Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need Freeman's Best to Make It a Memorable Monday Night

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be staring opportunity in the eye Monday night.

It's there for them, these Indianapolis Colts without Peyton Manning, these 0-3 Colts, these Colts who have basically been left for dead-in-the-water.

That's where the danger lies.

Here comes an 0-3 team and they can be the worst kind. Let's face it, this bunch has nothing to lose at Raymond James Stadium.

Odds are pretty good that Curtis Painter will be making his first NFL start. If you look at the out-dated Indy depth chart, they've still got Peyton Manning listed as the starter, with Kerry Collins as the backup and Painter as the guy who is simply supposed to hold a clip board this season.

Jim Caldwell has been non-commital but Painter ran practice on Thursday and Reggie Wayne is outwardly lobbying for Painter to start and play.

That should make things a lot easier for the young defense, the defense that gained a lot of confidence last week.

The guy who now needs to show up in a big way Monday is Josh Freeman. Thus far, he simply hasn't looked like the Josh Freeman that everyone was anticipating.

Freeman will need to be at this best because Indy still has a solid defensive line. You can bet your Buccaneer jersey that Dwight Freeney is going to cause problems, same with the other defensive end, Robert Mathis. Tackles Fili Moala and Antonio Johnson are trouble-makers as well.

Huge challenge for Freeman, huge task for the offensive line.

Also huge opportunity. This is chance for the lads to start the first quarter of the season 3-1 and that's solid.

Three and one is so very much better than 2-2, isn't it?

The problem is that this game falls into that fan-driven category of "should win." Talk of the town? "Oh, the Bucs should win this one."

That is certainly the case. Before Manning's season was kiboshed by neck surgery, this was looking like a daunting task back when you were eye-balling the 2011 schedule. It was not a game you'd comfortably write a "W" next to.

No Manning and no wins equals prime opportunity for the Bucs to start 3-1. The only problem is that "should win" games can be the biggest problem. Really good teams, playoff teams, win those "should win" games.

It's never a good situation to be up against a team with nothing to lose, which puts the pressure squarely back on the Buccaneers.

Now the wild card, or the Joker in this Monday display will be up there in the press box. Yeah, Chucky, you know, Gruden, as in Jon, as in the guy who was dumped unceremoniously as ownership decided it didn't like the direction the ship was headed, which at the time, was down.

The team simply needs to show Chucky and the rest of the nation tuning in Monday night, that things are going great for the Bucs, they need to come out of this one 3-1 and contending seriously for the NFC South title with now-favorite New Orleans.

It's time for the entire team to step up, especially Freeman.

He doesn't need a good night, he needs a spectacular night.

He's overdue.

Isn't he?