in this league now.
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Oh yea, there is no comparison between Free and JJ. Sure JJ can run so what, we don’t need a rb we need a qb. Check out the highlight reel for JJ starting last year, in case some of you forgot how bad he is.
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Jeff Garcia…..
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:39 pm
hunter
check out the highlight reel of free against the jets and panthers. ugly!
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:39 pm
@ RastaMon, My thoughts exactly ! And maybe Joe will put up a pic of Carmella…..
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
year thats just good PR
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
@thomas
There is a huge gap between the two quarterbacks if you ask me. Freeman, who has a year less development, is much further developed than Freeman.
Freeman is a big play style of quarterback, Johnson is a weaker-armed, short-range kind of guy.
Freeman keeps his cool at all times. Johnson panics and runs.
Freeman can throw on the run. Johnson steps up in the pocket, runs, and keeps on running almost every time.
Freeman tells his Offensive line that he trusts them. Johnson doesn’t trust them, so he tries to make plays on his own.
There are HUGE differences.
@Hunter
You can forget about that idea, and frankly, I don’t think you are seeign the reality of the situation.
There is absolutely zero chance of the Bucs getting a vet QB who has a chance to outshine Freeman. The moment Freeman did badly, there would be a public uproar to put the vet in…especially in Tampa, where the fans turn on players quicker than it takes that player to get dressed for a game.
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:42 pm
JJ is a pretty good QB actually. He is very accurate.
But yeah, he has happy feet and doesn’t stay in the pocket, so he won’t stand tall, hit a WR based on his intended route and take a hit like Freeman would. Which is kind of a bad thing becaus ethe WRs never know where to go, and when they see the QB break they all have to come back, killing timing and yards after the catch.
I like JJ though, so I am actually more confident in him leading the team to touchdowns than watching Freeman go 3-out.
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:51 pm
J.J. just needs to work on his accuracy and his decision making . But other than that , he is pretty impressive for a guy out of SanDiego College. Gotta love his athletic ability.
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Javier n Wimauma Says:
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:42 pm
JJ is a pretty good QB actually. He is very accurate.
JJ’s biggest flaw in potential as an NFL QB is his accuracy
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Pete,
We need a vet who’s won in this league. It will help Freemans development and provide security. The Bucs have made it very very clear that Freeman is the franchise, so if we get a vet and Freeman has a bad game there will be no question ever of who’s starting. The fans could say what they want but Freeman will never be put in a backup role in Tampa.
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Is that less than a ringing endorsement of Freeman’s mental abilites by the OC?
He feels more comfy with the fourth rounder from San Diego State than the franchise QB?
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Eric:
That would be University of San Diego (I-AA), not San Diego State (WAC).
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:23 pm
JJ is very accurate when he gets time to throw. He had an astronomical completion percentage in college. When he gets the time to make a good throw, his balls are right on a dime.
I guess you aren’t a Bucs fan if you didn’t already know this.
JJ’s problem is he runs immediatley. He really needs to reply on his pass protection and beat the blitzes with the pass, not his feet.
2 Porblems:
#1 He needs better protection upfront
#2 He needs Olsen to call better plays that alow him to beat the blitz.
Olsen likes to go deep downfield too quick, too often. Olsen wastes too many offensive plays on long, risky plays putting his own offense in back positions.
Olsen needs to work on keeping the defense off balance and beating the blitzing with quick passes.
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Javier n Wimauma Says:
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:23 pm
JJ is very accurate when he gets time to throw. He had an astronomical completion percentage in college. When he gets the time to make a good throw, his balls are right on a dime.
I guess you aren’t a Bucs fan if you didn’t already know this.
dude !….I walked into the Ole Sombrero and watched the first season game…ever…..
I am a Season ticket holder and have been for all but the early 80’s…
I was hoping for more out of JJ as a cerebral/athletic QB coming out of Lack of Competition U
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
They likely wouldn’t bring in a vet QB and chance mentally damaging Freeman’s confidence….. It will probably be Jevon Snead since he has practiced with the squad and knows some of the plays if they get anyone.
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:41 pm
no vet is going to threaten Freeman……not for 5 years…..
Dilfer Rule
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Javier…College does not count. Van Pelt was a great college player too, but was a back up his entire NFL carreer.
Eric, again this is coach speek…Do not read too much in to it.
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:57 pm
This sucks because Cleveland was probably our best chance to win this year. i wanted to start out with a win at home that would be great for the momentum for the rest of the year.
August 23rd, 2010 at 5:09 pm
So one good performance from JJ makes him better than Freeman? Seems so according to some posters here (JarJar).
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:06 pm
We are in a rebuilding year, you morons . What the hell do we need a veteran QB for ??? So we can ensure we only lose 13 games instead of 14 ??
Get a Clue. He has Alex Van Pelt for a mentor already. The only reason we would need a vet back-up now is if we thought we were going to compete for a playoff run.
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Mush Mouth …yes we are at the rebuilding level…..an yes winning a game or 2 is of little importance in the long run…..however preventing the franchise from getting it’s collective azz kicked in a hopeless helpless series of Sunday afternnoon led by Johnson and Carpenter will crush the spirit of the lockeroom. The players want to believe they have a real chance….I hope I am wrong and JJ can hold his own….I just have not seen any hope for the guy
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:30 pm
If they get their spirit crushed by a losing season, then there IS no rebuilding going on, and we’ll have to start over from scratch. See the Sam Wyche era for examples.
If the players “want to believe”, they better go to Disney World, because the only wish fulfillment they are likely to see this season is what they make come true themselves.
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Joe here,
SkookumSmitty – Very well said.
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:39 pm
the can not help to be crushed if the leadership throws them out on Sunday with JJ and Carpenter….really now you folks are in la la fanland…this team has zero at back up QB….
PS
all 31 other teams know this to be true
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Rastamon:
the entire league knows to be true that we are going out every Sunday with Rah Morris as our HC. God help us!!
if u think our qb situation is bad – have you seen our coaching staff? Morris, Olson, errr (I love Biasaccia, but the rest are babies that dont threaten rah).
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:51 pm
yeah……don’t remind me
it’s not losing so much as how you lose…
and if leadership thinks the rest of the young talent can overcome zero QB and walk out with anything other than an azz whipping I don’t want to hear it…..
all my arguments apply with a starting Josh Freeman…that is to say even with Freeman starting we still don’t have adequate back up at QB
August 23rd, 2010 at 7:59 pm
just heard roy cummings on radio and he said bucs and redskins could consider a clayton for haynesworth swap!!!! do it mark!!
August 23rd, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I just have one thing to say about this.
Can we please get some blocking up front? I mean seriously. Will somebody please get pissed off and make a block for once? I’m tired of watching our QB always playing “run for your life”. They should sign Ben Gazzara as a QB.
August 23rd, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Freeman will be available and ready come Cleveland, JJ can handle these next few preseason games just fine lol. Also I must agree with Javier, yea u can bag on JJ but his accuracy is not the issue and it’s a far reach to claim it. I remember when JJ came out warning Steve young and the only thing he could talk about was JJ’s accuracy and hope he had seen little better in that aspect. Heck he even compared the speed of his release to his own. The kids got happy feet, solve that an you’ve got something real scary.
August 23rd, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Watching*
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Reportedly….Jones has passed Sabby the Goat on the depth chart and Huggins has passed Ward. Now I just need Rachel Watson to show up and my night will be complete!
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Yes Red Man, and the waterboy has just passed Bennie the Goat on the WR depth chart.
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:25 pm
That would make any man’s… year!
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:48 pm
A Benn will be a nice WR for the Buccaneers. As soon as the Bucs cut ties with Clayton, Benn will get some breathing room to make plays.
To be quite honest, calling out a Rookie WR this early, a guy drafted in the 2nd round, is actually a complete waste of your time Radio.
On principle, I’m gonna defend my boy Benn despite your calling him out.
A Benn, if you are reading, we got your back buddy. Radio is just looking for attention going after players. That’s low.
Radio if you are mad a Raheem and Dom, then go after them, A Benn is just a 22 year old, who was drafted by the Bucs, to play fr the Bucs. Get on Dom and Rah, not a young man trying to make it on his own.
August 23rd, 2010 at 10:36 pm
How can you say Johnson will never be a starting caliber QB by looking at four games last year. He didn’t get any reps in camp. Some of the greats in this league sucked in their first four games and they got all the reps in camp. Maybe he will never amount to anything but it is unfair to base that on last year. He looked decent last game. He’ll never be a bomb thrower but might make a good west coast QB.
August 23rd, 2010 at 10:40 pm
@Josh Please let it be so. We need to let our new draft picks to be brought in slowly. Not thrown into the fire. It makes sense. The Redskins already payed the big dollars.
August 23rd, 2010 at 11:28 pm
WHERE is our Offensive Line ? It seems to me all the Bucs QB’s are getting very little time. Teams seem to be stacking the box on us, then blitzing if it is a pass. Seems to me we need a speed guy like Huggins as a safety valve to burn them a time or two, or more well designed screens. Blitz Tom Brady, and he hits his receiver right on the line of scrimmage, often for big gains.
August 24th, 2010 at 1:56 am
Haynesworth could be a mentor for mccoy and price
August 24th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
TBO says Snead has been signed.
August 24th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Ppppfffttt.