Forget the bad game—Freeman has the goods It was about the best five-interception game one will ever see out of an NFL starting quarterback. Buccaneers rookie Josh Freeman made some big-time throws and relentlessly drove his team downfield in a tough 16-6 loss. But, then, there were those five passes that landed in the hands of Panthers defenders. All of Freeman’s interceptions came deep in enemy territory— at the 18-, 8- and 3-yard lines and twice in the end zone. With a couple of years of seasoning, he might have had five touchdowns instead of five picks. Outside of those plays, he had solid numbers: 23 completions for 321 yards. Although it’s frustrating to think what might have been on Sunday afternoon, his Buccaneers teammates are looking at the big picture. “The talent level is there, and we all know the type of player that Josh is and will be when he comes through,” Earnest Graham said of the growing pains that have come with Freeman’s first run through the NFL. “We are all here to go through those things with him.” Freeman definitely looked like a rookie when making those mistakes, but he displayed equal parts promise. Most impressive, he showed off a strong arm on deep sideline throws to top wide receiver Antonio Bryant. He also was calm in the face of a strong Panthers pass rush, using his mobility to buy time and get some key chunks of yardage. Even though they took advantage of Freeman’s tendency to force the ball over the middle and lock on too much to Bryant and tight end Kellen Winslow, the Panthers’ defensive backs were left impressed with Freeman’s performance outside the red zone. “He reminds me of Daunte Culpepper,” said Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble, who made the final interception. “He has a great arm, he can throw on the run, and he can scramble to make plays.” At 6-6, 248, Freeman is strong and athletic enough to cause major problems for defenses. Because of his ability to keep plays alive, cornerbacks have to stay with their receivers longer. And because of his ability to run past and through smaller defenders, defenses have to use a safety or a linebacker in a “spy” role. At this point in his career, however, Freeman clearly has too much faith in his big arm. Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris saw his young passer force some passes, something that haunted him in the tighter space inside the red zone. “That’s just the confidence the kid has in his arm,” Morris said. “He’ll get better. He’ll make better decisions in some of those situations.” Freeman has already acquired one important trait of veteran passers—a short memory. “I’ll be over it by tomorrow afternoon,” Freeman said of the worst game of his rookie year. “It’s not something I’ll get down about.” As long as he keeps his head up, there’s no limit to how high he can raise his game. Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News Daily December 2009