Welcome back to another bonus edition of Predict The Score. I'm under the weather so I'll keep it short today.
First, congrats to kaimaru, who's been plugging away all season long and finally got a win. His 27-13 prediction was only nine points off the actual score of 32-9. Well done, kaimaru.
On a practical basis, for the season standings, we still have two more weeks minimum, the game next week and the Super Bowl.
The season standings are as follows:
Week 1: Jonny, Predicted Bucs 20 Vikings 17, 0 points off. Whoa!
(wins/total points off 1/0)Week 2: Doooshnzl, Predicted Bucs 28, Bears 17, 1 point off, winning the tiebreaker over Kaimaru and Bootz (so close!)(1/1)
Week 3: acmillis, Predicted Bucs 14 Eagles 26, 4 points off. (1/4)
Week 4: Buc2, Predicted Bucs 23, Saints 13, 7 points off. (1/7)
Week 6: Four Verticals, Predicted Bucs 10, Lions 24, 8 points off. (1/8)
Week 7: No winner, as no one predicted a Bucs loss. (---/---)
Week 8: Nobody, Predicted Bucs 16, Bills 24, 2 points off. (1/2)
Week 9: Bahamian:bucfan, Predicted Bucs 20, Texans 25, 31 points off. (1/31)
Week 10: TonyLip, Predicted Bucs 19, Titans 13, 11 points off. (1/11)
Week 11: Kress, Predicted Bucs 16, Niners 27, 2 points off. (1/2)
Week 12: Nobody, Predicted Bucs 21, Colts 23, 5 points off. Honorable mention to Kress! (2/7)
Week 13: TonyLip, Predicted Bucs 20, Titans 17, 2 points off. (2/13)
Week 14: Bahamian:Bucfan, Predicted Bucs 35, Falcons 25, 8 points off. (2/39)
Week 15: TonyLip, Predicted Bucs 28, Packers 22 with 3 sacks each, 8 points off. (3/21)
Week 16: CannonFire, Predicted Bucs 27, Jaguars 10 with a 51-yard Bucs FG, 5 points and 1 yard off. (1/5)
Week 17: acmillis, Predicted Bucs 13, Saints 22, 1 point off. (2/5)
Week 18: Xandtar, Predicted Bucs 13, Panthers 10, 13 points off (1/13).
Week 19: kaimaru, Predicted Bucs 27, Eagles 13, 9 points off (1/9)
The tiebreaker next week will again focus on the Bucs' defense, with total yards from scrimmage of David Montgomery, last week's leading rusher for the Lions with 57 yards on the ground and 11 in the air too.
----------------
I'll begin.
The Lions are the 'Team of Destiny' this year, the one the media are following as the princess at the ball. We get to be one of Cinderella's three evil stepsisters in this narrative. Being totally ignored by the media like we were last week until the Eagles' funk became boring to cover would be best, but second best is being the understrength villain who isn't expected to win against the heroic Lions. Because the ONE thing this Buccaneers team can't handle is fawning media, Baker gets the big head and the next thing you know he's thrown three picks and we're in the offseason. We have what it takes to beat the Lions in their temperature-controlled dome. They have what it takes to beat us, and since they did in our house, they know it. We cannot afford the luxury of inconsistent play anymore, we have no more games to give to the whims of chance. One game at a time is all that matters. Green Bay, San Fran, any AFC team, who cares. We have business to take care of.
Tampa Bay 13
Detroit 10
Montgomery 78 yards
Your turn.
