Don�t
Sleep on Josh Freeman
Pre-Game Special
September 24, 2010
In my last commentary I suggested the Tampa Bay QB was so
obscure, I didn�t even know his name. I was kidding, of course. No, Josh
Freeman certainly is no household name, but he is someone the Stiller D would
be wise not to underestimate this Sunday.
Not quite ready for prime time, Freeman is nevertheless one
of the up-and-coming QBs in the league. At 6� 6� and
248 lbs., he�s a Big Ben clone -- to a point. Like Ben, Freeman�s size and
strength make tackling him a tall order; likewise, he�s surprisingly agile for
his body weight. Like Ben, he can buy time with his legs and extend plays.
Already he�s shown the ability to give defenses fits.
But that isn�t all that�s impressed me with Freeman. Check
out his numbers below:
Career Stats |
|
Passing |
|
Rushing |
|
Sacked |
|
Fumbles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Season |
Team |
G |
|
QBRat |
Comp |
Att |
Pct |
Yds |
Y/G |
Y/A |
TD |
Int |
|
Rush |
Yds |
Y/G |
Avg |
TD |
|
Sack |
YdsL |
|
Fum |
FumL |
|
||||
2009-10 |
Tampa Bay |
10 |
|
59.9 |
159 |
291 |
54.6 |
1857 |
185.7 |
6.4 |
10 |
18 |
|
30 |
161 |
16.1 |
5.4 |
0 |
|
20 |
102 |
|
9 |
2 |
|
||||
2010-11 |
Tampa Bay |
2 |
|
95.0 |
29 |
52 |
55.8 |
360 |
180.0 |
6.9 |
4 |
1 |
|
6 |
77 |
38.5 |
12.8 |
0 |
|
3 |
13 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
||||
Career |
12 |
|
65.2 |
188 |
343 |
54.8 |
2217 |
184.8 |
6.5 |
14 |
19 |
|
36 |
238 |
19.8 |
6.6 |
0 |
|
23 |
115 |
|
9 |
2 |
|
|||||
|
So far, Freeman�s raised his game in his second year,
avoiding the sophomore slump experienced by such �greats� as Joe Flacco. His
passer rating�s flown up a stunning 35 points, and he�s notched a superb 4-to-1
touchdown/interception ratio. He�s also compiled a more than respectable 6.9
YPA.
That�s the good news for the Buccaneers. The bad news is, he�s facing a defense that�s worlds apart from Cleveland�s
and Carolina�s. That sets up the key to the game: the Stiller D�s ability to
stop the run, then confuse Freeman with fronts and coverages
he�s never before seen. Freeman may resemble Ben physically, but his lack of Roethlisberger�s big-game experience should bring him down
� even when pass rushers fail to.
Yes, Freeman will be tough to tackle. But as the game wears
on, the Stillers can do to him what they did to Chris Johnson: take the game
out of him. The Stillers will have to be wary of Freeman, plus Tampa�s
top-notch special teams. The Stiller D and kick-coverage units will be called
on again to win the game, considering this is yet another week of Stiller offense not quarterbacked by anyone named
Roethlisberger.
One other note: the Stiller O-line will enjoy a huge size
advantage over the Bucs� front seven this week. This
might be the game where the running backs really break out.