Teams that have recently rebuilt: Who should we copy?

[JawnyBlaze]

Freeman is absolutely the reason they were so improved this year, it sure as hell wasn't coaching or any other players. They were the least talented, most over achieving 10-6 team I've about ever seen. Mike Williams was pretty good, Blount did ok, but other than those two they had no good players on either side of the ball. It was all on the arm of Freeman, which surprised the poo outta me. I thought he was gonna be garbage, judging off his first year.

Not so sure about Freeman. Not so sure that the reason they were decent this year was him either.

[mav1234]

Freeman was someone the Bucs scouted heavily and fell in love with. They claim they'd have taken him #1 and I have no doubt. They are all about the guy.

He was decent in college but by no means spectacular... As far as I remember he wasn't even universally a first round talent, though he was the 3rd best QB in that draft.

[PantherPride52]

The Panthers shouldn't copy anybody. When we do win the Super Bowl I don't want to hear people say "the Panthers did a great job of copying the Steelers way of doing things". We really aren't a rebuilding team in my opinion. We have a lot of talented players. We have a new coach that seems like a good hire. We just need a QB and some DT's and we will at least win 8 games next season.

[TheRealDeal]

Freeman is absolutely the reason they were so improved this year, it sure as hell wasn't coaching or any other players. They were the least talented, most over achieving 10-6 team I've about ever seen. Mike Williams was pretty good, Blount did ok, but other than those two they had no good players on either side of the ball. It was all on the arm of Freeman, which surprised the poo outta me. I thought he was gonna be garbage, judging off his first year.

You realize that the Bucs were 6th in the league in rushing at 4.6 YPC, 8th in YPG (125), and 13th in attempts.

In passing stats they were T 12th in YPA with 7.2, 17th in YPG (210), and 23 in attempts.

If anything that's the running game being very heavily used and effective, but I'd say it's pretty balanced. Having roughly 85 more passing yards a game than rushing doesn't exactly mean your QB is the only reason you are good.

Probably balanced but if not they were run heavy.

[The Saltman]

well u cant say the team would have been 10-6 without freeman. u think they would have done that with josh johnson?

[TheRealDeal]

well u cant say the team would have been 10-6 without freeman. u think they would have done that with josh johnson?

Yeah but he made it seem like Freeman was P Manning out there with a bunch of scrubs on both sides of the ball and still got them to 10-6. He had a solid squad around him with a great rushing attack.

4.6 ypc? Beast mode.

Running game makes it easier for everyone (except Clausen)

[nagai]

The Panthers shouldn't copy anybody. When we do win the Super Bowl I don't want to hear people say "the Panthers did a great job of copying the Steelers way of doing things". We really aren't a rebuilding team in my opinion. We have a lot of talented players. We have a new coach that seems like a good hire. We just need a QB and some DT's and we will at least win 8 games next season.

Why would any of that matter? If we do win the superbowl, or achieve similarly high standards, who the fug cares what someone else says? How about we just concentrate on getting there?

[JawnyBlaze]

Compared to the talent of everyone else on that team, he is Peyton Manning. 4.6 ypc ain't beast mode. Beast mode is >5.0 ypc, aka Deangelo and Stewart prior to this year. IMO, the threat of Freeman running/throwing is what allowed mid-tier RBs to do well in that system (along with an admittedly pretty good O-line). Freeman wasn't putting up Vick style running numbers or anything, but he was always a threat to run, whether he chose to run or not. Just look at the game against us, he ran when he needed to and got things done.

Looked up some stats, Freeman had almost as many rush yards as Cadillac, a higher ypc than Cadillac OR Blount and the 6th highest QB rating in the league.

Blount did very well for an URFA, but he's hardly elite. Without this year's Freeman, that team is 6-10 at best.

Yeah but he made it seem like Freeman was P Manning out there with a bunch of scrubs on both sides of the ball and still got them to 10-6. He had a solid squad around him with a great rushing attack.

4.6 ypc? Beast mode.

Running game makes it easier for everyone (except Clausen)

[TheRealDeal]

Compared to the talent of everyone else on that team, he is Peyton Manning. 4.6 ypc ain't beast mode. Beast mode is >5.0 ypc, aka Deangelo and Stewart prior to this year. IMO, the threat of Freeman running/throwing is what allowed mid-tier RBs to do well in that system (along with an admittedly pretty good O-line). Freeman wasn't putting up Vick style running numbers or anything, but he was always a threat to run, whether he chose to run or not. Just look at the game against us, he ran when he needed to and got things done.

Looked up some stats, Freeman had almost as many rush yards as Cadillac, a higher ypc than Cadillac OR Blount and the 6th highest QB rating in the league.

Blount did very well for an URFA, but he's hardly elite. Without this year's Freeman, that team is 6-10 at best.

I'm not arguing that he wasn't the best player on the team, but he didn't have scrubs around him at all. Blount likely would have been a high pick if he didn't KO some punk from Boise and Williams will get rookie of the year.

Freeman is a beast, no doubt about it. I don't think it's his running ability that makes him so dangerous but I think it's his scrambling. Against us I don't remember him running but I do remember him making guys miss in the pocket, scrambling and hitting Winslow down the field for a first down on a 3rd and 19 or something.

He had a lot of help this year, that's all. Sustained success is what will define or break him.

Edit: You also have to consider the competition. His average QB rating, which is a terrible stat in the first place, is roughly 20 points lower against winning teams and he was 1-5. All things to consider when crowning him.