Eagles at Buccaneers

It was a tale of two half seasons this year for the Eagles. Look at their ability to control the ball in the first half season, as measured by rushes + pass completions. Second half, not so much.

Question is: did Eagles just slack off, sandbag, or did they get figured out and/or get worse? We don't know. Stats only measure performance, not intent. We know Belichick's Pats sandbagged in some seasons. Did this Eagles team do the same? We'll see.

Despite their modest record, Tampa Bay Bucs are no pushover. On offense, Bucs, rank 10 just ahead of Eagles at 11. Killer Stat, Offense.

Bucs do not rank well defense, at 24, but Eagles are not so hot either at rank 16. See both teams on the defensive side of our Killer Stat, (Yards per Pass attempt) chart. Killer Stat, Defense.

Since these stats are averages for the whole season, and in the Eagles case, comprise one good and one bad half, where do they really stand? The good half, the bad or the average? We'll have a good idea after this game.

Our computer likes the Tampa Bay by 4, which includes 3 points for the home field. I'll take the Eagles and hope, like many Eagles fans, that they are better than what they showed in the second half.

Bill Sanders for BudGoodeSports.com
dr.bill@wrsanders.com

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