subject: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tickets - Bucs Off To A Good Start [print this page] If someone tells you that they predicted the Bucs would start the season 2-0, they're either a diehard, borderline irrational fan or a liar. Tampa Bay notched the third-worst record in the National Football League in 2009 and is a team with a very young overall roster. The rebuilding mode is in full swing, but could be going better than expected and at an expedited pace. One big reason for this is the surprising play of second-year signal caller Josh Freeman.
When the Bucs used the 17th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft on Freeman, most holders of Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets probably said, "Who?" Freeman received little publicity playing for Kansas State, but head coach Raheem Morris was plenty familiar with the strong-armed quarterback. Morris was the defensive coordinator for the Wildcats in 2006, which was probably a factor in the team's selection of the K-State product.
At 6-foot-6 and 250 lbs, Freeman is a physical specimen, and he seems to know how to use his physical gifts to his advantage. He's a lot faster than his size would suggest, reminding a lot of people of a young Daunte Culpepper. Freeman's combination of speed and size allow him to elude pass rushers and make plays with his legs, something that we've already seen quite a bit of out of the young signal caller in 2010. Through two games, Freeman has posted an excellent quarterback rating of 95.0, tossing four touchdowns to a single interception. He's also run for 77 yards and four first downs in those contests, even ripping off a 33-yarder on one play.
Coming into the league, Freeman has his fair share of doubters, and I must admit that I was one of them. He didn't seem to have the mental acumen to process defensive looks quickly enough on the pro level. If a quarterback can't do that, it doesn't matter how great of an athlete he is. However, Freeman has progressed in this area much better than I anticipated, and is better at maximizing his physical skills than I thought. He's sure to have his ups and downs this season, but he's off to a great start and his team at 2-0. It will be interesting to see how he fares against the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers defense in Week 3.
Freeman should benefit greatly from the presence of rookie wide receiver Mike Williams. Williams has always had a world of talent, but character and work ethic issues plagued him during his collegiate stint at Syracuse. Williams seems to be a new man since being drafted, though, and has wowed the Tampa coaching staff since day one of training camp. Williams opened up the season as the Bucs' number one wideout and has not disappointed through two games, hauling in a touchdown pass in both contests. He'll be a big part of this franchise moving forward.
With these two offensive weapons and a young defense that has a lot of potential and room to grow, the Bucs could be a team quickly on the rise in the NFC. I wouldn't take their 2-0 start as a sign that they're going to make the postseason, but more a sign of more good things to come in South Florida. It's certainly an exciting time to be a Bucs fan.
