What’s wrong with Josh Freeman?

Former Bucs signal caller Shaun King weighed in with some answers this afternoon on WQYK-AM 1010. And there were multiple reasons offered.

In no particular order, reason No. 1 is Kellen Winslow.

“That’s an issue. The dynamic of the relationship between Josh Freeman and Kellen Winslow. … How many picks are forces to Winslow?

“I’m telling you as a former quarterback, when that guy’s in your ear, saying ‘Give me the football,’ that plays a part,” King said.

Reason No. 2: the Bucs don’t have the talent around Freeman.

“They threw 51 passes and no wide receiver with 100 yards. Nobody with 80 yards,’ King said. ” We averaged 5 yards an attempt. That’s something an option team does throwing to its fullback.

“They don’t’ have the dynamic playmakers. … Yesterday was the perfect example of what happens when they try to be a throw-first team.”

And King’s reason No. 3 is perhaps the most troubling.

“The decision-making is really starting to worry me. I don’t see a guy in his drop that’s really diagnosing the coverage,” King said. “For whatever reason it’s not happening. I don’t see a whole lot of reading coverages. … I don’t see a lot of seeing holes in the zone. I see a guy who’s deciding in the huddle, ‘I’m throwing the ball here.'”

Maybe it’s easy to say King doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to his takes on Gerald McCoy, but surely not about Freeman. And King has said on air multiple times that he secures and watches coaches film for Bucs games.

Regardless, Joe buys in to what King is saying except the talent aspect. No, the Bucs aren’t loaded with Pro Bowl explosive players, but there was more than enough talent on the field for Freeman yesterday to beat the Bears and stay in first place en route to a playoff berth.

John Mullin (and others) scoff at the Bucs’ offensive gameplan against the Bears in this CSNChicago.com video.

"Did you just call me a trigger happy ref?"

The inexcusable personal foul called on Aqib Talib after the Bucs stoned the Bears three times in a goal-to-go situation was a major factor yesterday.

So what did Talib’s foolishness actually cost the Bucs?

Well, Joe went back to the video tape and Talib’s alleged attempted eye-gouging of an opponent cost the Bucs one minute and 36 seconds on the game clock, plus the two minute warning.

Sure, the Bucs turned in what was effectively a second goal line stand to get the ball back after Talib’s escapade, but subsequently Josh Freeman had much less time to work with and the game ended on a late interceptions. Without Talib’s penalty, the Bucs could have afforded a failed drive on offense and had time — and timeouts — to get the ball back.

Joe’s in the same boat as many other Bucs fans, stunned that Josh Freeman has 10 interceptions this season and only seven touchdown throws.

Freeman’s on pace for 23 picks. Trent Dilfer, in his worst season with the Bucs, coincidentally his third NFL season like Freeman, started all 16 games and threw 19 interceptions in 1996.

Joe has no answers for Freeman other than to stop forcing throws that aren’t there, especially to Kellen Winslow.

However, Joe is very suprised that Freeman has stopped running the football. For the first time in his career yesterday, Freeman started a game and didn’t have a rushing attempt. Two weeks ago against San Francisco was the first time Freeman started a game and ran only once — for two yards.

Something has changed for Freeman. The aggression, confidence and decision-making that led him to picking great spots to run — and picking up excellent yardage consistently — has disappeared.

Joe hopes Freeman’s not hesitating and struggling because of an injury fans don’t know about. It’s hard to imagine he’s just magically lost the instinct to pull the ball down and use his elusive big body.

Team Glazer had a rough day yesterday.

First, their kickball club suffered a resounding blow at the hands of their rival Manchester City, losing 6-1. This is the real football equivalent of the Bucs getting drilled by the 49ers 48-3 — at home.

Then, per a Goal.com report, Team Glazer allegedly confronted an angry mob as they left the kickball game to helicopter over to catch the Bucs loss in London.

They were due to travel to Wembley to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their American football team, take on the Chicago Bears in an NFL game, by boarding their helicopter at a car park near Old Trafford that had been turned into a makeshift helipad.

However, the car escorting them reportedly had to wait for up to 10 minutes before they could make the short journey, with their vehicle allegedly jostled by angry fans.

Dozens of security guards were needed to hold back a mob of 30-40 fans opposed to the Glazer ownership.

This soccer-friendly “Joe” can say that Goal.com is a very reliable website, though who knows what really happened.

Regardless, Team Glazer had a lousy Sunday that left fans of both teams agitated.

Last season Joe raised red flags on the Bucs slow starts that eventually led to Josh Freeman’s stellar fourth quarter comebacks.

Well, that pattern has continued this year and unlike last year, Freeman doesn’t have the same magic to make people forget those slow starts.

So it’s interesting to Joe that the MSM is starting to pick up on this. First it was Ryan Nece yesterday. Now it’s Martin Fennelly.

The Tampa Tribune humorist doesn’t see much changing the rest of the year, hence he doesn’t believe the Bucs may get much better.

Do we get a coaching staff that has its team ready, that helps it start fast, that knows what do when things go wrong, like Graham’s injury, or all those other injuries, or from stupid penalties and knows how to keep its players from curling up into a ball – or do we get Morris and his staff as uneven as their team?

Which Bucs do we get?

Probably both of them, and that spells .500 football.

Joe once again believes it would be wise of the Bucs to hire an outside consultant to offer any fresh insight from a new pair of eyes that could help correct this nasty habit of not waking up until the second half. Someone like Bill Cowher or Brian Billick, to throw out a couple of names.

The Bucs played yesterday like they were the ones with jet lag, not the Bears.

This, again, is not a knock on Raheem Morris. The guy has a ton on his plate. He’s both defensive coordinator and head coach, that’s a lot of responsibility. As Joe asked last year, maybe he needs some help?

Just the fact that Morris is able to correct things on the fly and adjust mid-game is a great thing. But the time has come to end sweeping the slow starts malady under the rug. Address it sooner rather than later.

That is, if a playoff berth really is a goal this winter.

Joe’s reaching for something to soothe him after this horrible “home” loss to the Bears in England. And since there’s no more beer in the fridge and Rachel Watson didn’t ring the doorbell, Joe’s going with the photo above to bring him a fleeting moment of happiness.

The Bucs’ first-half safety was a thing of beauty to put them on the scoreboard and grab some confidence. Ronde Barber got the final credit, but it all started with the mountain in the middle, Frank Okam, as this picture shows. Roy Miller started today alonside Brian Price, but it seemed that Okam was on the field when the Bucs defense was at its best — standing tall on the Bears’ final six possessions.

"Are we being our best selves, Olie?"

Joe admits it. The Bucs’ playcalling often throws Joe into fits of disbelief and rage. Sometimes Joe stands up and applauds, but more often than not Joe is completely flummoxed.

The Bucs have no identity on offense. It’s all over the place.

Thursday night on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Mark Dominik talked about how he wants to see the ball in Arrelious Benn’s hands, citing Benn’s ability and knack for explosive plays including the one called back against Indianapolis on Monday Night Football.

Today during the painful loss in England, Benn had one ball thrown his way and no receptions. And the Bucs tried to run that ugly end around play  to him in the third quarter. (Joe hates that damn play.)

What gives?

Is Benn unable to get open? Joe wasn’t in England to see, but Joe doesn’t think that’s the primary issue.

It took the Bucs weeks this year to figure out that they could still throw slants to Mike Williams. Why not to Benn? Joe has to think that’s a better option that forcing the ball into Kellen Winslow unsuccessfully over and over.

Benn was a high second-round pick last year in what was considered the deepest draft in recent history. He’s talented. Bucs fans have seen him get open deep and run like an wild animal after the catch on shorter throws.

What’s it going to take to figure out how to use this guy’s talent?

Now Joe knows the guys working the Bucs radio network are paid by the Bucs and have to remain tempered in their critiques. Joe totally gets that.

So that’s why it raised an eyebrow with Joe when this afternoon after the Bucs ugly loss to the Bears in London, former Bucs linebacker Ryan Nece, who co-hosts the Bucs postgame show on WDAE-AM 620 with Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski, was frustrated and his frustration nearly got the best of him.

Nece is irritated that the Bucs don’t seem to wake up until the clock is ticking in the second half. Nece was quite disturbed over the personal foul cornerback Aqib Talib received that cost the Bucs crucial time and may have been the difference in the game.

“Questions need to be asked,” Nece said. “Why is this team second in the league in penalties? Why are they making stupid penalties that hurt their team? Why does this team always have slow starts? The coaches need to be asked these questions.”

Joe’s been asking for weeks, specifically about the slow starts. Joe believes it’s fantastic that Bucs coach Raheem Morris can always rally his team in the second half and that he is able to adjust on the fly. But what exactly is going on during the week leading up to the game? Why are rarely the Bucs ahead of their opponent in terms of preparation, rather than having to almost always play catch-up?

Joe doesn’t think it’s outrageous to suggest the Bucs bring in a consultant — say, Brian Billick just to throw a name out — to be with the Bucs coaching staff all week and to monitor practices and film sessions and get a fresh opinion and offer tweaks that could end these sluggish starts.

Companies — including NFL teams — hire consultants all the time.

Corey Lynch is a good dude. Does that make him a starter in the NFL?

It was telling to Joe that a guy clearly not in football shape who hadn’t practiced in an organized scrimmage with the team in over a year came in and started two games (and pulled his hamstring).

That tells Joe how thin the Bucs are at safety.

Corey Lynch is one of the better special teams players in the NFL. Pressed into duty again today when Tanard Jackson went out with a hammy, Lynch was able to make a couple of plays, one an interception that set up a Bucs touchdown and another a deflected pass that saved a touchdown.

Lynch spoke on the Bucs radio network about his play and the ugly Bucs loss to the Bears.

On his interception, “our d-line got a good rush on the play and [Bears quarterback Jay] Cutler got the ball off later that he thought and I was able to jump up and get it,” Lynch said. “We didn’t have much rolling until then. I’km glad I was able to start a spark.

“The reason why the Bears were able to run on us so early was they were pulling blockers and getting to us and sealing us off.”

On his deflection of a pass late on the goal line that would have been a Bears touchdown, Lynch said, “We were trying to blitz Cutler to get him to throw ahead and I should have made the play [interception].

“Coach said to us after the game ‘Don’t blink. We have a long season.”

Sad news coming out of NBC Sports, specifically the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, Mike Florio.

Florio is reporting that Earnest Graham has torn his Achilles and is out of the year.

Joe’s already written about the inevitable Tiki Barber rumors about to descend on One Buc Palace. This sort of throws gasoline on that flame.

Joe’s pretty down about Graham, who is a great guy and an excellent football player. But the big knock on Graham entering this season is that he battled injuries for four consecutive seasons. And now it’s five in a row.

Joe suspects this is a permanent goodbye for No. 34.

After the game, Bucs wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe spoke about the ugly Bucs loss to the Bears. He tried to keep a chin up.

“We didn’t give up,” Briscoe said. “That’s our whole mentality. We don’t expect anyone to give up. We picked it up in the second half. That’s the mentality we have.

“The Bears ran a Tampa-2 all game. The route on my touchdown we have run the whole game, it was just a variation of it, and I got open and made a play.

“The halftime comeback on offense was something coach saw and it was a halftime preparation. Coach saw something on their defense and we took advantage of it.”

LeGarrette Blount has missed two games now with a knee injury, and the Bucs haven’t served up a lot of detail about it, especially consdering Blount is a star player.

The most definitive report out there — one that sure seems on the money now — was from J.P. Peterson of WQYK-AM 1010, who a few days after the injury had a doctor on his radio show that claimed he saw reports on Blount and said Blount had a Grade II MCL tear and would be out several weeks.

Now Earnest Graham hopped off the field in London today with what FOX broadcasters said was an ankle injury. It sure looked bad. (ProFootballTalk.com is reporting Graham is blew out his Achilles and is done for the year.)

And Kregg Lumpkin is, well, Kregg Lumpkin.

So with the bye week now upon the Buccaneers, it only makes sense that rockstar general manager Mark Dominik will look to bring in another running back, preferably one with experience that can get up to speed quickly and help the Bucs win a game.

“Next man up” is a great credo, but the Bucs need another talented horse.

It’s inevitable that retired/unretired Tiki Barber’s name is going to surface as a possibility. Joe had no use for the idea before the season when Tiki decided he wanted to get off the couch and try to fatten his wallet. It was preposterous then for the Bucs, who seemed to be just fine with the chance to have Graham, Blount and Cadillac Williams on the roster.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. Joe’s not sure why the Bucs wouldn’t at least look at the guy this week. In Joe’s mind, the Bucs have an emergency need and everything’s on the table.

Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman spoke on the Bucs radio network after the game and all but took the blame for the Bucs offense coming to a sputtering halt on their two-minute drive which ended in an interception.

In short, Freeman said he’s not going to take checkdowns just for the sake of padding his stats.

“It’s unfortunate when we lose,” Freeman said. “We had a good game plan but they got up on us early.

“A fourth quarter spark? I wouldn’t call it a spark. Collectively, everyone was doing their jobs. There was nothing magical or special about it. When we all do our job, we play good football.”

On his touchdown passes:

“K2 had a good matchup and we took advantage of it,” Freeman said. On the touchdown pass to Dezmon Briscoe, “The line gave me a good pocket to step up in and Briscoe ran a nice route. Their defense bit on a blitz.

“When you’ve got 30 seconds left you have to press the ball. You could check it down until Hail Mary time but I’m going to go for it downfield.

“We had a lot of guys go down today, a lot of guys on offense.”

So Tanard Jackson comes out flying around the field again today in jolly old England. Yeah, he missed a tackle on Matt Forte on the Bears’ first touchdown, but T-Jax was having his presence felt out there.

Then, on the Bears’ next possession, Jackson turns in a one-handed, left-handed interception of Jay Cutler at midfield. He runs the ball back and with seemingly only Cutler and a trailer to beat, Jackson cruises out of bounds at the Bears 12 yard line.

How the hell does he take it out of bounds there?

Perhaps that’s the play Jackson pulled his hamstring on. Joe’s not sure. But Joe would think sheer adrenaline — something pumping through Jackson for the past two games — would have had Jackson lowering his shoulder for 10 more yards.

Yeah, Joe spilled his beer and couldn’t believe his eyes.

Of course, Josh Freeman was intercepted on the next play, when Mike Williams didn’t hold in the end zone.

Corey Lynch made big plays — and some bad plays — filling in. But he’s not Jackson. 

Joe has been rough on Bucs linebacker Quincy Black the past couple of seasons because Joe believes he’s a ghost. If you don’t see him in uniform on the field, a Bucs fan would never know he’s on the field, short of a floating interception once every year and a half.

But Joe cannot suggest Black doesn’t have a heart or doesn’t care. Being interviewed on the Bucs radio network after the debacle of a loss to the Bears about why the defense was getting gutted by Matt Forte until the final minutes of the game, Black struggled to talk and finally confessed, “I’m too emotional right now.”

The Bears “were the better team today,” Black said. “Obviously, they came out to win. it was like we were fighting, scratching, clawing all the time. We didn’t make enough plays to win. I know they are cliches but it’s the truth.

“Why were they able to run on us? I have to go back and watch the film. I’m too emotional right now. I am sure there were some assignment faults. I know there were some things we didn’t do assignment-wise.

“We have two weeks to clean this up. This is a team game. We did everything we could do as a team. We can do more.

“It always seems like there is someone hurt at the bye. But injuries are part of the game. Next guy up better be ready to play.”

It was pretty obvious the moment Earnest Graham went down injured to start the Bucs’ second offensive series that Greg Olson didn’t have confidence in Kregg Lumpkin.

Long before halftime the Bucs had little use for Lumpkin running the ball, this behind a strong Bucs offensive line and against the worst rush-per-carry defense in the NFL, and with the game close.

Joe hopes he doesn’t have to hear anymore Lumpkin love talk from the Bucs’ brass. If they don’t believe in the guy, then get someone else.

Joe and other Bucs fans clamored in the offseason to keep Cadillac Williams. For Joe, that reasoning was simple, Cadillac was better than Lumpkin — and good depth is always important. End of story.

If Graham’s out a significant amount of time, Joe hopes the silver lining is LeGarrette Blount becoming a three-down running back. Joe’s pretty damn confident he’s up to it.

Lumpkin finished today’s game with eight carries for 15 yards.

What the hell can Joe say about this game?

Wow! Aqib Talib made an absoloutely idiotic personal foul that stripped the Bucs of precious late fourth-quarter time. The Bucs get the equivalent of a goal-line stand and Talib blows it by intentionally shoving his fingers in Roy Williams’ face mask? Really?

Absolute insanity on the field. The Bucs climb back in the game on the back of its defense standing tall on SIX consecutive possessions to close the second half.

The Bucs start firing on all cylinders only after Earnest Graham, Tanard Jackson, Mason Foster and Jeremy Zuttah go down. Talk about being weakened up the gut. Third-string center Ted Larsen and Derek Hardman at left guard were studs in pass blocking. Joe might have given a game ball to Dezmon Brizcoe.

But there are no game balls. The Bucs lost.

Why this team keeps starting games like its in the mud is mind-boggling. Somehow that’s connected to coaching.

Josh Freeman getting picked four times? Yes, the man has regressed. Why doesn’t he ever run anymore? Why is he forcing balls into Kellen Winslow when clearly nothing is there?

The bye week can’t come soon enough next week. Stick with Joe through the afternoon and night for much more on this game.