23-year old QB Josh Freeman took a big step back in 2011.  The Bucs were only 4-11 (26.7%) when Freeman started at QB in 2011.  He played in 15 games (all starts) for the Buccaneers last year and he completed 346 of 551 passes (62.8%) for 3,592 yards with 16 TD passes and 22 INTs (74.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 55 times for 238 yards (4.3 ypc) with 4 TD runs last year.  Freeman has now played in 41 games (40 starts) in his first three years with the Bucs and he has completed 795 of 1,315 passes (60.5%) for 8,898 yards with 51 TD passes and 46 INTs (79.0 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 153 times for 763 yards (5.0 ypc) with 4 TD runs so far in his NFL career.  The Bucs are now 17-23 (42.5%) in games started by Josh Freeman.

25-year old Josh Johnson lost his only start this year for the Bucs.  He played in 9 games (1 start) for the Buccaneers last year and he completed 19 of 36 passes (52.8%) for 246 yards with 1 TD pass and 2 INTs (60.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 11 times for 67 yards (6.1 ypc) last year.  Johnson has now played in 26 games (5 starts) in his NFL career so far and he has completed 96 of 177 passes (54.2%) for 1,042 yards with 5 TD passes and 10 INTs (57.7 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 37 times for 254 yards (6.9 ypc) in his NFL career.  Johnson is 0-5 as a starting QB in his NFL career.

23-year old QB Josh Freeman’s shoulder is barking right now and the Buccaneers should consider resting him to keep him healthy.  I don’t think that will happen this weekend as the Buccaneers have a sold out game (their second of the year) against the Cowboys this Saturday.  But, the Buccaneers’ last two games are on the road against the Panthers and Falcons.  That is where the Bucs might make the right decision to sit down Freeman if his shoulder is still hurting him.  Freeman hasn’t looked right at all this year for the Bucs.  He has played in 12 games for the Buccaneers so far this year and he has completed 270 of 441 passes (61.2%) for 2,896 yards with 12 TD passes and 18 INTs (72.5 QB Rating).  Freeman has also carried the ball 42 times for 183 yards (4.4 ypc) with 3 TD runs so far this year.  25-year old Josh Johnson will likely get some action at QB in the last three weeks.  He has played in 8 games for the Bucs so far this year and he has completed 19 of 36 passes (52.8%) for 246 yards with 1 TD pass and 2 INTs (60.6 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 10 times for 62 yards (6.2 ypc) so far this year.

The Buccaneers need 22-year old DT Brian Price to step up.  Head coach Raheem Morris sent Brian Price home last weekend during the game after he got a personal foul that gave the Panthers a first down!  Price has played in 12 games for the Bucs this year and he has 22 tackles, 6 tackles for a loss and 3 sacks.  He has now played in 17 games in his first two years with the Buccaneers and he has 23 tackles, 3 sacks and 6 tackles for a loss.  The Buccaneers need him to step up or sit down.

Last season, 23-year old QB Josh Freeman had a 95.9 QB Rating as he had 25 TD passes and only six interceptions!  Many thought that Freeman was going to be a rising star, and he still might be, but he has played pretty poor so far this year.  Freeman has played in 10 games for the Buccaneers so far this year and he has completed 236 of 378 passes (62.4%) for 2,516 yards with 11 TD passes and 15 INTs (75.0 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 35 times for 147 yards (4.2 ypc) with 2 TD runs so far this year.  There have been whispers around Tampa that Freeman is having thumb problems again, but he played well early last year with the same problem, so I’m not buying that excuse.  The Bucs need Freeman to step up.

35-year old Raheem Morris is the youngest NFL head coach, by far.  He looked overmatched as a rookie head coach in 2009, when the Bucs were 3-13.  He rallied the troops last year to finish with a 10-6 record against a very soft schedule.  This year the Bucs are sitting at 4-4, which is more representative of the team they actually have.  The Buccaneers are 17-23 (42.5%) under Morris, who is improving as a head coach as he has a roster full of holes….especially defensively.  The Buccaneers are giving up 398.9 yards per game so far this year and that is flat out awful.  The Buccaneers should start running the ball a little more with LeGarrette Blount in an effort to control the ball and keep the defense off the field.  It will be interesting to see if Morris is smart enough to do that.

The Buccaneers will likely give 26-year old DT Frank Okam a chance to start in the place of Gerald McCoy.  Okam has played in six games for he Bucs so far this year and he has 10 tackles.  Okam has now played in 9 games in his first two years with the Bucs and he has 22 tackles, 1 fumble recovery and 2 tackles for a loss.  It will be interesting to see if Okam takes full advantage of the chance he’s about to get.

The Buccaneers need more out of the return game.  WR Preston Parker has been the main man in the return game for the Buccaneers so far this year.  He has returned 13 kickoffs for 262 yards (20.2 avg) and he has also returned 13 punts for 105 yards (8.1 avg) in 2011.  WR Sammie Stroughter has been injured most of this year, but he did return 1 punt for 78 yards for the Bucs.  WR Michael Spurlock has returned 1 kickoff (21 yards) and 1 punt (-2 yards) this year and Tim Crowder has returned 1 kickoff for 0 yards.  The Buccaneers have returned 16 kickoffs for 361 yards (22.6 avg) and 14 punts for 103 yards (7.4 avg) so far this year.  They need the special teams to start giving the offense better starting position going forward this year.

The Buccaneers have lost 31-year old RB Earnest Graham for the rest of the season as he tore his Achilles tendon yesterday.  Graham played in 7 games for the Bucs this year and he carried the ball 37 times for 206 yards (5.6 ypc).  He also caught 26 passes for 163 yards (6.3 avg) in 2011.  If LeGarrette Blount isn’t ready to return after the bye week, 27-year old Kregg Lumpkin will likely be the featured back in the Bucs’ offense.  Lumpkin has played in 7 games for the Buccaneers so far this year and he has 12 carries for 35 yards (2.9 avg).  He has also caught 12 passes for 79 yards (6.6 avg) so far this year.  The Bucs are probably praying for Blount to be ready to go against the Saints after the bye week.

23-year old QB Josh Freeman was incredible for the Bucs last season as they led their unlikely rise from a 3-13 team in 2009 to a 10-6 team in 2010.  But he has regressed big time so far this year for the Buccaneers.  Freeman has played in 5 games for the Buccaneers so far this year and he has completed 114 of 178 passes (64.0%) for 1,156 yards with only 3 TD passes and 6 INTs (74.1 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 24 times for 106 yards (4.4 ypc) with 2 TD runs so far this year.  The Buccaneers don’t have a good enough running game on offense or a defensive team to cover up for him if he has a bad day.  They need him to get back to the player he was in 2010, pronto.

The Buccaneers will probably be without 24-year old RB LeGarrette Blount this weekend against the Saints due to a knee injury.  Blount has played in all five games for the Bucs so far this year and he has carried the ball 77 times for 428 yards (4.3 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He also has caught 4 passes for 58 yards  (14.5 avg).  If Blount can’t go (which is very likely), 31-year old Earnest Graham will get the start.  Graham has played in all five games for the Bucs so far this year and he has carried the ball 18 times for 84 yards (4.7 ypc).  He has also caught 23 passes for 143 yards (6.2 avg) so far this year.  Look for the Bucs to throw the ball more than usual if LeGarrette Blount missed this weekend’s home game against  the Saints.