Are the 2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers the 2011 San Francisco 49ers?

[JDouble]

You guys role with Smith then. I'll take Freeman. Not giving up on the kid yet.



Anyways, I have some cool defensive stats to share.

Mason Foster is tied for first in the league (with JJ Watt) with 7 TFL.

Mason is 2nd in the league with 24 solo tackles.

Our front seven has 19 TFL in the first three games. That is sick.

Thru the first three games, Gerald McCoy has 3 sacks...which matches his season high record.

Michael Bennett leads the league with 2 forced fumbles.

Aqib, Barber, and Barron all have 6 pass break ups which is tied for 3rd best in the league.

If you look at Total Defense, the Bucs are ranked 26th. If you look at just the first half, we are ranked 9th. In the second half we rank 21st. (Eli killed us!)

We are #1 verse the run right now allowing just 47 yards per game and 2.3 yards per carry.

Our pass defense is allowing 26 receptions per game, 31st in the league. Teams are throwing 41 times a game vs. our defense which is most in the league.

We have allowed a league worse 353 yards passing per game.

Were tied for 2nd in the league with 2.7 takeaways per game.

Bucs are 9th in the league with 2.7 sacks per game.

Tied for 2nd in the league with 6 interceptions.

[benir0]

I'm glad he was able to manage the game last year while that amazing defense crushed opponents and the run game won games....but he is still worse than Freeman.

I'm not convinced of that, JDub. Watching these guys play is like night and day. One is playing with confidence, making plays with his arm and legs. The other has this deer in the headlights thing going, missing guys wide open and refusing to use his legs....all while having better targets to work with.

Sad day!!

You are absolutely right, but we're just three games in.  Let's see if we can get on a roll this Sunday.  Mabe Freeman's head will magically clear!

[Hate]

After seeing more bad than good thru his tenure here, I've given up on the notion that the light bulb will finally go on for him. Would love to eat crow on this one!!

[BucBalla85]

After seeing more bad than good thru his tenure here, I've given up on the notion that the light bulb will finally go on for him. Would love to eat crow on this one!!

I agree but Im gonna give this offense more time to click before I pull the plug on Freeman. My mind is not made up on him yet.

[JDouble]

I was disgusted by last week's offensive performance, but it was somewhat expected. This offense has a new rookie RB, a new #1 receiver, new TE, three new offensive linemen, a new coach, new playbook, and a new offensive coordinator. I expected a slow start and some ugliness, but I also expect the offense to progress and be much better by the second half of the season. Apparently many thought we'd be awesome right out the gate.

It's hard to be reasonable on game day when you are watching your team suck out loud....but when you step back a few days later and look at the situation rationally, I think you should realize that all the experts predicted 4 wins or less for us. We are a team expected to have growing pains with so much change. I personally think we will get better as the season goes on and have an 8-8 season...and if we don't I'll freak out and be calling for heads like most fans, but to lose faith and freak out after the third game is kinda short sided to me.

[BucBalla85]

I was disgusted by last week's offensive performance, but it was somewhat expected. This offense has a new rookie RB, a new #1 receiver, new TE, three new offensive linemen, a new coach, new playbook, and a new offensive coordinator. I expected a slow start and some ugliness, but I also expect the offense to progress and be much better by the second half of the season. Apparently many thought we'd be awesome right out the gate.

It's hard to be reasonable on game day when you are watching your team suck out loud....but when you step back a few days later and look at the situation rationally, I think you should realize that all the experts predicted 4 wins or less for us. We are a team expected to have growing pains with so much change. I personally think we will get better as the season goes on and have an 8-8 season...and if we don't I'll freak out and be calling for heads like most fans, but to lose faith and freak out after the third game is kinda short sided to me.

Agree good post. I think our offense will improve since they are only 3 weeks into it but its hard not to be down on Freeman after last game. I think that might had been his worst game as a pro so far even though he only had one int. I havent given up on him but the patience is wearing thin. Hes got the rest of the year for me but it could be less if he looks like that again. Scratch that it will be less if he looks like that again. I do expect him and the rest of the offense to improve though. Hopefully it starts this week.

[JDouble]

Same here BucBalla. Patience is definitely wearing thin, and he looks awful, but the kid gets the rest of the season to show he's still a stud. I'm not giving up on him yet.

[Hate]

Apparently many thought we'd be awesome right out the gate.

Awesome? I don't think Free will ever be awesome. I was just holding out hope for average.

[Feel Real Good]

I was disgusted by last week's offensive performance, but it was somewhat expected. This offense has a new rookie RB, a new #1 receiver, new TE, three new offensive linemen, a new coach, new playbook, and a new offensive coordinator. I expected a slow start and some ugliness, but I also expect the offense to progress and be much better by the second half of the season. Apparently many thought we'd be awesome right out the gate.

Worth noting through the first 3 games in 2009, the Bucs were averaging 296 yards of offense per game (averaging 244 right now). And that was with a new head coach who had never been a head coach at any level and never even a coordinator in the NFL, one offensive coordinator who got fired before he ever coached a game, another offensive coordinator who has never been even semi-consistently successful despite multiple opportunities and had a week or two to implement his system, a journeyman QB who was in a 50/50 competition all preseason, a #1 WR with a gimpy knee, a #2 WR who hadn't been a real player in five years, an old RB with two busted knees, a new RB who only wanted to cash his signing bonus money, a pain in the ass TE, one new offensive lineman playing out of position, and a horrible defense. It's possible to have challenges and still look better than they do now.

[Hate]

Same here BucBalla. Patience is definitely wearing thin, and he looks awful, but the kid gets the rest of the season to show he's still a stud. I'm not giving up on him yet.

Rest of the season? Last week, i wouldn't have given him the rest of the game. There is NO WAY Orlovsky could have played any worse. There are QBs that have earned the right to play themselves out of a funk. IMO, he hasn't.

[BucBalla85]

Same here BucBalla. Patience is definitely wearing thin, and he looks awful, but the kid gets the rest of the season to show he's still a stud. I'm not giving up on him yet.

Rest of the season? Last week, i wouldn't have given him the rest of the game. There is NO WAY Orlovsky could have played any worse. There are QBs that have earned the right to play themselves out of a funk. IMO, he hasn't.

Thats only if he doesnt look like he did last week. Which I gotta say is hard to top. I dont expect to see that type of performance again. If we do I agree get him the hell out of here.

[BucBalla85]

I was disgusted by last week's offensive performance, but it was somewhat expected. This offense has a new rookie RB, a new #1 receiver, new TE, three new offensive linemen, a new coach, new playbook, and a new offensive coordinator. I expected a slow start and some ugliness, but I also expect the offense to progress and be much better by the second half of the season. Apparently many thought we'd be awesome right out the gate.

Worth noting through the first 3 games in 2009, the Bucs were averaging 296 yards of offense per game (averaging 244 right now). And that was with a new head coach who had never been a head coach at any level and never even a coordinator in the NFL, one offensive coordinator who got fired before he ever coached a game, another offensive coordinator who has never been even semi-consistently successful despite multiple opportunities and had a week or two to implement his system, a journeyman QB who was in a 50/50 competition all preseason, a #1 WR with a gimpy knee, a #2 WR who hadn't been a real player in five years, an old RB with two busted knees, a new RB who only wanted to cash his signing bonus money, a pain in the ass TE, one new offensive lineman playing out of position, and a horrible defense. It's possible to have challenges and still look better than they do now.

Its still only the third week of the season no matter which way you spin it. And its still a new offense with new players. I expect them to get better over time. If not then we know for sure that Freeman needs to go. Simple as that.

[VinBucFan]

I was disgusted by last week's offensive performance, but it was somewhat expected. This offense has a new rookie RB, a new #1 receiver, new TE, three new offensive linemen, a new coach, new playbook, and a new offensive coordinator. I expected a slow start and some ugliness, but I also expect the offense to progress and be much better by the second half of the season. Apparently many thought we'd be awesome right out the gate.

Worth noting through the first 3 games in 2009, the Bucs were averaging 296 yards of offense per game (averaging 244 right now). And that was with a new head coach who had never been a head coach at any level and never even a coordinator in the NFL, one offensive coordinator who got fired before he ever coached a game, another offensive coordinator who has never been even semi-consistently successful despite multiple opportunities and had a week or two to implement his system, a journeyman QB who was in a 50/50 competition all preseason, a #1 WR with a gimpy knee, a #2 WR who hadn't been a real player in five years, an old RB with two busted knees, a new RB who only wanted to cash his signing bonus money, a pain in the ass TE, one new offensive lineman playing out of position, and a horrible defense. It's possible to have challenges and still look better than they do now.

Key to many of your posts is cause & effect.

The first of those 3 games is NO TAPE and a shoot out at the end. In the second and third they were down -- 17 points in first quarter in one game I think and always trailing in the other, maybe down two touchdowns by HALF.  In the 3 games this year they are playing with a lead or close and so playing VERY conservative.

Like all statistics, which are misleading without context, you usually have to dig a little deeper . . . well, unless you are crafting the stats to make a point.  (Note your choice of adjectives for all those players.)

[VinBucFan]

Apparently many thought we'd be awesome right out the gate.

Awesome? I don't think Free will ever be awesome. I was just holding out hope for average.

I am close to with you and my initial thoughts were that he might be special and would certainly be average.  Steve White's analysis does not make me feel any better

[chace1986]

Same here BucBalla. Patience is definitely wearing thin, and he looks awful, but the kid gets the rest of the season to show he's still a stud. I'm not giving up on him yet.

Rest of the season? Last week, i wouldn't have given him the rest of the game. There is NO WAY Orlovsky could have played any worse. There are QBs that have earned the right to play themselves out of a funk. IMO, he hasn't.

Sad, but true.

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