Josh Freeman's interceptions affect Bucs' defense

Josh Freeman threw four interceptions on Sunday during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 28-13 loss to the St. Louis Rams. The negative effects of those interceptions on the Bucs offense are obvious, but according to Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times, the interceptions hurt the Tampa Bay defense as well.

Veteran defensive back Ronde Barber didn't throw Freeman under the bus, instead saying that the defense needs to take care of their business when they can:

"You just have to keep playing," he said. "On our side of the ball, we just have to control the things that we can control."

The Bucs were only able to force one turnover on Sunday, putting them far onto the negative side of the turnover equation. That many turnovers forces the defense back onto the field for longer than it should be, which can make them mentally and physically tired. The Bucs ended up winning the time of possession battle in this game, but that frequently does not happen when the numbers read the way they do.

The Bucs finish the season next week against the Atlanta Falcons.