Stop me if you've heard this one before.
It's Week Four and Mike Glennon may see his first start at quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season. Of course, it would come under pretty substantial differences than a season ago. Should Glennon get the starting nod, it would be over Josh McCown who suffered an injury to his throwing hand in Week Three.
Glennon would be going under center in Pittsburgh to take on a Steelers defense ranked 11th in passing yards allowed. They have, however, allowed five touchdowns with no interceptions and just four sacks on the season, resulting in a 105.3 passer rating allowed to opposing quarterbacks in the first three games of the season.
Last season, Glennon only faced one team that allowed a season average of a 100+ passer rating, and he did so twice, against the Atlanta Falcons. In those two meetings, Glennon completed 68.7% of his passes for 487 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions for an average passer rating of 114.1.
Those numbers give Buccaneers fans something to be optimistic about should we go into the weekend with a new starting QB. And there is one more Glennon figure from last year to keep in the back of your mind: his proficiency on the road.
Glennon's statistics actually take a decent bump when he heads into hostile territory, as many will recall the team's performance in Seattle and Detroit last fall. Now, let's take a look at just how he fared in his six road contests and recall his best three performances away from Tampa Bay.
|
|
Road games (1-5) |
Season Totals |
|
Passing yards per game |
204.7 |
200.6 |
|
Completion Percentage |
61.9% |
59.4% |
|
Touchdowns |
8 |
19 |
|
Interceptions |
2 |
9 |
|
Avg. Passer Rating |
96.6 |
83.9 |
Top Three Road Games
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons (23-31)
October 20, 2013
256 Passing Yards
59.1% Completion Percentage
2 Touchdowns
0 Interceptions
90.7 Passer Rating
Glennon's first road contest showed how well he could handle the pressure of the game and also solidified the relationship between the rookie quarterback and his top target WR Vincent Jackson. One week after Jackson's 114-yard two-TD performance against the Eagles, Glennon found Jackson for 138 yards and two more scores.
Highlight: Mike Glennon's 59-yard bomb to Vincent Jackson in the second quarter, resulting in the first Buccaneers points of the day and a spectacular one-handed catch by Jackson, the NFL's #24 Best Play of the 2014 season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Seattle Seahawks (24-27)
November 3, 2013
168 Passing Yards
73.9% Completion Percentage
2 Touchdowns
0 Interceptions
123.1 Passer Rating
The Bucs nearly pulled of the upset of the decade, taking the Seattle Seahawks into overtime inside the NFL's most notorious home-field advantage stadium. Glennon's two-touchdown performance was matched by Mike James' 158-yard rushing effort against the league's undisputed top defense and eventual Super Bowl champion.
Highlight: Glennon buying time and rolling left before finding TE Tim Wright in the back of the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions (24-21)
November 24, 2013
247 Passing Yards
66.7% Completion Percentage
2 Touchdowns
0 Interceptions
138.4 Passer Rating
The Bucs left Detroit with their third consecutive victory to close a spectacular month for Glennon. In November 2014 his 119.7 passer rating was the highest of any quarterback during that span. This particular performance resulted in the sixth highest passer rating for a rookie quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
Highlight: Early in the fourth quarter, Glennon finding WR Tiquan Underwood on a deep pass downfield that ended in an 85-yard touchdown to put the Bucs on top.
