Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman may not be getting the results or posting the numbers that fans would like to see from him so far this season. Through four games, Freeman has tossed five touchdowns, four interceptions, and has thrown for 790 yards with a QB rating of 75.3.

Even though the numbers may not be where offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan would like them to be, he is pleased with the hard work ethic that his quarterback brings each day.

According to Sullivan, it will take time to figure out exactly what works and what does not work for his young quarterback.

“It is an ongoing process,” Sullivan said. “I think there are things that we are clear that are easier for him than others. There are things that I think he feels comfortable with. He does have a great - not just an ability that we have seen as far as throwing the deep ball and being able to move in the pocket and so forth - but the work ethic. That is something that goes on behind the scenes.

“[I’ve] Been very pleased. This guy is working his tail off I promise you that. Early, late, taking great notes [and] really immersing himself on making sure he can develop a mastery of what we want within this scheme and within this system. Then, oh by the way there is an opponent you got to get ready for and some of the complicated looks and some of the things that occur. I think he has the work ethic. He has the drive. He is committed. He has got toughness—a mental toughness. I think that has been evident.”

Freeman’s mental toughness is one of the skills that Sullivan praised when he met with the media for his weekly press conference.

“Again, while the results are not what we wanted and we are not satisfied,” Sullivan said, “but his commitment to fighting through it all and come out swinging, last week and a couple weeks earlier when we are down against the world champions at their place, he has that mental toughness and he has got the talent. I think now it is just a matter of continuing to grow. It is an ongoing process.

“[We’re] Never satisfied with where we are at. Wish we could speed certain things up, but I think it is ongoing. This bye week has been good to kind of get back down to some of the basics in us as a staff [to] really zero in on the things that have been successful and try to assess why and the things that weren’t successful and why not.”

Coach Sullivan credits Freeman’s competitive nature and leadership ability with helping the quarterback bounce back in the second half of last week’s loss to the Washington Redskins; Freeman through for 211 yards in the second half Sunday as opposed to just 88 yards in the first.

“I think the resilience [and] the mental toughness - that competitiveness,” Sullivan said, “I mean, listen, rocky start to the game. In certain cases I think we started off well and then got in that low with a couple three and outs [and] the interception. Then certainly coming off the performance in Dallas the guy had every opportunity to pitch tent, but that was not going to happen. He is competitor and he had a confidence and a resolve about him on the sideline. [He] was just determined to ‘hey I am not going to sit there and sit back and allow this thing to continue. I am going to do everything I can. You know doing my job [and] focusing on my responsibilities and then as the leader of this offense.’

“I think while the result, the outcome, was not what we wanted; there are no moral victories [or] moral celebrations by any stretch. But certainly we are pleased with his leadership and his ability to compete and withstand the setbacks, the adversities, the boos and come out swinging. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the job done, but I think if we can continue to build upon that level of competitiveness and not just from Josh (Freeman) but all the players in the offense and everyone on the team. It is hard to coach that toughness—that resolve. That is something that is a credit to these players and their ability to buy in and [while] we don’t have the results to show for it yet, it is a long season. We are looking forward to getting back at it.”

With the Buccaneers having a bye week this week, it will help the team to analyze where they are now and where they need to be in the future.  Even though Freeman may not be as versatile in the pocket as some other quarterbacks, Sullivan does believe that his quarterback is valuable and that he can do great things.

“I think that there is a lot that—an added dimension that he brings that maybe some other guys in the system cannot bring.” Sullivan said.  “I think we are focusing on the things that he does bring to the table and there is certainly arm strength and ability to be accurate with the deep ball and be able to have some of the mobility and those things that we have to focus in those areas and then build upon them. Do what we can as coaches to put him in the best situation to be successful and give him the type of opportunities that he is going to thrive in. So that’s the challenge and that’s why this week has been a good one. No one is really thrilled with having an early bye week, [but] it does give us a chance in this first quarter to kind of access where we are at and how can we be more functional and more effective moving forward.”

Freeman is not limited in his ability to adjust calls while on the field and it is important that the coaches know his strengths.

“Well, without getting into too many of the specifics, there is a great deal that he has the freedom or the latitude to adjust calls,” Sullivan said. “That’s within the system both in terms of setting protections or some of the things where we may go from a run to another run or a direct run or go from a pass to a run or from a pass to another pass, etc. When we game plan and take a look at the opponent and try to pinpoint where those advantages are going to be for us, I don’t care who your quarterback is and how long you have been in the system, you can’t have a million of them. That’s asking too much of anybody. That is a significant part of what we do and [I] am pleased with how he has been receptive to that. We just have to make sure we are really zeroed in on him being the most efficient and the most effective in those types of checks that we want to have him do.”

Just 24 years old, Freeman is now on his third offensive coordinator. He has lost 20 pounds this offseason, spends his days off at One Buc Place watching film, and has been described by team mates as the “first to arrive and last to leave.”

No one wants the Bucs’ QB to improve more than player himself; but it isn’t for stats or accolades - Freeman wants to lead his team to victory. With hard work, dedication, and faith from his offensive coordinator, Freeman is hoping to do just that.