Tampa Bay Buccaneers Inside Slant

This should have been the battle of franchise rookie quarterbacks -- Josh Freeman for the Bucs and Mark Sanchez for the Jets.

But Sanchez will not start because of a knee injury and backup Kellen Clemens takes over.

Freeman still has more to prove than whether he has moved to the head of the '09 quarterback class.

His biggest challenge of the season will be rebounding from a five interception performance in last week's 16-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

The Bucs host the Jets Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The Jets (6-6) are one game behind New England in the AFC East while Tampa Bay is 1-11 and has lost 15 of its last 16 games.

"I thought that we had ample opportunities to win that ballgame," Freeman said Wednesday. "I feel like it was turning the ball over -- me turning the ball over -- which kind of stopped us from doing that. You never go out and plan to have a day like that but at the same time you have to learn from it and move on."

As soon as Freeman was done watching the tape Monday of all five interceptions -- including two near the goal line by Panthers linebacker Jon Beason -- offensive coordinator Greg Olson wanted him to file it away.

Not just put it behind him, mind you.

Olson asked Freeman to take notes on all the things he learned in those red-zone situations and start a file on the player who really stole his spotlight and two passes intended for Antonio Bryant in the end zone.

"You start a file and you take notes throughout the week as we prepare and as soon as the game is over, when we get graded on Monday morning, you take notes again," Olson said. "And you take notes not only on the scheme ... but also the personnel.

"Know which corner is a guy you can double-move down the road. You've got to be aware of the range that a guy like Jon Beason has. So he's got to be great about that. We're starting a file now, especially the divisional opponents so when he's playing in Year 6, Year 7, Year 8 for the Buccaneers, he's got those guys down defensively and on coordinators.

"The good ones, I believe, do that. I know they do that. The key is doing it while it's fresh in your mind, doing it while you're young. Don't wait until Year 5 or 6 when you start those habits."

Freeman, 21, passed for a career-high 321 yards at Carolina and helped the Bucs compile 469 yards total offense, their fifth-highest mark ever and the most for a game in two decades.

"If you took those five plays away and you look at the ballgame he had, I think everybody on this planet could live with that," said quarterback Byron Leftwich. "The thing you've got to understand, you have games when things like that happen. We were sitting here talking and I told him, 'Nobody wants to throw five picks. But I've been in a game where I've thrown three and I could've thrown seven. They just happened to drop four.'

"You don't want to do that every week, but you understand when you have those games, it's not the end of the world, I can get better, I will learn from it."

Sanchez, who has started every game for the Jets this season, sprained his right knee against the Bills on Dec. 3.

"He's really progressing well, but I just think it's in the best interest of him, and our football team that we probably take this a little bit slower than rush him back," said Jets coach Rex Ryan, after meeting with team doctors. "I just think for Mark's sake, and his health in the long run, the smart decision is to go with Kellen this week."

SERIES HISTORY: 10th regular season meeting. Jets lead the series 8-1, including wins in each of the last six meetings.