Is Josh Freeman The Best Quarterback Of The 2009 Class: Fourth Quarter Heroics
by Sander on Jun 20, 2011 12:01 PM EDT
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PrintI'm going to answer the above question with one word: yes. John Clayton spends a lot more words explaining why this is the case, but it's undeniable that as a passer and leader Josh Freeman has done more than any other quarterback from 2009. He's clearly been the Bucs leader, he was a top 10 quarterback during the regular season and the only black mark on his record is the lack of playoff victories. I can't blame him for that behind this offensive line, with rookies as his offensive weapons and a poor defense.
But hey, Mark Sanchez won more games so he has to be better, right? Obviously not. Mark Sanchez hasn't been the kind of leader Josh Freeman has been and he's played with a much more talented supporting cast on both sides of the ball. Getting to the Conference Championship as the quarterback of a team with the best defense in the NFL is not an amazing feat, as Trent Dilfer and Shaun King should tell you. And while some may point to Sanchez's clutch play late in games, his late-game statistics don't support this. In fact, he does worse in the 4th quarter than at any other time in a game. Counter-intuitive, right? I saw him make all those clutch throws last season, so how does this statistic happen? Apparently, the highlights don't show Sanchez's full performance in the fourth quarter.
The same can't be said for Josh Freeman, though. John Clayton builds his argument for Freeman on his fourth quarter statistics, pointing out that he had the seventh-best quarterback rating in the fourth quarter of all QBs in the NFL. Interestingly, Josh Freeman also excels in the second quarter. The big quarterback makes his money right before the half and right before the end of the game, when deficits have to be erased in a limited amount of time. He threw 19 of his 25 touchdown passes in those 2 quarters.
Interestingly, he's worst in the first quarter, completing only 55% of his passes for just 473 yards over the entire season. This reflects the poor performance of the entire team in the first quarter. While the Bucs often recovered later in games, that is one area where the Bucs have to improve. Josh Freeman has been able to compensate for this deficiency later in games, but this isn't sustainable. To win, the Bucs need to come out of the locker room firing. Good thing the Bucs have the right QB to do so.
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No contest
Freeman is the best quarterback in the last five years. Clearly I’m biased, but I’d rather have him than Eli, Ryan, Flacco, Bradford, Sanchez and Stafford.
In fact It’s almost easier to say who’s better than Freeman, as he’s better than so many more.
1. Rodgers
2. Manning, P.
3. Brady
4. Brees
5. Rivers
6. Freeman
Vick will need another season at last year’s level before I’d consider putting him over Freeman. (In non-fantasy settings, of course.)
If you will it, dude, it is no dream.
I'd put Roethlisberger over Freeman too, and maybe Matt Ryan
And to be fair to Vick, it’s not like Freeman has been good for more than one season either. But Freeman has a chance to overtake them all, really.
Based on their body of work, not potential...
Objectively, you would have to say that:
Aaron Rodgers
Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Phillip Rivers
Ben Roethlisberger
Matt Ryan
would all have to be placed above Josh Freeman right now. One season is not a very good barometer for comparison. He may have more upside than all of them, but right now you can’t realistically put him above anyone on that list.
I expect Matt Ryans inclusion to create a stir. My argument for him is 3 straight winning seasons and 2 playoff appearances in his 3 years of playing experience. Not bad at all.
by Cracker Ball on Jun 20, 2011 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Or rather, QBs alone
At no point these past three seasons was Matt Ryan the man who made that offense go. It was built around the running game.
One can make the argument either way...
but I will not put Sanchez ahead of Freeman now mainly because the success the Jets have had to this point has been primarily on the DEF side of the ball – much like Trent Dilfers SB victory.
Matt Ryan is a more important cog in the ATL offense than Sanchez is in the NYJ machinery. Plus he has held his own over a longer period of time. That too is my argument against Freeman. One season. The TB offense paved the way for our success, mainly with his late game heroics, as the DEF is still a generally poor unit outside a select few plays. Another similar year from Josh Freeman and the list will change a bit.
by Cracker Ball on Jun 20, 2011 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't disagree that Ryan could be better than Freeman right now
But I just don’t think pointing to wins for that argument is particularly useful. Ryan was a beast in his first year, though. Kind of declined in his second year, and was a good QB who managed an offense last season.
Their defense is pretty decent, too. I’d say it’s probably around #12 in the NFL or so.
I guess I've just never been impressed with Ryan
I don’t think he comes even close to living up to his hype.
That's what I'd say about Big Ben
Not saying he’s worthless, but put him on a team that doesn’t have the Steelers defense and see how famous he’d be. Have to admit, though, he’s clutch when he needs to be….
If you will it, dude, it is no dream.
Matt Ryan is good but sorry he never posted the ninth best touchdown to interception ratio ever in the nfl. What was that guys name he wears number 5 an plays for the pewter an red oh yea Josh Freeman.
I would also be tempted to add Matt Schaub...
by Cracker Ball on Jun 20, 2011 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions
He goes underestimated alot of the time,
But I think Shaub is a great QB living in the shadows
((b-town))
Out of that class
It’s not even close. Now if Stafford had been healthy for the past few years, who knows, but with his injuries, he has yet to accomplish much.
I am a bear of very little brains and big words bother me.
Kevin the Homer...
Only one expert who wrote the original article had Stafford over Freeman and he happened to be the NFC North blogger.
What’s scary is looking at the QBs on Kilgore’s list Freeman is far and away a better athelete than any of them. Last year he proved that he isn’t far behind as a passer either. Give the kid a year or two and the league will be shaking in their boots.
I'm interested in Jake Locker as a comparison to Freeman
The draft story on both of them was blah blah blah unlimted upside, blah blah questionable accuary and decision making. But both were in losing programs with suppossedly horrendous defenses and not much in the way of playmakers. Freeman wasn’t thrown right in (in the NFL), but neither did he sit on the bench for a year. I think the college struggles might have made for a better NFL QB and a smoother transition, as oppossed to a Sanchez or Leinert or another national champion type QB that’s just not used to having things go against them.
If Locker struggles, I’ll say Freeman is even more special. If all this accuracy issues/decision making stuff is a non-issue, I may start thinking that drafting good QBs from bad programs is the way to go.
Also, I believe Mason Foster was the defensive Captain from Locker’s school.
Good comparison
I kept making that comparison before the draft, too. But Freeman showed more in college than Locker ever did in terms of accuracy and playmaking.
THat’s a good point on adversity, too. I don’t particularly care for the argument that a good QB wills his teams to wins in college. So many terrific college ‘winners’ have been horrible in the NFL.
And you’re right on Mason Foster. Both he and Locker were from University of Washington, and both team captains. Foster was basically the only good player on that defense.
Great Topic of Discussion
No doubt that Free is better than Stafford and Sanchez. It is very early to place him among the leagues best, but Josh WANTS to be the best and that is so important when it comes to success as an NFL QB!!
I can not freakin wait for this season to come!!
Even as “good” as Ryan is he has and has had a better team around him then Freeman, I just don’t see him as a better QB then Freeman. Yes he has three years in the league an yes he has been to the playoffs a couple times doesn’t in my eyes make him better at all. There is a guy in Baltimore named Flacco that has been to the playoffs all three years since being drafted but no one is saying a word about him so going off this whole wins an playoff game apperances equals greatness Flacco should be the best off all of them then. I just like that we have the guy that in his second year posted the ninth best touchdown to interception ratio. Freeman will only get better yes this lockout is killing the development of this team but i know Free will be ready an he will have the offense clicking from day one whenever the season gets going. I love the potential of this team it gives me hope that we will get another Super Bowl victory.
Went to the the Yahoo Sports website and did some comparisons.
I looked at all the top Quarterbacks.
Aaron Rodgers
Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Phillip Rivers
Ben Roethlisberger
Matt Ryan
Josh Freeman
The only QBs that improved greatly in the 2nd and 4th were Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, and Josh Freeman compared to the 1st and 2nd quarter. The common thing I noticed was that most of the top QBs start off horribly in the first quarter except for Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers, and Matt Ryan, but they passer rating starts to dip in the 4th quarter. On a consistent basis the 2nd half was always better then the 1st except for Peyton Manning, but due to the fact that he is on the field a lot defenses eventually adjust to the offense. I had to throw him in here but Mark Sanchez passer rating goes from 83 in the 1st half to 68.4 in the 2nd half and they still win game. I don’t really see a “big” issue with Freeman slow seeing that his 1st half is was 95.6 then goes to a 96.1 in the 2nd, as long as he continues to finish strong, but a better start will greatly improve the offense.
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