The Tampa Bay Buccaneers decision to revert to a West Coast scheme on offense may seem a bit odd given quarterback Josh Freeman’s big arm and big accuracy issues. A look back at what Freeman did during his nine starts last year indicates, however, that Freeman may be at his best working in a scheme made up mostly of short crossing routes according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
Of the 291 throws Freeman made last year, 25 of them were thrown to a receiver waiting behind the line of scrimmage and 148 of them were thrown to a receiver running less than 10 yards downfield. Of those 173 throws Freeman completed 112 of them, including four for touchdowns, while being intercepted just once.
That works out to a completion percentage of 64.7 and a passer rating of 88 on what was more than likely a lot of traditional West Coast type of plays. And that’s a far better result than what Freeman got when he was asked to throw intermediate or deep routes.
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