Way Too Much Season Left To Expect 16-1
October 30th, 2021
Could they be right?
Hold up there, cowboy.
Look, Joe is not anti-statgeek, though Joe understands why some readers may think that. It’s just that numbers are information, a tool, intel, a crystal ball.
That’s where Joe and the statgeeks part ways. The numbers crowd is convinced their data will dictate to a coach how to dominate a game. That’s crazy.
Basically, Joe has been suspicious of numbers since high school after learning you can twist numbers any way you want to prove a point. Are numbers valuable? Of course. Can they be misleading? Very much so.
And here is an example. BSPN uses calculations called “FPI” to determine strengths and weaknesses of teams. This program projects that the Bucs are favored in every game the rest of the season.
Joe thinks even the most diehard of Bucs fans would be slightly hesitant to put money down that the Bucs will finish the regular season at 16-1 (but that would be so cool). Jenna Laine of ESPN has the intel.
Why the Bucs are a legitimate Super Bowl contender: Their +86 point differential is the third-highest in the NFL, despite being without tight end Rob Gronkowski. They’re also leading the league in points scored and total offensive yardage. Quarterback Tom Brady is leading the NFL in passing yards (2,275) and passing touchdowns (21), and they boast the NFL’s No. 1 ranked rush defense. Plus, we know Brady elevates his level in the postseason. And they have the seventh-easiest strength of schedule the rest of the season, with their remaining opponents having a combined 29-36 record. FPI has the Bucs as favorites in all of their remaining games, so clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is a very real possibility.
Joe gets it, except running the table to finish 16-1. Could the Bucs do that? Sure. They have the firepower. But man, what an accomplishment that would be. Joe’s not banking on it.
Joe’s wants homefield advantage.
Is Joe hoping this software is correct? Hope and reality are two very different things.
Cross your fingers, Bucs fans. 🤞
October 30th, 2021 at 10:13 am
I’m a Vikings and Texans fan this weekend.. that’s all I know.
October 30th, 2021 at 10:27 am
Why not 16-1? The only game that might be legit and not a trap is with the Bills. They showed they weren’t cast iron last week.
Besides, we all need dreams, especially right now.
October 30th, 2021 at 10:29 am
Homefield advantage would be great, but we need Arizona, Green Bay, and Los Angeles to all lose, especially Los Angeles because they beat us, and would own the tiebreaker.
October 30th, 2021 at 10:31 am
Just get in the Playoffs with a healthy roster and all is good.
October 30th, 2021 at 10:40 am
Only ONE game matters: Sunday, 10/13/2001, 4:25pm.
The rest is just gum-flapping.
October 30th, 2021 at 10:43 am
When you look at the schedules, many of the top teams play each …..Rams vs Cardinals……Cowboys vs Cardinals….Packers vs Rams……..that helps….
October 30th, 2021 at 10:44 am
Dangerous thinking!
One game at a time and everything works out best.
TB could slip in the shower and never play again,
One game at a time.
October 30th, 2021 at 11:13 am
I agree with CobraKai…minus the dyslexia.
October 30th, 2021 at 11:37 am
Horseface Jenna is reading the data correctly, but the data are history. They really aren’t an indicator of future performance. Just ask the Chiefs.
I hate to desecrate your Cheerios this morning, but Derrick Brooks is right. The Saints will beat the Bucs up tomorrow. They will get pass rush with four, they will use multiple coverages in disguise like they did last year and Belichoad did this year (with success). And I’m afraid that Jameis will have a game for the ages. It’s easy for us to forget his good side, I mean he turned Breshad Permian into a legit WR1 for a minute when no one was left on the field except barkeeps and stockboys. Permian is out of football. Jameis will turn one of the Saints scrub WRs into a 100 yard receiver today against the Bucs banged up secondary, and while the Bucs may slow Kamara down, he’ll still eat his share of yards.
This one is going to be ugly. Saints win by 10+.
October 30th, 2021 at 11:54 am
LOL….2001. Oops.
2021.
October 30th, 2021 at 11:55 am
Its not hard at all to perceive the Bucs 12-1 going into the Bills game in December….
Luckily it will be in Tampa and not a frozen possibly snowy game in Buffalo..
The Rams game was a stunner and it would not be surprising if the Bills game is a rough one for the Bucs…
Bucs can and should win that one but that is why they play the game!
October 30th, 2021 at 12:11 pm
Aight swamp, if you are giving me 10, I will take that bet all day long.
October 30th, 2021 at 12:21 pm
Who cares? Just do what you have to to get home field advantage. The 20-0 is ova, the rest mean nothing, Dolphins the only undefeated team in history.
October 30th, 2021 at 2:16 pm
@Cobraboy Says:
“LOL….2001. Oops.
2021.”
——————
that is not the only “Oops”, but who is counting….. 🤔🤔
…and yes it is True.
October 30th, 2021 at 2:34 pm
16-1 is hard, but the situation this season is different:
Cowboys; Rams; GB; Arizona; …. let them have the second lost first and then we can relax… for as long as one of them is still holding 1 loss, we have to work hard to keep it this way…..so this week we should remain 1 L….
shall see next week……đź‘Ť
October 30th, 2021 at 2:51 pm
“Way Too Much Season Left To Expect 16-1”
-True
October 30th, 2021 at 3:43 pm
@crazybucs: “Winning” is when the yipping pit yorkies nip at your heels…
October 30th, 2021 at 4:05 pm
Wearing Red tomorrow đź‘Ť đźš© đźš©
October 30th, 2021 at 4:08 pm
^^^ yep…
October 30th, 2021 at 4:29 pm
The Bucs will be heavy favorites in every game with the exception of this weekends game at New Orleans and their home game against the Bills.
If the Bucs win this weekend they should have a great shot at either a 15-2 record or 16-1.
October 30th, 2021 at 4:38 pm
First thing the Bucs need to do, is beat the Saints tomorrow. I think they will.
But I ain’t gonna write no article about it.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:37 pm
Baby steps. The division is harder than many think.
2 Saints games
2 Panther games
Improving ATL
Bills game.
I think AT MOST they have 2 more losses and that’s what I predicted at the beginning of the year… But at this point, I’m going to predict 15 -2
October 31st, 2021 at 12:04 am
Well, anything may happen but I think our team (when playing good) is MUCH better than the (S)aint’s is. Period.
October 31st, 2021 at 10:07 am
F….. THE STATS 1 GAME AT A TIME IS ALL THAT MATTERS