BSPN: Bucs Will Finish With No. 2 Seed
December 30th, 2021
Strong finish, numbers say.
If you are of the mind like Brandon Staley and Kevin Cash and believe raw data determines everything on the field, you are likely going to like how the Bucs and the NFL finish the season.
Seth Walder, who sometimes has a bad habit of littering Twitter with statistical gibberish night and day, has hatched some sort of numbers scheme in which he and his fellow henchmen at BSPN can predict the future.
And that future is the Bucs finish with the No. 2 seed in the NFC, and of course at least one home playoff game.
Here are the final seeds Walder and his software formula have spit out:
1. Green Bay Packers (13-4)
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4)
3. Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
4. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
5. Arizona Cardinals (11-6)
6. San Francisco 49ers (10-7)
7. Philadelphia Eagles (9-8)
Yes, Walder has the scores for the final two Bucs regular season games. It seems this same software suggests the Bucs finish the regular season with double-digit wins over the hapless Jets and the lame duck Stinking Panthers.
Numbers never take into account the physical elements of the game, such as injuries, and damn if the Bucs have been bitten by the injury bug.
On face value, Joe would trust Walder’s work over, say, NFL Network stats queen Cynthia Frelund. While Frelund is pleasant on the eyes, her work is borderline bogus.
If you gambled based on Frelund’s bad guesses, not only would you be flat broke, but you’d have to hit the mattresses because the Vegas mob would be hunting you down.
FYI there’s enough Vitamin C in a can of Bromosa to save you from your NYE hangover
— Big Storm Brewing Co (@BigStormBrewing) December 28, 2021
December 30th, 2021 at 11:06 am
And to think there’s people on this site talking about resting players this week. When our seeding is solidified or we have an insurmountable lead, that is the time we can rest players
December 30th, 2021 at 11:06 am
Frelund needs a nose job.
Shallow I know. But sense you referenced “pleasant on the eyes” I thought I would go there too.
December 30th, 2021 at 11:06 am
It would be very good to have at least 2 home playoff games.
Time will tell, but I sure hope so.
GO BUCS!!!!
December 30th, 2021 at 11:09 am
Rest does not have to mean not play. Play backups more plays. Less plays for Suh, Vea, Jensen, etc.
December 30th, 2021 at 11:11 am
I agree modhair, as long as we have a big lead or our seed is locked in place
Hell, next week if the Bucs can’t gain any spots I would like them to start Trask for game and see how he does
December 30th, 2021 at 11:18 am
One major problem with this is if the games go the way he projects then 49ers would have clinched wild card after this week and he has them upsetting the rams in last week but one would think they would rest up some players on the 49ers side
December 30th, 2021 at 11:35 am
SB, it’s not shallow to want your lady friend to not have the beak of a toucan.
December 30th, 2021 at 11:35 am
Cards beat the cowboys is both unlikely and really really helpful. Hope it happens.
December 30th, 2021 at 12:04 pm
Zoom is not a friend of Frelund. Cowboys will beat AZ but possibly lose to Philly next week. Rams have a good chance to lose to Baltimore. Jackson is 12-0 against NFC teams and he is playing.
December 30th, 2021 at 12:06 pm
Yeah, so #2 seed gets 2 home playoff games if the 1st game is a victory. That would be great. We need to stop getting nailed by COVID also. TB12 would be a devastating loss here at the end so we need lots of luck along the way.
December 30th, 2021 at 12:07 pm
There is nothing Brady would like more than meeting the crap out of Jimmy Garoppolo
December 30th, 2021 at 12:07 pm
Err…yah
December 30th, 2021 at 12:07 pm
Frelund, yeah that dude is ugly.
December 30th, 2021 at 12:17 pm
The Bucs have roughly a 2% chance of getting the first seed, which according to the Lloyd Christmas, means that they do have a chance!
Second seed seems probable (not likely or “very probable”), but that projection means the Bucs roll over the next two patsies, and that Dallas loses to either Arizona or Phili. ‘Zona is falling apart, they need to win their last two games for the sake of confidence, or they’ll roll over and die in the first round. Phili might need that Week 18 win to get into the playoffs.
LA Rams are also ahead of the Bucs, but they face two potentially tough games. Baltimore is like Arizona, they’re falling apart. If they lose this weekend to the Rams they will not likely make the playoffs. That’s staggering (pun intended) when you consider how they were positioned just a month ago; this game is “do or die” for the Ravens. The Rams will then face San Francisco during Week 18, SF will probably earn a playoff spot even if they lose, but they’ll definitely get a playoff berth if they win. These two teams are rivals, though the intensity is not remotely on a par with Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans.
December 30th, 2021 at 12:53 pm
It just doesn’t seem likely any of the teams ahead of us loses. Stupid 3-team tie!
December 30th, 2021 at 1:03 pm
Losing to WTF and NO was Berry berry Bad.
December 30th, 2021 at 1:12 pm
If the Browns HC or OC would have run the ball against Green Bay, they might have won that game. Mayfield had already thrown 3 picks. They were at midfield with a little over a minute left and a couple of timeouts. Chubb was averaging almost 9 yards per carry and a FG wins it. That could have been the Packers’ 4th loss.
Worst decision to pass vs. run since Pete Carroll in the S.B. on the goal line against the Pats.
Oh well, 2 seed or 3 seed works. Extra week off and one fewer game to win would have been sweet tho
December 30th, 2021 at 2:23 pm
I don’t know if I’d rather face a hot Eagles team, that we barely beat (because Leftwich was trying to run out the clock with 14 mins left in the 3rd quarter), or the Cardinals who seem to be falling apart.
All I know is I do not want to face…
1. Saints
2. Rams
Not saying the Bucs beat everyone else, but those two teams have our number. Yes, we did beat the Saints last year in the playoffs when Brees couldn’t throw the ball more than 12 yards downfield, but I really don’t want to test our luck again. As for the Rams, they’re just a team that matches up really well vs the Bucs since they can get pressure without blitzing, and those are the teams that kill us.
December 30th, 2021 at 3:02 pm
that would be GREAT .. we get at least 2 home games.. and If Rams beat the packers–then we win NFC crown at home by beating the Rams
December 30th, 2021 at 3:06 pm
Losing to WTF and NO was Berry berry Bad.
Yes. 🙁
December 30th, 2021 at 4:10 pm
The more I think about it, the more I believe that the likely destination is the third seed. Both Dallas and LAR have moderately tough remaining games in which they’re favored. Either Dallas or the Rams will likely lose one of their remaining games. Both would have to lose one game apiece for the Bucs to climb to the second seed. I just don’t see both losing a game apiece.
December 30th, 2021 at 6:53 pm
Not true Bucs cannot jump GB, Bucs lost to too many NFC teams. They can Jump Dallas and Rams if Bucs win out and both lose one or both games.
December 30th, 2021 at 7:16 pm
What a load of crap. Bucs have to win both final games. The Covid crud has caught up and thank gawd, we can field a team Sunday. We won the division. I am fine with it. GO MIGHTY (IF SOMEWHAT DEPLETED) BUCS!!
December 30th, 2021 at 11:40 pm
Wont we get the 2nd if the rams lose and we would have the tie breaker vs the cowboys as long as we win out
December 30th, 2021 at 11:42 pm
If we win out and the cowboys win out and the rams lose one game wouldn’t we get the 2nd because we would have the tie breaker vs the cowboys
December 31st, 2021 at 8:26 am
Just win the last two games and see what happens. Hopefully 2nd seed but at least 3rd.
January 2nd, 2022 at 9:04 am
NEVER rest players before playoffs!! How many times did we see Manning out of sync with his players in the first game of the playoffs cuz Dungy was scared to play them!! You at least play them the first half!!
.. I saw someone else talking about it… That being said I believe it will shake out just like this!! I do think they will have number 2 seed and Dallas and the Rams will drop another game!! They are going to be beat up heading into the playoffs too! They play ok teams!!