Greg Cosell: Josh Freeman may have reached a turning point

The biggest surprise of the season must be Josh Freeman's surprising slump. We've all talked about the different reasons for his slump - forcing balls into coverage, throwing off his back foot, failing to read the field, little help from his receivers - it all features in. But the reasons why Freeman hit a hump in the road don't really matter, what matters is when he's going to fix it. 

Greg Cosell had a few interesting things to say about Freeman on the Fantasy Guru Matchup Podcast. Greg Cosell has worked at NFL films for three decades and is the man behind the NFL Matchup show, so he has some credentials. 

This kind of slump isn't unknown for young quarterbacks. "Young quarterbacks go through this, and you've got to work through it," according to Cosell. "There's no magic beans here, you've gotta just keep playing snap after snap after snap, and try to do the right thing on each play."

The good news is that working through this is entirely possible. The bad news is that it is a gradual process, not an instant transformation. "Normally when a player who's had success hits the skids a little bit, it's gradual in getting back," said Cosell. "It's a process, like Philip Rivers. I thought this past week was a little bit of a turning point perhaps. Maybe the same for Freeman."

Cosell does believe that Freeman has the talent to fix this issue. "[Josh Freeman] is talented. I think he's smart. I think he'll get there.[..] I think that he's a good player, a talented player, a smart player and I think he will get through this."

The core message is that Josh Freeman's slump isn't likely to be a structural thing. It's just part of the process of learning to play quarterback in the NFL. However, it's a process: don't expect an instant turnaround. While Freeman may (or may not) have hit a turning point against the Saints, that doesn't mean he will explode and turn into a great quarterback. But he is likely to gradually improve throughout the rest of the season.