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Freeman Leads Bucs To First Win |
 Bucs rookie QB Josh Freeman made the first start of his career vs. the Packers on Sunday (Don Montague) |
UPDATED: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recorded their first win of the season by defeating the Packers in their throwback game Sunday, 38-28. Bucs rookie QB Josh Freeman threw three TDs while CB Ronde Barber and FS Tanard Jackson came up with scores on special teams and defense, respectively.
TAMPA – On a day when the Buccaneers celebrated the 1979 NFC Central division champions, Tampa Bay played like champions, breaking an 11-game losing streak dating back to last December with a 38-28 victory over Green Bay.
On a day when the Buccaneers, donning throwback orange and white uniforms for the first time since 1996, celebrated the career of their franchise player Lee Roy Selmon, by inducting the defensive end into the Bucs’ Ring of Honor, Tampa Bay’s first-round draft pick, quarterback Josh Freeman, played like a franchise player himself.
Freeman overcame some non-fatal rookie mistakes to complete 14-of-31 passes for 205 yards with three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to Kellen Winslow and Sammie Stroughter to rally the Buccaneers from 11 points down and deliver Raheem Morris his first win as an head coach. After the game, Morris indicated how proud he was in Freeman and how excited he was for the team to get its first win.
“It was fun. Obviously it is not about me. It’s about us. It’s about everyone that’s a part of this,” said Morris about the team’s victory before commenting on Freeman. “It was a nice start, very similar to the one I saw do in college. Coming back, leading your team down with a two-minute drive, scoring a touchdown. However you do it is impressive. His age really doesn’t matter at this point. He has to be a seven-year vet. He has to lead us to where we need to go.”
Freeman played without franchise wide receiver Antonio Bryant, who missed the game with a swollen knee, but saw several of his receivers step up. Maurice Stovall started in place of Bryant and came through with three catches for 46 yards. Winslow had four catches for 57 yards and a 7-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Stroughter had three receptions for 19 yards, including the go-ahead 7-yard touchdown with 4:14 left in regulation.
Although the running game stalled, halfback Derrick Ward caught three passes for 54 yards, including a season-high 38-yarder and Freeman’s first NFL touchdown pass to get the Bucs on the scoreboard in the first quarter. Even Michael Clayton delivered a key 29-yard catch in the fourth quarter and hauled in a two-point conversion pass after Stroughter’s touchdown to give Tampa Bay a three-point lead.
“We had Sammie run an in route because he has been running a lot of in routes and then take it to the corner,” Freeman said. “I gave him the quick pump, got him just enough. That ball – Sammie made a tremendous catch on it.”
Freeman was even-keeled and composed during the game, shrugging off a third quarter interception to maintain the poise necessary to lead the Bucs on an impressive comeback victory in his first NFL start.
“We have all been putting in a lot of work and really haven’t been seeing a lot of results,” Freeman said. “It was just a big load off a lot of people’s shoulders with the win.”
The Bucs’ victory was a total team effort with the defense and special teams also producing big plays and touchdowns. Geno Hayes blocked a punt in the second quarter and Ronde Barber scooped and scored from 31 yards out to even the score at 14-14. Clifton Smith came through with a big, 83-yard kickoff return down to the Green Bay 17-yard line to help spark the Bucs’ fourth quarter comeback.
Despite giving up four touchdowns, including a 74-yard scoring strike to James Jones on Green Bay’s second offensive snap, Tampa Bay’s defense easily played its best game of the year, picking off Aaron Rodgers three times and pressuring him relentlessly in the second half. Tampa Bay posted a season-high six sacks of the NFL’s top-rated passer with all of them coming in the final 30 minutes of play.
Defensive ends Michael Bennett and Tim Crowder got their first career sacks on Rodgers, while rookie defensive tackle Roy Miller got his second sack of the season. Defensive tackle Ryan Sims got his first sack of the year, while nose tackle Chris Hovan got his first by splitting a sack with defensive end Stylez G. White, who had 1.5 sacks to lead the Bucs on Sunday.
With Tampa Bay leading 31-28, free safety Tanard Jackson put the nail in Green Bay’s coffin with 35 seconds left when he intercepted Rodgers and returned the pick 35 yards for a touchdown, his second pick-six of the season.
“In my mind, I didn’t think about sliding or going down until after the fact,” Jackson said. “It worked out for the best. I got into the end zone.”
After the game, the jubilant locker room was full of Buccaneers players who could breathe a sigh of relief about not going winless this year.
“It has been a lot of weeks since we’ve had a win, but it feels like it’s been a lot of years since we’ve won, so it’s a pretty sweet feeling,” Barber said.
With a complete team effort finally coming to fruition, optimism is now running high and the Buccaneers feel they can go on a winning streak.
“It’s just a start,” said Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib, who recorded his team-high fifth interception on Sunday, “We started off 0-7 so this will get the monkey off our back a little bit. We have to build on it and keep the momentum going.”
Now that the Buccaneers finally got off their losing streak wearing the creamsicle Bucco Bruce uniforms, will they continue to wear them now that they’ve brought them luck?
“I don’t know,” Morris said. “We have to get into some negotiations to see if we can put on our orange some more. It would be nice. I’ll go talk to our ownership here in a little bit, maybe make some phone calls this week.”
Freeman made his first rookie mistake on Tampa Bay’s first possession. On third-and-5, he prematurely slid for a 4-yard gain when five yards were available. That miscue forced a punt and gave Green Bay the ball.
It didn’t take the Packers long to open up a lead on the Buccaneers. On Rodgers’ second pass attempt, receiver James Jones beat cornerback Elbert Mack in man coverage down the right sidelines for a 74-yard touchdown. The Packers’ two-play, 80-yard scoring drive lasted just 55 seconds. With 12:15 left in the first quarter, Green Bay led 7-0.
Mack responded on the next defensive series by intercepting Rodgers’ pass intended for receiver Donald Driver at the 42-yard line and returned it 36 yards before being tackled by Rodgers at the Green Bay 8. Two plays later, Freeman threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ward, who beat linebacker Aaron Kampman in coverage. With 8:45 left in the first quarter, the score was tied 7-7.
Green Bay went back on top after marching 69 yards in 11 plays, taking 6:06 off the clock. Ryan Grant, who finished with 96 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries, did the majority of the work, rushing for 34 yards and a 3-yard touchdown on five totes. Rodgers was 3-of-5 for 35 yards on the drive, including a key 10-yard pass to Greg Jennings on third-and-9 down to the Tampa Bay 5-yard line. With 2:39 left in the first quarter, Green Bay reclaimed the lead, 14-7.
Freeman continued to look impressive on Tampa Bay’s next possession. His 16-yard pass to Winslow on a roll out to the left moved the chains to the Tampa Bay 36. On third-and-10, Freeman found Ward open for a 38-yard gain down to the Green Bay 25 on a middle screen. But that’s where the drive stalled on fourth down as kicker Connor Barth missed a 45-yard field goal attempt. With 13:25 left before halftime, the score remained 14-7.
Green Bay had to punt on its next possession, and Hayes came free up the middle to block Jeremy Kapinos’ attempt. Barber recovered the ball and raced 31 yards for a touchdown. With 11:59 left, the score was tied 14-14.
Green Bay grabbed the lead again on an eight-play, 76-yard drive that consumed 4:21. Driver got things started with a 13-yard gain out to the Green Bay 37 before catching a 32-yard touchdown pass over Barber. Grant added 27 yards on the ground on four carries, including a 15-yarder. With 7:38 left before halftime, the Packers were on top 21-14.
Freeman’s first interception occurred with 3:01 when safety Nick Collins stepped in front of Stovall at the Green Bay 41 to pick off the pass, which was returned 13 yards to the Tampa Bay 46. But the Bucs defense held and got the ball back for its offense.
Freeman guided the team down the field on a 12-play, 74-yard drive with less than three minutes left to get a field goal. He completed two passes to Stovall for gains of 12 and 21 yards. Freeman picked up another first down on an 11-yard scramble down to the Green Bay 40. An 11-yard completion to Winslow and a 9-yard pass to Stroughter got the ball down to Green Bay 29. With 11 seconds left, before halftime, Tampa Bay was forced to kick a field goal and Barth’s 38-yarder with six seconds left cut into Green Bay’s lead, which was trimmed to 21-17.
The Packers were threatening on their second possession after halftime. Rodgers’ deep pass intended for Jennings in the end zone was deflected by rookie safety Corey Lynch and picked off by Talib, who returned the ball to the Tampa Bay 16. However, the Bucs could not pick up a first down and had to punt on third-and-1 from the 25-yard line.
Green Bay increased its lead on its next possession. After a 16-yard pass to Driver down to the Green Bay 46, running back Ahman Green broke of a 26-yard run down to the Tampa Bay 18. An 11-yard strike from Rodgers to Jones picked a first down on third-and-10 from the 18. Miller sacked Rodgers for a 7-yard loss, but on third-and-goal from the 12, the nimble quarterback scrambled past defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson and Jackson and ran through safety Sabby Piscitelli and middle linebacker Barrett Ruud at the goal line for a touchdown. With 12:54 left in the fourth quarter, Green Bay’s lead swelled to 28-17.
On the ensuing kickoff, Smith embarked on his 83-yard kick return down to the Green Bay 17, dodging kicker Mason Crosby, linebacker Desmond Bishop and cornerback Tramon Williams before being tackled. Freeman hit Ward for a 10-yard pass down to the 7-yard line. On second-and-goal, Freeman threw a jump ball in the back of the end zone to Winslow, who caught his fifth touchdown pass of he season. The Bucs went for a two-point conversion to try to cut Green Bay’s lead to three points, but Freeman’s pass to Winslow was incomplete. With 11:34 left in the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay only trailed 28-23.
Winslow and Freeman connected on a 22-yard pass to start Tampa Bay’s next drive, which began on the Bucs’ 28-yard line. On the next play, Freeman’s pass intended for Winslow was intercepted by linebacker A.J. Hawk, but Hawk was flagged for illegal contact, which nullified the pick. On third-and-7 from the Tampa Bay 43, Freeman hit Clayton with a 29-yard gain over cornerback Al Harris down to the Green Bay 13. After a 6-yard run by Cadillac Williams and two incompletions, Freeman found Stroughter open in the back right corner of the end zone for a touchdown on fourth-and-4 for a 7-yard touchdown. With 4:14 left, Tampa Bay led 31-28 after Freeman found Clayton open for a two-point conversion.
Over Green Bay’s final two drives, Rodgers was sacked three times and threw the game-clinching interception to Jackson to seal Tampa Bay’s first win of the year.
PEWTERREPORT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME
Josh Freeman had a few rookie moments, but for the most part he played like a seasoned veteran in his first NFL start, which ended in a 38-28 victory over Green Bay. Freeman completed 14-of-31 passes for 205 yards with three touchdowns, a two-point conversion and one interception and played a huge role in leading the Bucs back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to claim their first win of the year. His three touchdowns were the most by a Tampa Bay rookie in a single game.
Freeman played fearless football, taking some shots with the ball downfield, shaking off a third quarter interception, shrugging off some fumbled snaps and showing very good poise in the pocket. He was only sacked once and scrambled for 20 yards on four carries, including an 11-yard run for a first down.
Freman became the Bucs’ third rookie quarterback to win his first start. Steve Young completed 16-of-27 passes for 167 yards in Tampa Bay’s 19-16 overtime win against Detroit on November 24, 1985. Shaun King was 11-of-19 for 93 yards with two touchdowns and one pick in Tampa Bay’s 24-17 win over Minnesota on December 6, 1999.
What a great start for Freeman’s young NFL career. At 0-7, things looked bleak for the Buccaneers, but with Freeman leading Tampa Bay to its first win, the 2009 first-round pick has given his team and the fan base a sign that good things may be just around the corner.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Tampa Bay had finally captured the lead from Green Bay with 4:14 left in regulation after Josh Freeman connected with Sammie Stroughter for a 7-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal. Yet Green Bay only needed a field goal to even the score at 31-31 and had one timeout left with 1:35 when it started its possession on its 13-yard line. After an incompletion to James Jones, defensive end Stylez G. White came through with a big 9-yard sack on second down. On fourth-and-12 from the 11, Rodgers’ pass to Donald Driver was picked off by free safety Tanard Jackson, who weaved through traffic for a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown. That score put Tampa Bay up 38-28 with 35 seconds left to seal the Bucs’ first victory of the year.
STATS THAT COUNT
Cornerback Elbert Mack recorded his first career interception when he picked off Aaron Rodgers in the first quarter. … Linebacker Geno Hayes’ blocked punt in the second quarter against Green Bay was his second career block. Hayes led the Bucs with seven tackles against the Packers. … Cornerback Ronde Barber’s touchdown on his blocked punt recovery was his 14th career score, including the postseason. … Rookie defensive end Kyle Moore saw action in his first regular season game against Green Bay. … Rookie defensive end Michael Bennett recorded his first NFL sack on Sunday. … Tim Crowder recorded his first sack as a Buccaneer versus the Packers. … Defensive tackle Ryan Sims notched his first sack of the season against Green Bay. … Defensive tackle Chris Hovan had a half sack on Sunday, his first of the year. … Rookie defensive tackle Roy Miller recorded his second sack of the year on Sunday. … Tampa Bay’s six sacks were the most since the team had seven in a 21-17 loss against New Orleans on December 19, 2004. … Cornerback Aqib Talib recorded his team-leading fifth interception of the season, which is a new career-high. … With today’s win against Green Bay, Tampa Bay is a perfect 5-0 against the NFC North division since sweeping the season series in 2008. … Rookie wide receiver Sammie Stroughter scored the first receiving touchdown of his NFL career on Sunday. … Rookie offensive tackle Demar Dotson played in his first NFL game, seeing action on special teams. … Defensive end Stylez G. White has recorded at least a half sack in the last three games and has three sacks on the season since replacing Gaines Adams in the starting lineup. … Running back Cadillac Williams led the Bucs with 56 yards rushing on 16 carries. … Green Bay outgained Tampa Bay 404-279 yards.
SUNDAY’S STARTING LINEUPS
The announced Tampa Bay starting lineup for Sunday’s game was as follows:
BUCS STARTING OFFENSE
WR Michael Clayton
LT Donald Penn
LG Jeremy Zuttah
C Jeff Faine
RG Davin Joseph
RT Jeremy Trueblood
TE Kellen Winslow
WR Maurice Stovall
FB Earnest Graham
RB Cadillac Williams
QB Josh Freeman
BUCS STARTING DEFENSE
LE Jimmy Wilkerson
DT Ryan Sims
DT Chris Hovan
RE Stylez G. White
WLB Geno Hayes
MLB Barrett Ruud
SLB Quincy Black
LCB Aqib Talib
RCB Ronde Barber
FS Tanard Jackson
SS Sabby Piscitelli
MISSING IN ACTION
Here is a list of Tampa Bay players that were declared inactive for Sunday’s game:
QB Byron Leftwich (emergency QB)
WR Antonio Bryant
WR Yamon Figurs
FB Chris Pressely
G Shawn Murphy
OT James Lee
DE Dre Moore
CB Mike Mickens
BUCS IN-GAME INJURIES
Linebacker Niko Koutouvides was hurt covering a kickoff early in the second quarter. Free safety Will Allen went into the locker room with a trainer with 4:30 left before halftime with a thumb injury. After the game, Allen had his hand in a cast. Tanard Jackson was shaken up with 10:30 left in third quarter and was replaced by Corey Lynch before returning to action. Cornerback Aqib Talib was shaken up in the third quarter after his interception, but he returned on the next series.
KICKOFF CONDITIONS
The announced attendance for the Buccaneers vs. Packers game at Raymond James Stadium was 62,994, although it seemed as if there was about 10,000 no-shows. The kickoff temperature was 82 degrees under clear skies with 48 percent humidity.
UP NEXT
The Buccaneers (1-7) will travel south to play the Miami Dolphins (3-5) on November 15. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. and will be televised on Fox.
On a day when the Buccaneers, donning throwback orange and white uniforms for the first time since 1996, celebrated the career of their franchise player Lee Roy Selmon, by inducting the defensive end into the Bucs’ Ring of Honor, Tampa Bay’s first-round draft pick, quarterback Josh Freeman, played like a franchise player himself.
Freeman overcame some non-fatal rookie mistakes to complete 14-of-31 passes for 205 yards with three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to Kellen Winslow and Sammie Stroughter to rally the Buccaneers from 11 points down and deliver Raheem Morris his first win as an head coach. After the game, Morris indicated how proud he was in Freeman and how excited he was for the team to get its first win.
“It was fun. Obviously it is not about me. It’s about us. It’s about everyone that’s a part of this,” said Morris about the team’s victory before commenting on Freeman. “It was a nice start, very similar to the one I saw do in college. Coming back, leading your team down with a two-minute drive, scoring a touchdown. However you do it is impressive. His age really doesn’t matter at this point. He has to be a seven-year vet. He has to lead us to where we need to go.”
Freeman played without franchise wide receiver Antonio Bryant, who missed the game with a swollen knee, but saw several of his receivers step up. Maurice Stovall started in place of Bryant and came through with three catches for 46 yards. Winslow had four catches for 57 yards and a 7-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Stroughter had three receptions for 19 yards, including the go-ahead 7-yard touchdown with 4:14 left in regulation.
Although the running game stalled, halfback Derrick Ward caught three passes for 54 yards, including a season-high 38-yarder and Freeman’s first NFL touchdown pass to get the Bucs on the scoreboard in the first quarter. Even Michael Clayton delivered a key 29-yard catch in the fourth quarter and hauled in a two-point conversion pass after Stroughter’s touchdown to give Tampa Bay a three-point lead.
“We had Sammie run an in route because he has been running a lot of in routes and then take it to the corner,” Freeman said. “I gave him the quick pump, got him just enough. That ball – Sammie made a tremendous catch on it.”
Freeman was even-keeled and composed during the game, shrugging off a third quarter interception to maintain the poise necessary to lead the Bucs on an impressive comeback victory in his first NFL start.
“We have all been putting in a lot of work and really haven’t been seeing a lot of results,” Freeman said. “It was just a big load off a lot of people’s shoulders with the win.”
The Bucs’ victory was a total team effort with the defense and special teams also producing big plays and touchdowns. Geno Hayes blocked a punt in the second quarter and Ronde Barber scooped and scored from 31 yards out to even the score at 14-14. Clifton Smith came through with a big, 83-yard kickoff return down to the Green Bay 17-yard line to help spark the Bucs’ fourth quarter comeback.
Despite giving up four touchdowns, including a 74-yard scoring strike to James Jones on Green Bay’s second offensive snap, Tampa Bay’s defense easily played its best game of the year, picking off Aaron Rodgers three times and pressuring him relentlessly in the second half. Tampa Bay posted a season-high six sacks of the NFL’s top-rated passer with all of them coming in the final 30 minutes of play.
Defensive ends Michael Bennett and Tim Crowder got their first career sacks on Rodgers, while rookie defensive tackle Roy Miller got his second sack of the season. Defensive tackle Ryan Sims got his first sack of the year, while nose tackle Chris Hovan got his first by splitting a sack with defensive end Stylez G. White, who had 1.5 sacks to lead the Bucs on Sunday.
With Tampa Bay leading 31-28, free safety Tanard Jackson put the nail in Green Bay’s coffin with 35 seconds left when he intercepted Rodgers and returned the pick 35 yards for a touchdown, his second pick-six of the season.
“In my mind, I didn’t think about sliding or going down until after the fact,” Jackson said. “It worked out for the best. I got into the end zone.”
After the game, the jubilant locker room was full of Buccaneers players who could breathe a sigh of relief about not going winless this year.
“It has been a lot of weeks since we’ve had a win, but it feels like it’s been a lot of years since we’ve won, so it’s a pretty sweet feeling,” Barber said.
With a complete team effort finally coming to fruition, optimism is now running high and the Buccaneers feel they can go on a winning streak.
“It’s just a start,” said Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib, who recorded his team-high fifth interception on Sunday, “We started off 0-7 so this will get the monkey off our back a little bit. We have to build on it and keep the momentum going.”
Now that the Buccaneers finally got off their losing streak wearing the creamsicle Bucco Bruce uniforms, will they continue to wear them now that they’ve brought them luck?
“I don’t know,” Morris said. “We have to get into some negotiations to see if we can put on our orange some more. It would be nice. I’ll go talk to our ownership here in a little bit, maybe make some phone calls this week.”
Freeman made his first rookie mistake on Tampa Bay’s first possession. On third-and-5, he prematurely slid for a 4-yard gain when five yards were available. That miscue forced a punt and gave Green Bay the ball.
It didn’t take the Packers long to open up a lead on the Buccaneers. On Rodgers’ second pass attempt, receiver James Jones beat cornerback Elbert Mack in man coverage down the right sidelines for a 74-yard touchdown. The Packers’ two-play, 80-yard scoring drive lasted just 55 seconds. With 12:15 left in the first quarter, Green Bay led 7-0.
Mack responded on the next defensive series by intercepting Rodgers’ pass intended for receiver Donald Driver at the 42-yard line and returned it 36 yards before being tackled by Rodgers at the Green Bay 8. Two plays later, Freeman threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ward, who beat linebacker Aaron Kampman in coverage. With 8:45 left in the first quarter, the score was tied 7-7.
Green Bay went back on top after marching 69 yards in 11 plays, taking 6:06 off the clock. Ryan Grant, who finished with 96 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries, did the majority of the work, rushing for 34 yards and a 3-yard touchdown on five totes. Rodgers was 3-of-5 for 35 yards on the drive, including a key 10-yard pass to Greg Jennings on third-and-9 down to the Tampa Bay 5-yard line. With 2:39 left in the first quarter, Green Bay reclaimed the lead, 14-7.
Freeman continued to look impressive on Tampa Bay’s next possession. His 16-yard pass to Winslow on a roll out to the left moved the chains to the Tampa Bay 36. On third-and-10, Freeman found Ward open for a 38-yard gain down to the Green Bay 25 on a middle screen. But that’s where the drive stalled on fourth down as kicker Connor Barth missed a 45-yard field goal attempt. With 13:25 left before halftime, the score remained 14-7.
Green Bay had to punt on its next possession, and Hayes came free up the middle to block Jeremy Kapinos’ attempt. Barber recovered the ball and raced 31 yards for a touchdown. With 11:59 left, the score was tied 14-14.
Green Bay grabbed the lead again on an eight-play, 76-yard drive that consumed 4:21. Driver got things started with a 13-yard gain out to the Green Bay 37 before catching a 32-yard touchdown pass over Barber. Grant added 27 yards on the ground on four carries, including a 15-yarder. With 7:38 left before halftime, the Packers were on top 21-14.
Freeman’s first interception occurred with 3:01 when safety Nick Collins stepped in front of Stovall at the Green Bay 41 to pick off the pass, which was returned 13 yards to the Tampa Bay 46. But the Bucs defense held and got the ball back for its offense.
Freeman guided the team down the field on a 12-play, 74-yard drive with less than three minutes left to get a field goal. He completed two passes to Stovall for gains of 12 and 21 yards. Freeman picked up another first down on an 11-yard scramble down to the Green Bay 40. An 11-yard completion to Winslow and a 9-yard pass to Stroughter got the ball down to Green Bay 29. With 11 seconds left, before halftime, Tampa Bay was forced to kick a field goal and Barth’s 38-yarder with six seconds left cut into Green Bay’s lead, which was trimmed to 21-17.
The Packers were threatening on their second possession after halftime. Rodgers’ deep pass intended for Jennings in the end zone was deflected by rookie safety Corey Lynch and picked off by Talib, who returned the ball to the Tampa Bay 16. However, the Bucs could not pick up a first down and had to punt on third-and-1 from the 25-yard line.
Green Bay increased its lead on its next possession. After a 16-yard pass to Driver down to the Green Bay 46, running back Ahman Green broke of a 26-yard run down to the Tampa Bay 18. An 11-yard strike from Rodgers to Jones picked a first down on third-and-10 from the 18. Miller sacked Rodgers for a 7-yard loss, but on third-and-goal from the 12, the nimble quarterback scrambled past defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson and Jackson and ran through safety Sabby Piscitelli and middle linebacker Barrett Ruud at the goal line for a touchdown. With 12:54 left in the fourth quarter, Green Bay’s lead swelled to 28-17.
On the ensuing kickoff, Smith embarked on his 83-yard kick return down to the Green Bay 17, dodging kicker Mason Crosby, linebacker Desmond Bishop and cornerback Tramon Williams before being tackled. Freeman hit Ward for a 10-yard pass down to the 7-yard line. On second-and-goal, Freeman threw a jump ball in the back of the end zone to Winslow, who caught his fifth touchdown pass of he season. The Bucs went for a two-point conversion to try to cut Green Bay’s lead to three points, but Freeman’s pass to Winslow was incomplete. With 11:34 left in the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay only trailed 28-23.
Winslow and Freeman connected on a 22-yard pass to start Tampa Bay’s next drive, which began on the Bucs’ 28-yard line. On the next play, Freeman’s pass intended for Winslow was intercepted by linebacker A.J. Hawk, but Hawk was flagged for illegal contact, which nullified the pick. On third-and-7 from the Tampa Bay 43, Freeman hit Clayton with a 29-yard gain over cornerback Al Harris down to the Green Bay 13. After a 6-yard run by Cadillac Williams and two incompletions, Freeman found Stroughter open in the back right corner of the end zone for a touchdown on fourth-and-4 for a 7-yard touchdown. With 4:14 left, Tampa Bay led 31-28 after Freeman found Clayton open for a two-point conversion.
Over Green Bay’s final two drives, Rodgers was sacked three times and threw the game-clinching interception to Jackson to seal Tampa Bay’s first win of the year.
PEWTERREPORT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME
Josh Freeman had a few rookie moments, but for the most part he played like a seasoned veteran in his first NFL start, which ended in a 38-28 victory over Green Bay. Freeman completed 14-of-31 passes for 205 yards with three touchdowns, a two-point conversion and one interception and played a huge role in leading the Bucs back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to claim their first win of the year. His three touchdowns were the most by a Tampa Bay rookie in a single game.
Freeman played fearless football, taking some shots with the ball downfield, shaking off a third quarter interception, shrugging off some fumbled snaps and showing very good poise in the pocket. He was only sacked once and scrambled for 20 yards on four carries, including an 11-yard run for a first down.
Freman became the Bucs’ third rookie quarterback to win his first start. Steve Young completed 16-of-27 passes for 167 yards in Tampa Bay’s 19-16 overtime win against Detroit on November 24, 1985. Shaun King was 11-of-19 for 93 yards with two touchdowns and one pick in Tampa Bay’s 24-17 win over Minnesota on December 6, 1999.
What a great start for Freeman’s young NFL career. At 0-7, things looked bleak for the Buccaneers, but with Freeman leading Tampa Bay to its first win, the 2009 first-round pick has given his team and the fan base a sign that good things may be just around the corner.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Tampa Bay had finally captured the lead from Green Bay with 4:14 left in regulation after Josh Freeman connected with Sammie Stroughter for a 7-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal. Yet Green Bay only needed a field goal to even the score at 31-31 and had one timeout left with 1:35 when it started its possession on its 13-yard line. After an incompletion to James Jones, defensive end Stylez G. White came through with a big 9-yard sack on second down. On fourth-and-12 from the 11, Rodgers’ pass to Donald Driver was picked off by free safety Tanard Jackson, who weaved through traffic for a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown. That score put Tampa Bay up 38-28 with 35 seconds left to seal the Bucs’ first victory of the year.
STATS THAT COUNT
Cornerback Elbert Mack recorded his first career interception when he picked off Aaron Rodgers in the first quarter. … Linebacker Geno Hayes’ blocked punt in the second quarter against Green Bay was his second career block. Hayes led the Bucs with seven tackles against the Packers. … Cornerback Ronde Barber’s touchdown on his blocked punt recovery was his 14th career score, including the postseason. … Rookie defensive end Kyle Moore saw action in his first regular season game against Green Bay. … Rookie defensive end Michael Bennett recorded his first NFL sack on Sunday. … Tim Crowder recorded his first sack as a Buccaneer versus the Packers. … Defensive tackle Ryan Sims notched his first sack of the season against Green Bay. … Defensive tackle Chris Hovan had a half sack on Sunday, his first of the year. … Rookie defensive tackle Roy Miller recorded his second sack of the year on Sunday. … Tampa Bay’s six sacks were the most since the team had seven in a 21-17 loss against New Orleans on December 19, 2004. … Cornerback Aqib Talib recorded his team-leading fifth interception of the season, which is a new career-high. … With today’s win against Green Bay, Tampa Bay is a perfect 5-0 against the NFC North division since sweeping the season series in 2008. … Rookie wide receiver Sammie Stroughter scored the first receiving touchdown of his NFL career on Sunday. … Rookie offensive tackle Demar Dotson played in his first NFL game, seeing action on special teams. … Defensive end Stylez G. White has recorded at least a half sack in the last three games and has three sacks on the season since replacing Gaines Adams in the starting lineup. … Running back Cadillac Williams led the Bucs with 56 yards rushing on 16 carries. … Green Bay outgained Tampa Bay 404-279 yards.
SUNDAY’S STARTING LINEUPS
The announced Tampa Bay starting lineup for Sunday’s game was as follows:
BUCS STARTING OFFENSE
WR Michael Clayton
LT Donald Penn
LG Jeremy Zuttah
C Jeff Faine
RG Davin Joseph
RT Jeremy Trueblood
TE Kellen Winslow
WR Maurice Stovall
FB Earnest Graham
RB Cadillac Williams
QB Josh Freeman
BUCS STARTING DEFENSE
LE Jimmy Wilkerson
DT Ryan Sims
DT Chris Hovan
RE Stylez G. White
WLB Geno Hayes
MLB Barrett Ruud
SLB Quincy Black
LCB Aqib Talib
RCB Ronde Barber
FS Tanard Jackson
SS Sabby Piscitelli
MISSING IN ACTION
Here is a list of Tampa Bay players that were declared inactive for Sunday’s game:
QB Byron Leftwich (emergency QB)
WR Antonio Bryant
WR Yamon Figurs
FB Chris Pressely
G Shawn Murphy
OT James Lee
DE Dre Moore
CB Mike Mickens
BUCS IN-GAME INJURIES
Linebacker Niko Koutouvides was hurt covering a kickoff early in the second quarter. Free safety Will Allen went into the locker room with a trainer with 4:30 left before halftime with a thumb injury. After the game, Allen had his hand in a cast. Tanard Jackson was shaken up with 10:30 left in third quarter and was replaced by Corey Lynch before returning to action. Cornerback Aqib Talib was shaken up in the third quarter after his interception, but he returned on the next series.
KICKOFF CONDITIONS
The announced attendance for the Buccaneers vs. Packers game at Raymond James Stadium was 62,994, although it seemed as if there was about 10,000 no-shows. The kickoff temperature was 82 degrees under clear skies with 48 percent humidity.
UP NEXT
The Buccaneers (1-7) will travel south to play the Miami Dolphins (3-5) on November 15. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. and will be televised on Fox.
Comments
Sherm48
Yessss!
4:30pm, November 8, 2009
pewterpirate99
Glad to see and say I was soooooooooooooooo wrong about today's game! Josh Freeman looks really good and we might just have our franchise quarterback for many years to come.
Nice job D-line, great job!!! Six sacks, 2 ints., one for a touchdown......now that's the Buccaneer defense I'm use to seeing!
4:32pm, November 8, 2009
dschroeder
Let's hear it jongruden - he wasn't that good and we won in spite of him.
4:32pm, November 8, 2009
ir8toldman
I would say a retraction from one Bucfan47 is in order...
4:32pm, November 8, 2009
kysteve9
YYYYYYYeeeeeessssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4:32pm, November 8, 2009
acooke2
:-)
4:32pm, November 8, 2009
delanno25
WOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe the bucs won and they did it with the rookie!!!!!!!!!! I don't care how much crap people have been talking about coach Morris and the rookie. I love the bucs wether they're good or bad and I am proud to be a bucs fan today!!!!! Go Bucs!!!!!!
4:32pm, November 8, 2009
cremdonado
Nice Job Bucs ! -Great to see some pressure on a QB for a change..I had been saying Aaron was ripe for the pickin all week,glad to see him exposed...
Even Clayton made some catches...amazing..
Freeman-congrats on the first start and first win..
I'm shocked...what a game...
Even Clayton made some catches...amazing..
Freeman-congrats on the first start and first win..
I'm shocked...what a game...
4:38pm, November 8, 2009
c.mark
That was actually exciting... Impressed by Freeman's play, winning in the creamsicle uniforms, and seeing a more dominant defense.
Freeman does need to be more accurate (got lucky a few times), and our D-line while notching a few sacks also gave Rodgers all day. I think most of those sacks were coverage sacks. Boy have we missed T. Jack eh? Great job by Freeman though completing passes in high pressure, tough situations. 4th and 4? no problem.
Freeman does need to be more accurate (got lucky a few times), and our D-line while notching a few sacks also gave Rodgers all day. I think most of those sacks were coverage sacks. Boy have we missed T. Jack eh? Great job by Freeman though completing passes in high pressure, tough situations. 4th and 4? no problem.
4:41pm, November 8, 2009
erikmclamara
I squeeled like a little girl when Stroughter caught that TD.... Great team effort today. Long live the creamsickle!
4:41pm, November 8, 2009
heavye
Congrats Coach Raheem and the BUCCANEERS. The ice has been broken now. GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!
4:41pm, November 8, 2009
DLS5492
I am very impressed with JF. He showed some nice movement in the pocket in order to avoid the pass rush. This was a much needed victory.
K2 was spectaculer also!
Go Bucs!!!!!
K2 was spectaculer also!
Go Bucs!!!!!
4:43pm, November 8, 2009
pewterpirate99
Now I know it's only one start, but Josh looks a lot better than I thought he would. He has a hell of an arm and doesn't show the timidness or second guessing I thought a rookie quarterback would have. I am very impressed with Josh and how he handled himself out there.
4:44pm, November 8, 2009
TURK02
YEAH BOI! That was awesome!
4:45pm, November 8, 2009
heavye
Congrats Coach Raheem and the BUCCANEERS. The ice has been broken now. GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!
4:45pm, November 8, 2009
1bucfanjeff
bucfan47 and jongruden go F yourself.
Freeman wasn't excellent, but played damn well. Far better than the other 2 qb's on our roster. It's only one game, but you have to like the kid's poise.
Freeman wasn't excellent, but played damn well. Far better than the other 2 qb's on our roster. It's only one game, but you have to like the kid's poise.
4:46pm, November 8, 2009
richieny1988
Where is JON GRUDEN, i wanna see now what he gotta say...
just apologize for talkin shit about Freeman and leave
n btw suck a fat one Jon Gruden
just apologize for talkin shit about Freeman and leave
n btw suck a fat one Jon Gruden
4:49pm, November 8, 2009
Barack-007
bucfan47 and jongrunden find a hole and crawl into it
Great win for the team.
Go BUCS.
Great win for the team.
Go BUCS.
4:50pm, November 8, 2009
JDouble
Who wuddah thunk it!??!
Rookies first dtart....dreadful throwback uniforms....facing a good Greenbay team....Wow!
Freeman wasn't great, but he looked a hellavuh lot better than I expected. The defense looked great. Special teams did wonderful. What a great surprise! good bye 0-16!
Go Bucs!
Rookies first dtart....dreadful throwback uniforms....facing a good Greenbay team....Wow!
Freeman wasn't great, but he looked a hellavuh lot better than I expected. The defense looked great. Special teams did wonderful. What a great surprise! good bye 0-16!
Go Bucs!
4:50pm, November 8, 2009
pewterpirate99
LOL !!!!!! 1bucfanjeff,richieny1988 you guys are trip!! Go Bucs!!! I'm soooo glad to see that I was WRONG about this game and of what I thought Josh was going to look like.
4:55pm, November 8, 2009
gg72049
JDouble, I agree that Freeman wasn't great but looked pretty impressive for a first start in the NFL. The thing that I liked about him was when he left the pocket and started scrambling, he was still looking downfield for his receivers.
This team has enough talent on offense to play next year, but my God, please use every draft pick we have on D line and linebackers and a corner. The sacks seemed to be definitely coverage sacks and Ruud and Black were AWOL. After watching Nebraska Sat. nite, that guy Suh is a beast!!!!!!!!!!
This team has enough talent on offense to play next year, but my God, please use every draft pick we have on D line and linebackers and a corner. The sacks seemed to be definitely coverage sacks and Ruud and Black were AWOL. After watching Nebraska Sat. nite, that guy Suh is a beast!!!!!!!!!!
5:03pm, November 8, 2009
bucsmaniac
See ya later HATERS!
5:05pm, November 8, 2009
JDouble
What the hell was up with that safety they robbed us of? Was that not 100% a safety? Glad it didn't decide the game...it seemed like BS to me.
5:13pm, November 8, 2009
JDouble
No sacks for Freeman was also a very nice surprise.
5:15pm, November 8, 2009
ir8toldman
Thought he got sacked once, maybe wrong. The offensive line was pretty good today regardless...
5:20pm, November 8, 2009
jmcdanl
Yep. I was one of those that doubted Freeman as a Morris pick. I am not afraid to say that he looked pretty good and I hope he continues to improve. He earned the right to be respected and at least this bucs fan will be more patient.
Very Nice! My mood for this week has improved. What do ya think? 9 and 7? OK, that is a bit optimistic....
Very Nice! My mood for this week has improved. What do ya think? 9 and 7? OK, that is a bit optimistic....
5:22pm, November 8, 2009
dschroeder
It will take jongruden a few minutes until he can post as, apparently, he was at the game judging by this post:
"I will be at the game today and there is no way in hell they win this game." -- JonGruden (Bucs/Pack preview article)
"I will be at the game today and there is no way in hell they win this game." -- JonGruden (Bucs/Pack preview article)
5:22pm, November 8, 2009
jmcdanl
Oh, and good move bringing in Damar Dotson and leaving Roy Miller in longer!
5:23pm, November 8, 2009
jongruden
I am an idiot and I sincerely apologize.
5:23pm, November 8, 2009
WeAretheChamps2002
Let the fair-weatherness begin!
For the rational people- we saw a very young QB grow up during a game, let's see him continue to improve. It's one win under the belt, so let's see 5 play against a good Dolphins team.
For the non-rational people- It's called "Any Given Sunday" for a reason. For you to beat your chest and say 0-16 here we come when we had half a season left you obviously don't understand football for the game it is. After one win you're ready to jump ship, amazing.
For the rational people- we saw a very young QB grow up during a game, let's see him continue to improve. It's one win under the belt, so let's see 5 play against a good Dolphins team.
For the non-rational people- It's called "Any Given Sunday" for a reason. For you to beat your chest and say 0-16 here we come when we had half a season left you obviously don't understand football for the game it is. After one win you're ready to jump ship, amazing.
5:27pm, November 8, 2009
ir8toldman
Nice to hear jongruden, please be more supportive. This team needs all the positive fans it can get, but you have many good points in your comments. And they are not as long-winded as some others can be...
5:28pm, November 8, 2009
bucdiesel
After watching Greenbay lose last week I felt we had a chance in this game, atleast better than most of the others. The one thing I really enjoyed was Josh' poise. He didn't get rattled and didn't have happy feet. He showed alot of confidence and presence for his first start. Even after his miscues he came right back. I liked how he got away with what could have been an int but he was havin fun with the cb afterwards then turned right around and hit Hands of Stone with that big completion against the same cb. Even though the run game was suckin once again he did some really good things. He just needs to learn to put the wood on a tiny cb instead of sliding before the first down marker!
The defense got burned a little early and showed how soft they really are in the middle but made some great half time adjustments and really brought the hammer down. One td and 5 sacks after the half??? Not bad at all! Tanard did his thing and Mack made up for that big td he gave up. Special teams really did their thing!
So jongruden and bucfan47. Did Josh Freeman play as poorly as you expected or are you gonna say he was handed those short tds? I know he isn't the second coming just yet but to me he didn't do half bad!
Good job Josh Freeman on your first career start and win and most definitely congrats to my Bucs on their first win. The Rams still own the longest losing streak ! GO BUCS!!!!
The defense got burned a little early and showed how soft they really are in the middle but made some great half time adjustments and really brought the hammer down. One td and 5 sacks after the half??? Not bad at all! Tanard did his thing and Mack made up for that big td he gave up. Special teams really did their thing!
So jongruden and bucfan47. Did Josh Freeman play as poorly as you expected or are you gonna say he was handed those short tds? I know he isn't the second coming just yet but to me he didn't do half bad!
Good job Josh Freeman on your first career start and win and most definitely congrats to my Bucs on their first win. The Rams still own the longest losing streak ! GO BUCS!!!!
5:39pm, November 8, 2009
bucdiesel
Oh yeah! Did you all see Big Nasty want to hand the refs his binoculars after that totally bogus safety call??? The ball was behind the goal line when he got sacked!!! They really didn't want us to have a great day!
5:42pm, November 8, 2009
bucfan47
This was an absolutely huge win for the Bucs and I must say that was awesome. I didn't see this coming at all. The Packers have huge problems on the O-line and it was nice to see the Bucs somewhat take advantage.
Freeman played very well. Far from perfect, but good enough today. No the question, "What took so damn long Raheem?"
Jesus...maybe my guy John Lynch was right in the preseason when he said you play him now. Either way, it's a win, and I think it's going to be enough to save Raheem's job for another year. IMO that should have been the plan all along, and although the first half of the season was a disaster, maybe this last half will provide some spark and who knows, maybe a couple wins...The defense has got to pick it up as there's no way the offense continues to score 30+ points. I just can't see that...
But awesome win!!! Hell yes!
Freeman played very well. Far from perfect, but good enough today. No the question, "What took so damn long Raheem?"
Jesus...maybe my guy John Lynch was right in the preseason when he said you play him now. Either way, it's a win, and I think it's going to be enough to save Raheem's job for another year. IMO that should have been the plan all along, and although the first half of the season was a disaster, maybe this last half will provide some spark and who knows, maybe a couple wins...The defense has got to pick it up as there's no way the offense continues to score 30+ points. I just can't see that...
But awesome win!!! Hell yes!
5:49pm, November 8, 2009
1bucfanjeff
47, is that an admission that you were wrong? (Hint: Your answer goes a long way towards people's opinion of you.)
6:01pm, November 8, 2009
erikmclamara
I thought if Freeman won one game buc47 wasn't going to post anymore..... Wishful thinking, I guess!
6:09pm, November 8, 2009
Sackmaster97
I just came to Tampa to watch this game as my first one and i am so happy. My girlfriend couldn't understand how important it was to win this game until i lost my voice. Our D stepped up and Im a happy man. Now im sad cuz i have to fly back to Boston, MA and face the Cold.
P.S - You floridians have it good with this beautiful weather. I'll definitely be back to the Intercontinental Hotel and watch more bucs live!
P.S - You floridians have it good with this beautiful weather. I'll definitely be back to the Intercontinental Hotel and watch more bucs live!
6:12pm, November 8, 2009
pinkstob
BUCS WIN! BUCS WIN! Woooo Hooooo!
Rather than run bucfan47 and jongruden into the dirt (which I certainly think I have the right to do and they certainly deserve) I just want to thank those buc fans like JDouble, sunrisejeff, scudog and all other fans who found a way to keep it positive week in week out. Any given sunday, right fellas?
Go Bucs!!
Rather than run bucfan47 and jongruden into the dirt (which I certainly think I have the right to do and they certainly deserve) I just want to thank those buc fans like JDouble, sunrisejeff, scudog and all other fans who found a way to keep it positive week in week out. Any given sunday, right fellas?
Go Bucs!!
6:14pm, November 8, 2009
pinkstob
BTW, I think that's a fake post from jongruden above. From what I've gathered he would never apologize or claim he's an idiot. I think we'll all know the real jongruden nonsense when we hear it.
6:16pm, November 8, 2009
Dalid63
ATTENTION:
The Bucs did not win!!! 47 and jongruden told us they would get clobbered today and we all know thay are always right...
You have now entered the twilight zone! dododododododo
The Bucs did not win!!! 47 and jongruden told us they would get clobbered today and we all know thay are always right...
You have now entered the twilight zone! dododododododo
7:09pm, November 8, 2009
sebringt40
The streak is dead! Long live the streak!
Go Bucs!
Go Bucs!
7:28pm, November 8, 2009
rayperkins
Watched the game in nyc at a packers bar and never been so proud of the bucs (except vs philly in the nfc championship).
4-12 here we come!!!!
4-12 here we come!!!!
7:38pm, November 8, 2009
sunrisejeff
Great win for our Bucs!!! This is why the saying "Any given Sunday" rings so true in the NFL. JF looked very impressive out there today...the kid did not let the big stage get in his head too much out there. Thank you for the notice pinkstob and same goes to you. Let's keep seeing this progression grow week to week now boys! Go Bucs! Fire the Cannons!!!!
7:41pm, November 8, 2009
sunrisejeff
Grats goes out to Mr Selmon as well.....was damn proud to stand up and applaud him at halftime.
7:43pm, November 8, 2009
bucfan47
erikmclamara - I never said that, although I did say the team was on it's way to an 0-16 start. Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. The team has won a game, not multiple.
I was just worried about them winning a game, and obviously everyone else was too, hence why it's such a relief to have the win out of the way. There was some seroius doubt as to if it was going to happen.
1bucjeff - If you want me to admit I was wrong, wrong about what? The outcome? Sure, I'll be the first to admit I did not see them winning the game. Neither did PR, as they predicted a Bucs loss, just a closer game than myself.
I didn't think it would be close, but the guys played hard and Green Bay didn't show up on defense. Shame on them. Great game by Freeman.
And by the way, if you're wanting me to admit I was wrong about Freeman, I'm not wrong about Freeman. I've never said Freeman would succeed or fail. This one game doesn't go a long way in determining that, but it's a great start for Freeman.
With that said, I'm willing to look past the multiple miscues he made during the game b/c we won. However, if we miss on that 4th down conversion and lose then all of those misapts would be written in the articles by PR.
We won by the skin our our teeth here, so let's not get ahead of ourselves, but a win is a win and I'll take it..I was just worried about winning a game. Thank goodness we've now got that out of the way. Hopefully they can win a couple more and avoid the top 5 in the draft.
I was just worried about them winning a game, and obviously everyone else was too, hence why it's such a relief to have the win out of the way. There was some seroius doubt as to if it was going to happen.
1bucjeff - If you want me to admit I was wrong, wrong about what? The outcome? Sure, I'll be the first to admit I did not see them winning the game. Neither did PR, as they predicted a Bucs loss, just a closer game than myself.
I didn't think it would be close, but the guys played hard and Green Bay didn't show up on defense. Shame on them. Great game by Freeman.
And by the way, if you're wanting me to admit I was wrong about Freeman, I'm not wrong about Freeman. I've never said Freeman would succeed or fail. This one game doesn't go a long way in determining that, but it's a great start for Freeman.
With that said, I'm willing to look past the multiple miscues he made during the game b/c we won. However, if we miss on that 4th down conversion and lose then all of those misapts would be written in the articles by PR.
We won by the skin our our teeth here, so let's not get ahead of ourselves, but a win is a win and I'll take it..I was just worried about winning a game. Thank goodness we've now got that out of the way. Hopefully they can win a couple more and avoid the top 5 in the draft.
7:50pm, November 8, 2009
mobuc
Amen Pinkstop! I totally agree with you.
8:05pm, November 8, 2009
mobuc
Sorry, I mean pinkstob!
8:06pm, November 8, 2009
lprock22
...and in this moment I am happy.
I'm loving this so much right now as I can see everyone else is as well. Like BF47 its definatley a relief to get that W and get off the sneid.
I saw a team that played hard and took advantage of some of the opportunities they were given when they had to....they also got some of those 'lucky' bounce your way plays which happens in the NFL. Yes any given sunday any team can win and this was our sunday. I'm so happy to be able to watch some highlights and be proud of what I am seeing, they actually looked like a professional football team today. i was one of the people saying that I thought 0-16 was VERY possible and I am GLAD that I was wrong. That's all I've wanted all season was for them to prove me wrong...and on this day they did.
I'm also one of the Freeman skeptics. What I saw today was a QB who defintaley comes as advertised...big, strong arm but also inaccurate. He played within himself and didn't try to do to much and took advantage of some oppotunities that were given to him. Cheers to Josh. I'm not a fan yet but I am rooting for him and hope that this is indicative of what he is capable of and was a performance that he can build on.
That being said lets soak this one up, as fans we NEEDED this type of lift so badly. We do however need to remember that this is still a team with a young QB and a coach who all have major work yet to be done for this type of performance to become common place again. I think most of us realize that, I just don'twant everyone getting their hopes up so high that we all crash hard into a pit of despair deeper than the one we were in before. But who knows, maybe this is the turning point...maybe its not, time will tell. All i can say is that I'm happy about today and I'm glad everyone else is to. Go Bucs!
I'm loving this so much right now as I can see everyone else is as well. Like BF47 its definatley a relief to get that W and get off the sneid.
I saw a team that played hard and took advantage of some of the opportunities they were given when they had to....they also got some of those 'lucky' bounce your way plays which happens in the NFL. Yes any given sunday any team can win and this was our sunday. I'm so happy to be able to watch some highlights and be proud of what I am seeing, they actually looked like a professional football team today. i was one of the people saying that I thought 0-16 was VERY possible and I am GLAD that I was wrong. That's all I've wanted all season was for them to prove me wrong...and on this day they did.
I'm also one of the Freeman skeptics. What I saw today was a QB who defintaley comes as advertised...big, strong arm but also inaccurate. He played within himself and didn't try to do to much and took advantage of some oppotunities that were given to him. Cheers to Josh. I'm not a fan yet but I am rooting for him and hope that this is indicative of what he is capable of and was a performance that he can build on.
That being said lets soak this one up, as fans we NEEDED this type of lift so badly. We do however need to remember that this is still a team with a young QB and a coach who all have major work yet to be done for this type of performance to become common place again. I think most of us realize that, I just don'twant everyone getting their hopes up so high that we all crash hard into a pit of despair deeper than the one we were in before. But who knows, maybe this is the turning point...maybe its not, time will tell. All i can say is that I'm happy about today and I'm glad everyone else is to. Go Bucs!
8:12pm, November 8, 2009
bakerboys
Great game josh, very few gave you any chance before they even saw you play.
8:17pm, November 8, 2009
G-BUC
Congrats to mr selmon on the ring of honor & the other old shool players. Congrats for our frist team win of the year,they played thier hearts out there.Awsome start 4 you freeman didnt do to much just played it how it came, keep working hard like you have i see a great future ahead 4 our team & you but its gonna take a lot of hard work.Im also gonna enjoy watching sports center...BUC FAN 4 LIFE no matter what...GO BUCS.!!!!!beat them fins in miami!!!!
8:18pm, November 8, 2009
tdesbien31
avoid the top 5 picks? i love winning, but i also know realistically we need to add a BIGTIME playmaker on our defense, and that starts with either Eric Berry or Suh, we need either of these too studs. i dont thing we can snag either if we fall out of the top 5 picks
8:25pm, November 8, 2009
kysteve9
I'm so happy!!!!!!! I'll be in Tampa in 2 weeks I just found out!!!!! Got to have some tickets.
Great come from behind, never say die, WIN!!!!!!!! Good job Freeman, I am impressed with your poise in this one.
GOOD JOB Peanut!!!!!! Just when we needed a lift you came through!!!!!!!
Nice Rhonde, Great job to everyone !!!!!!!!
Hope to see you in person again at RJ in two weeks.
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great come from behind, never say die, WIN!!!!!!!! Good job Freeman, I am impressed with your poise in this one.
GOOD JOB Peanut!!!!!! Just when we needed a lift you came through!!!!!!!
Nice Rhonde, Great job to everyone !!!!!!!!
Hope to see you in person again at RJ in two weeks.
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8:33pm, November 8, 2009
martinii
Good Job Rah and Bucs. First win!!!!! all around. I saw some good things today. This team may have lost some games, may not have all the pieces to go to play-offs, and may have some players who are mailing it in (AB). However for a team and coach who have taken a huge amount of criticism, I saw a lot of heart and a team that is rebuilding and determined to get better. I am proud to be a Buc fan. Go Bucs
8:39pm, November 8, 2009
nikon
Bucfan47 you never said Freeman would succeed or fail?
Here are some direct quotes from one of your recent posts.
"The team has no chance at winning a single game with either Johnson or Freeman as it's starting QB"
"Maybe Leftwich doesn't get us a win, but he's sure as hell alot closer to getting this team a win than these two other jokers."
"This team is not competitive, and it's unbelievable to me that some fans are still posting about this team having a chance at winning a game with Freeman or Johnson under center."
If I wanted to look more than 30 seconds at your absurd posts I am sure I could find countless examples of how you had already thrown Freeman under the bus.
Do yourself a favor, don't lie about things that are so easy to factcheck
Here are some direct quotes from one of your recent posts.
"The team has no chance at winning a single game with either Johnson or Freeman as it's starting QB"
"Maybe Leftwich doesn't get us a win, but he's sure as hell alot closer to getting this team a win than these two other jokers."
"This team is not competitive, and it's unbelievable to me that some fans are still posting about this team having a chance at winning a game with Freeman or Johnson under center."
If I wanted to look more than 30 seconds at your absurd posts I am sure I could find countless examples of how you had already thrown Freeman under the bus.
Do yourself a favor, don't lie about things that are so easy to factcheck
8:59pm, November 8, 2009
bucsmaniac
LOL...just be a bit more positive guys and you wont have to back peddle so much!!! GO BUCS!!
9:44pm, November 8, 2009
bucwild22
I am drunk off the red and pewter kool-aid right now!!! I was a big proponent of drafting Freeman, mainly because you cannot win in this league without a franchise QB, and I did not like any of the "system" QB's coming out in this years draft. In his first NFL start, even the most bias observer (aka Bucfan47) would have to admit that he looked really good for a rookie. Now I'm now ready to anoint the next coming of John Elway, but I do believe when it's all said and done he will be the best QB in the 2009 draft. Bucfan 47 I read your message, and it seems to me that you would much rather be right about your views about the Bucs and they lose, rather that be wrong about your views, and the Bucs win. Part of being a fan, is to be critical of your team I understand that, but also you've have to be optimistic, sometimes dude, you need to just drink the kool-aid!!!
9:46pm, November 8, 2009
lprock22
I took my first shot of kool-aid today and I have to admit that its taste is intriguing however I'm not ready for a pint just yet. Its one game and there's much more work to be done.
10:09pm, November 8, 2009
FilmBuc
Nothing to comment on about this article.
The Bucs did all the talking that was need today.
The Bucs did all the talking that was need today.
10:16pm, November 8, 2009
PanthersSuck!
Thank you Bucs!
10:22pm, November 8, 2009
rcpadrick
To all those who have been screaming "Freeman isn't ready" or "Freeman was a mistake" (I'm looking at you, bucfan47), I say simply: How does my ass taste!?!? (as quoted from Shaq)
I've been saying from the start (as have a few others) Freeman should start. I hope he shut up all you idiots out there who thought he was a "bust."
It's one game, yes; but a hell of a game when we needed it most.
I've been saying from the start (as have a few others) Freeman should start. I hope he shut up all you idiots out there who thought he was a "bust."
It's one game, yes; but a hell of a game when we needed it most.
10:32pm, November 8, 2009
tpeluso
I'm sure Morris was joking re: his comment about wearing the creamsicles again, but if he was being serious, there *is* one other game on the schedule that Bucco Bruce should be broken out for, and that's the road game at Seattle (who came into the league the same year we did).
As far as the game is concerned, I feel more relief than anything. No more talk of 0-16, no saying that there's no hope for us. I still don't agree with the moves that have been made starting with Gruden's firing, but I can still hope things will work out for us down the road. Now, Miami is reeling - let's go cross-state and make it two in a row!
As far as the game is concerned, I feel more relief than anything. No more talk of 0-16, no saying that there's no hope for us. I still don't agree with the moves that have been made starting with Gruden's firing, but I can still hope things will work out for us down the road. Now, Miami is reeling - let's go cross-state and make it two in a row!
11:02pm, November 8, 2009
Winslowx82
Freeeeeman!
12:12am, November 9, 2009
Winslowx82
Freeeeeman!
12:13am, November 9, 2009
Barack-007
Great win for a very young team. Freeman played amazing well for his first start. The team also rallied around him, great effort, and great team hustle to get this win. This could be the best draft class we have had in while. Freeman made a couple mistakes, but seemed to get better as the game progressed. He really impressed me in 4th quarter, with no running game he made some clutch throws in red zone when he had to.
Congrates on your first win Raheem.
GO BUCS
Congrates on your first win Raheem.
GO BUCS
12:28am, November 9, 2009
tatmanfish
nikon busts out the facts!
freeman has always seemed like a "pressure player" to me. the way he carries himself with that aw shucks attitude, but has tons of confidence. seeing him come on when the pressure was on was sweet. he just looked at home in the redzone today as well. keep it up freeman, good win today.
freeman has always seemed like a "pressure player" to me. the way he carries himself with that aw shucks attitude, but has tons of confidence. seeing him come on when the pressure was on was sweet. he just looked at home in the redzone today as well. keep it up freeman, good win today.
12:45am, November 9, 2009
pkeyes73
NIKON,
Awesome post my friend, 47 your busted buddy. I don't blame you though, I too have been pissed all season regarding the state of this franchise.
I still think Raheem is an idiot and quite possibly the worst coach in the history of football. 3rd and 1 and he throws an out pattern with a 6-6 250 pound qb??? Not to mention our owners have run the team into the ground. They need to admit their financial problems and sell the team to the outback boys!! The sooner they are out of the picture the better. I work at NATO with a bunch of Brits and everyone in England hates the Glazers for what they have done with Man U. It is literally the same exact thing they have done with the Bucs. They sold their best player for 80 million and did nothing with the money to improve the team, other then raise ticket costs!!! Sound familiar anyone???
Props go out to Freeman, he made his fair share of mistakes, but he was very poised and made some great throws on the run. I was amazed at this kids pocket presence, he always looked downfield to make a play, before running with the ball. That is the major difference between him and Johnson, he tries to make plays with his arm, over his feet.
Some times it's better to be lucky than good, all the balls bounced are way this week. I just hope the team can take this win and use it as motivation to beat Miami this week.
Awesome post my friend, 47 your busted buddy. I don't blame you though, I too have been pissed all season regarding the state of this franchise.
I still think Raheem is an idiot and quite possibly the worst coach in the history of football. 3rd and 1 and he throws an out pattern with a 6-6 250 pound qb??? Not to mention our owners have run the team into the ground. They need to admit their financial problems and sell the team to the outback boys!! The sooner they are out of the picture the better. I work at NATO with a bunch of Brits and everyone in England hates the Glazers for what they have done with Man U. It is literally the same exact thing they have done with the Bucs. They sold their best player for 80 million and did nothing with the money to improve the team, other then raise ticket costs!!! Sound familiar anyone???
Props go out to Freeman, he made his fair share of mistakes, but he was very poised and made some great throws on the run. I was amazed at this kids pocket presence, he always looked downfield to make a play, before running with the ball. That is the major difference between him and Johnson, he tries to make plays with his arm, over his feet.
Some times it's better to be lucky than good, all the balls bounced are way this week. I just hope the team can take this win and use it as motivation to beat Miami this week.
5:45am, November 9, 2009
Warthog
I saw something yesterday that gave me even more hope than Freeman's solid first start.
I saw 53 men grind it out for a full sixty mintes and give 110% in order to get a win. A win that most observers thought they couldn't get. A win they deserved because even though they were outgunned in the talent stakes, they had the edge in plain old guts.
Guts can go a long way in the NFL.
Congratulations to Freeman for manning up and doing what needed to be done to get the win. He was not spectacular but he was a thousand times better than I expected him to be.
Congratulations to Raheem and Dominik - you've guaranteed yourselves at least another season at the helm, especially if Freeman can pay at a decent level for the rest of the season.
And finally, congratulations to all you Bucs fans, for standing by your team and making some noise at RayJay yesterday. I can't speak for you all, but for my part, this one win felt better than any I can remember in recent years.
I saw 53 men grind it out for a full sixty mintes and give 110% in order to get a win. A win that most observers thought they couldn't get. A win they deserved because even though they were outgunned in the talent stakes, they had the edge in plain old guts.
Guts can go a long way in the NFL.
Congratulations to Freeman for manning up and doing what needed to be done to get the win. He was not spectacular but he was a thousand times better than I expected him to be.
Congratulations to Raheem and Dominik - you've guaranteed yourselves at least another season at the helm, especially if Freeman can pay at a decent level for the rest of the season.
And finally, congratulations to all you Bucs fans, for standing by your team and making some noise at RayJay yesterday. I can't speak for you all, but for my part, this one win felt better than any I can remember in recent years.
5:46am, November 9, 2009
george
Wow... Nice win... at least we won't go 0-16...
Still it was one game, I like to see what this kid can do after a few games and then I'll be convinced... that way we definately know what to do with our first pick next year... Is he our franchise qb or not.. I'm sorry for keeping it real... Yeah he won a game but still be smart about things and let's see what he can do. Best of luck Freeman... show us the way... Make us all a believer... Sorry, I'm not yet... I've never been a bandwagoner..
Still it was one game, I like to see what this kid can do after a few games and then I'll be convinced... that way we definately know what to do with our first pick next year... Is he our franchise qb or not.. I'm sorry for keeping it real... Yeah he won a game but still be smart about things and let's see what he can do. Best of luck Freeman... show us the way... Make us all a believer... Sorry, I'm not yet... I've never been a bandwagoner..
7:48am, November 9, 2009
legion3
Freeman and Winslow drove together to the game. I was eating at the "offical" tailgate and the players arrive through it. ( I was entertaining my two packer friends) Winslow has a nice Hummer. Winslow was ginning from ear to ear as he made his way into the stadium. Freeman signed many autographs but looked serious but composed. Clearly he hides his nerves.
Best game I have attended in years. And Packer fans do not travel as well as Dallas and Giant fans, plenty of empty seats. But the weather, the stadium all done over retro and the old uniforms made it a super special day!
BTW the all you can eat official buffet is not really worth $29.95 but seeing the players arrive was kind of cool. But you can do that for free by just standing outside.
Best game I have attended in years. And Packer fans do not travel as well as Dallas and Giant fans, plenty of empty seats. But the weather, the stadium all done over retro and the old uniforms made it a super special day!
BTW the all you can eat official buffet is not really worth $29.95 but seeing the players arrive was kind of cool. But you can do that for free by just standing outside.
8:45am, November 9, 2009
bucfan47
Guys, go pull my posts, say whatever, I'm standing put and my opinion has not changed. Most of you fans on here act like Freeman threw for 400 yards and 5 TD's, and single handedly won us the game. Look, he played a fantastic game for a rookie, but let's be honest here, he got all kinds of play from both sides of the ball.
The defense made all kinds of plays in this one. Yes, they allowed alot of points like always, but they made some plays and sacks in the second half that limited the Packers from scoring in the 40's like I assumed they would. The blocked punt for a TD, the special teams play, the pick six, look again, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Maybe the other QB's on the roster don't win that game yesterday, but I'm convinced they would have had a shot. The team played that good. It marks the first time all season that all three phases have played good on the same day, and let's see if it continues before we put them in the 9-7 category.
My guess is it won't, but we can take some positives away from this game b/c make no mistake, Freeman played well. I really like how he managed the game, didn't force too many balls, and didn't take any sacks. He played well.
I never doomed Freeman a failure from day 1. I've never said that, although I've questioned how many games any rookie QB can win with this team. I'm not convinced this team is any good, but I will take my hat off and say they all played very hard yesterday.
The defense made all kinds of plays in this one. Yes, they allowed alot of points like always, but they made some plays and sacks in the second half that limited the Packers from scoring in the 40's like I assumed they would. The blocked punt for a TD, the special teams play, the pick six, look again, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Maybe the other QB's on the roster don't win that game yesterday, but I'm convinced they would have had a shot. The team played that good. It marks the first time all season that all three phases have played good on the same day, and let's see if it continues before we put them in the 9-7 category.
My guess is it won't, but we can take some positives away from this game b/c make no mistake, Freeman played well. I really like how he managed the game, didn't force too many balls, and didn't take any sacks. He played well.
I never doomed Freeman a failure from day 1. I've never said that, although I've questioned how many games any rookie QB can win with this team. I'm not convinced this team is any good, but I will take my hat off and say they all played very hard yesterday.
9:55am, November 9, 2009
JDouble
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m135/outside01/desktopBucs.jpg
11:21am, November 9, 2009
trapper
Great Win !!!!!! Nice to see Jongruden stand up and admit he was wrong ......kudo's.....Bucfan47 just shut the f%ck up for one day.............. Biggest Ass on here............
GO BUCS !!!!! GO FREEMAN !!!!!! GO RAHEEM !!!!!!!
GO BUCS !!!!! GO FREEMAN !!!!!! GO RAHEEM !!!!!!!
1:58pm, November 9, 2009
buccup56
For all of you Who Doubted this KID! EAT SH!T and DIE SLOW. FREEMAN LOOKS PRETTY DAMN GOOD SO CHOKE on HIS 3 TDs
206 yds as a ROOKIE you TURN COATS BASTARDS.
Man I am so glad we got this KID Steal of the DRAFT . I never doubted this kid for one momment. I love that he's out to prove you @ssholes who doubted him wrong stay off the band wagon we dont need you, and as for Dilfer Sick it this kid is the real deal and he's ten times better then you will ever be.......
206 yds as a ROOKIE you TURN COATS BASTARDS.
Man I am so glad we got this KID Steal of the DRAFT . I never doubted this kid for one momment. I love that he's out to prove you @ssholes who doubted him wrong stay off the band wagon we dont need you, and as for Dilfer Sick it this kid is the real deal and he's ten times better then you will ever be.......
3:01pm, November 9, 2009
george
buccup56... What is wrong with you? It's been one game... relax! As much as I want to say "Yeah! Freeman is awesome, Freeman is the greatest, Freeman is the man!" It's been one freaking game... I want the kid to prevail but one game doesn't tell me that he is a steal! Sammie Slaughter is a steal, a first round qb making that kind of money better be able to win a game, but to label him a steal. You sir are a bandwagoner and have no idea what football is about...
I mean no disrepect to Freeman, but he himself would say it was a team effort and geno hays block punt was a great turning point w/ Rhonde's return... Clifton Smith K/O return was pivotal in our comeback, elbert mack interception was key in setting up another touchdown... I like professionalism and you buccup56 are a fine example of poor taste and idiocracy at it's finest.
Go bucs!
Best of luck!
I mean no disrepect to Freeman, but he himself would say it was a team effort and geno hays block punt was a great turning point w/ Rhonde's return... Clifton Smith K/O return was pivotal in our comeback, elbert mack interception was key in setting up another touchdown... I like professionalism and you buccup56 are a fine example of poor taste and idiocracy at it's finest.
Go bucs!
Best of luck!
3:40pm, November 9, 2009
pewterpirate99
Damn george, couldn't of put it better myself. Completely solid and on point. GO BUCS!!!!!!!
5:24pm, November 9, 2009
seat26
That guy looked so cool under pressure!!
I did not see a kid jumpy in the pocket. I like that he can run too. Did anyone else notice that he seemed to bring the entire teams performance up a notch ?
Morris's future in Tampa just improved dramatically.
I did not see a kid jumpy in the pocket. I like that he can run too. Did anyone else notice that he seemed to bring the entire teams performance up a notch ?
Morris's future in Tampa just improved dramatically.
8:34am, November 10, 2009
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