The Bucs need quarterback Josh Freeman to grow up fast, but his mistakes are not an excuse for losing, according to coach Raheem Morris.

Freeman, 21, threw five interceptions in the Bucs' 16-6 loss at Carolina Sunday, including three inside the Panthers 8-yard line.

"These guys want to win, in particular that No. 5 you just talked about,'' Morris said of Freeman. "He's not going to give you an excuse for why he lost the football game for his football team and the guys around him are not going to give you an excuse. This defense, this offense, those guys on the special teams, they go out there to win every week. We haven't had the success you would like, but there's no passive, "It's okay,' type of mentality. Those guys are hurting in there. They want to win those games.

"Just like yesterday. You say, "you played better, do you feel like you should've won the game?' No. We didn't win the game. We had an opportunity to win it and we didn't take it. That's where we are.''

Morris said Bucs players and coaches have not lost confidence in Freeman, who passed for a career-high 321 yards agaisnt the Panthers in watching his record as a starter fall to 1-4.

"He made three mistakes in the red zone,'' Morris said. "He's going to put more pressure on himself. He puts pressure on those guys to run the right routes, he puts pressure on those guys to be in the right spot. He provides the pressure, No. 5. That's part of being the quarterback. I think the days of calling him a young quarterback are over in that room for those guys. He went out there and didn't make the plays he's supposed to make in the red zone. And he has no qualms about coming to the podium and letting you guys know that.''

As a franchise, the Bucs have lost 15 of their past 16 regular-season games and are 1-11 under Morris. But Morris said he's not worried about creating a culture of losing in the Bucs' locker room.

"No, not because of the guys that are here,'' Morris said. "You're talking about the young guys that are going to bring you through this thing. How well Quincy Black is playing these last two weeks and his production speaks volumes. You're talking about young guys who are going to get better and better together and grow together. If we were around here and we were a veteran team and we had this kind of culture and this kind of development of losing, it would be a problem. But right now, we're a bunch of babies that are going to grow up together and get better together.

"Every time we come off the field, and every handshake at the end of these games with opposing coaches, they're getting a little bit easier because I know they understand that, too.''