Freeman Rips Winslow: “We Just Keep Shooting Ourselves in the Foot”

TAMPA — The Buccaneers lost another game late due to stupid penalties that cost them a chance to put the game away. This time it came with a 17-10 lead and the Bucs were driving deep inside Titans territory with a huge chance to end the game then.

That was before Kellen Winslow committed a crucial holding penalty (broken record right?) whcih negated a LeGarrette Blount run to the Titans 26. Instead of having first and ten at the 26, the Bucs had 1st and 20 at the 44 yard line, just outside of Connor Barth field goal range.

This is not the first time Winslow has had a boneheaded penalty cost the Bucs scoring chances. There is only really one time when Winslow can be excused for a penalty and that was in the endzone last week when he got called for offensive pass interference. Other then that Winslow has been nothing but a penalty machine and drive killer this season. He has just two touchdowns this year and had a crucial dropped two point conversion last week which kept the Bucs behind the Packers rather then tying them.

"You’re in field goal range, if your guy beats you, LeGarrette is going to get back to the line of scrimmage. There is no need to tack on 10 yards.-Josh Freeman on Kellen Winslow’s penalty"

It seems that whenever Winslow’s name is mentioned the word “critical” or “crucial” is used and closely followed by a negative description of how he ruined a drive by holding, or illegal contact or pass interference.

Josh Freeman let Winslow know he’s not going to keep defending him if he continues to make stupid mental choices in big time spots.

“That has to be avoided,” Freeman said of Winslow’s penalty which moved the Bucs out of field goal range. “You’re in field goal range, if your guy beats you, LeGarrette is going to get back to the line of scrimmage. There is no need to tack on 10 yards. Our guys are out there playing hard. I would say it was a very inopportune time. That was a moment in the game where we really needed those points.”

Winslow has been nothing but trouble since coming out of Miami and since he got to Tampa he has been a grab bag in terms of what kind

of performance you’re going to get out of him. The sad thing is that much like the rest of this Bucs team Winslow is insanely talented but isn’t applying himself in areas that are productive. In terms of consistency, the only thing we can count on Winslow doing is committing dumb penalties that kill big plays.

WInslow isn’t the only guy doing this but he’s the oldest one doing this. He’s clearly not a veteran leader and isn’t setting an example worth following for these young guys. Josh Freeman put it best when he summed up how the Bucs have been playing this year.

“We just keep shooting ourselves in the foot.”