TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Josh Freeman spoke bluntly, refusing to make excuses for an error-filled performance.
The rookie quarterback took a step back in his third start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, however he insists playing poorly during a 38-7 loss to unbeaten New Orleans will not undermine his confidence.
“This game is this game,” the 21-year-old said, vowing to leave Sunday’s disappointment behind and begin with a “clean slate” this week against NFC South rival Atlanta (5-5).
“We knew what we had to do to come out and win, and I put that on myself. … It’s a game of inches, and I was a hair off. I don’t see that as a problem in the future. It’s not something where going into next week, I’m like: `Oh man, I hope I’m not a hair off.’ I just have to keep throwing.”
Freeman led a 12-play, 95-yard drive to start the game, finishing the march with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Michael Clayton.
Little went right the rest of the way.
as sacked three times and lost a fumble on a play that went awry after Freeman correctly read the Saints defense and changed the blocking protection to audible from a run to a pass.
The only problem was he didn’t actually switch the play.
The result was a sack, producing a fumble that Drew Brees quickly turned into a touchdown that put New Orleans up 24-7 early in the third quarter.
“He went out there and made his first real rookie blunder. He came off to the sideline, knew it right away. It wasn’t a rookie mistake where he tried to blame people,” coach Raheem Morris said Monday.
“The best thing to come out of a game like that is what he did last night with (the media). He got up there and accepted responsibility for what he did. He looks to go correct it. That’s all you can ask from a young quarterback.”
The Bucs were limited to 124 yards after the long TD march, with Freeman finishing 17 of 33 for 126 yards.
The rookie led fourth-quarter rallies from double-digit deficits in his first two starts. After beating Green Bay with a late touchdown pass, he gave the Bucs (1-9) a lead they couldn’t hold in the final minute against Miami.
To have a chance against the Saints (10-0), Morris felt his team had to run the ball effectively and dominate time of possession to keep Brees and New Orleans’ high-powered offense off the field as much as possible.
give him enough opportunities,” Morris said, adding that the last thing Tampa Bay wanted was Freeman trying to match Brees TD pass for TD pass in a high-scoring game.
“That’s not fair to the young man. That’s not fair to our team,” the first-year coach said. “I think he did a nice job of handling the situation, as tough as it was.”
Tampa Bay rushed for 119 yards, but 62 of that came in the opening quarter. The Saints gained 183 on the ground, 147 after halftime.
Teammates described Freeman as the same confident, poised guy who played well against the Packers and Dolphins. They attributed Sunday’s struggles to typical growing pains for a young, inexperienced quarterback.
“Some guys play 10 years in the league and have horrible days,” running back Cadillac Williams said. “He didn’t fold. It was just that type of day for him.”
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