Entering his third NFL season and just his second full season as Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback; Josh Freeman is already establishing himself as one of the league’s most prolific young passers. Freeman has gladly taken on a leadership role and after a promising rookie season, and he continued in 2010 with a standout sophomore campaign. Over his last 19 starts, Freeman has gone 12-7 record and has won eight of his last 10 road games. Last season, Freeman became the first quarterback under the age of 23 to lead his team to a 10-win season since Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in 2004.
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In just his second year as a pro, Freeman established one of the best season’s for a quarterback in Tampa Bay history. His 25 touchdowns were the second-most in a single season in team history and his 3,451 passing yards were the fourth-most in a single-season by a Buccaneer. Five of those touchdown passes occurred on a career and record setting day against Seattle (12/26/10), as Freeman became the youngest quarterback (22 years) since Dan Marino (22 years) on September 2, 1984 to throw five touchdown passes and zero interception. Freeman became just the second quarterback in Buccaneers’ history to record 3,000+ yards passing, 20+ passing touchdowns and 10 or less interceptions in the same season along with QB Brad Johnson in 2002 (3,049 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions). He is also just the sixth Buccaneer quarterback in team history to have a 3,000+ yard passing season. With two touchdown passes at New Orleans in Week 17, Freeman also set a franchise mark for the most consecutive games with a touchdowns pass.
Freeman was also smart with the football last season, ranking tied for third in the NFL and first in the NFC for the fewest interceptions thrown. With only six interceptions, he becomes just the second quarterback in NFL history under the age of 23 to throw six-or-fewer interceptions in a season with 200+ attempts (also Dan Marino 1983). He currently has a streak of 109 consecutive passes without an interception.
COMEBACK KID?
Never one to fear a deficit, seven of QB Josh Freeman’s 13 career victories have been fourth quarter/OT comeback wins (53.8%), including five last season, the most in the NFL. Freeman’s seven fourth quarter/OT comeback victories in his first 25 starts, tied for the most in a players first two seasons in NFL history with Peyton Manning (seven in 31 games played) and Jake Plummer (seven in 25 games played).
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