Putting Up Numbers· NFL

The Buccaneers' points of margin with Sean Tucker and without Sean Tucker

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, the Buccaneers were 1.3 points over with Sean Tucker and 6.9 points under without Sean Tucker over their last 35 games, 33 games against 2. The plain averages are 3.1 and -6.5, a difference of 9.6. All 11 division games were with Sean Tucker. Both games after a bye were with Sean Tucker. Both games on a short week were with Sean Tucker.

Sean Tucker, running back: 533 rushing yards, 128 carries and 11 receptions in 30 of those 35 games.

2 games without Sean Tucker is still too small a sample for the statistics to say much, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

points of margin a game over expected

A +8.2 difference in points of margin over expected with Sean Tucker vs without Sean Tucker is a bit unusual: shuffle which games were with Sean Tucker and it comes up 19 times in 100.

A +9.6 difference in points of margin with Sean Tucker vs without Sean Tucker is about what you’d expect.

The games

with Sean Tuckerwithout Sean Tucker
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ games, last 35 games, each marked with Sean Tucker or without Sean Tucker
SideDateGameResultpoints of marginExpected
Nov 4, 2024@KCL-60.9
Nov 10, 2024vsSFL-38.3
Nov 24, 2024@NYGW238.2
Dec 1, 2024@CARW312.8
Dec 8, 2024vsLVW1511.2
Dec 15, 2024@LACW23-2.0
Dec 22, 2024@DALL-29.1
Dec 29, 2024vsCARW3413.2
Jan 5, 2025vsNOW89.6
Jan 12, 2025vsWASL-33.2
Sep 7, 2025@ATLW3-0.7
Sep 15, 2025@HOUW1-10.5
Sep 21, 2025vsNYJW211.8
Sep 28, 2025vsPHIL-6-0.2
Oct 5, 2025@SEAW3-15.5
Oct 12, 2025vsSFW11-4.2
Oct 20, 2025@DETL-15-4.4
Oct 26, 2025@NOW20-0.6
Nov 9, 2025vsNEL-5-3.7
Nov 16, 2025@BUFL-12-5.9
Nov 23, 2025@LAL-27-10.2
Nov 30, 2025vsARIW34.8
Dec 7, 2025vsNOL-45.6
Dec 11, 2025vsATLL-13.7
Dec 21, 2025@CARL-30.1
Dec 28, 2025@MIAL-32.8
Jan 3, 2026vsCARW23.5
Sep 13, 2026@CINL-6-0.2
Sep 20, 2026vsCLEL-43.6
Sep 27, 2026vsMINL-70.1
Oct 4, 2026vsGBL-31.2
Oct 8, 2026@DALW81.9
Oct 18, 2026vsPITL-71.1
Oct 25, 2026@CARW30-0.8
Nov 1, 2026vsATLW160.7

Method

Read against .

  • Expected is an offense and a defense a team, fit over every game of its season between two teams in the table with the game being read left out, plus 1.9 in 2024, plus 2.3 in 2025, plus 0.4 in 2026 for the home team (the edge the fit finds once strength is in), nothing at a neutral site.
  • Each expected number is then fit to the season’s games: a game bears out about 78% in 2024, 77% in 2025, 28% in 2026 of the difference the model predicts.
  • The shuffle keeps the season’s shape: the games are cut in two where one date leaves the least variance, each game is read against its stretch, and the sides are shuffled only inside each stretch.
  • Who played is read from the snap counts, which name every player who took a snap on offense, defense or special teams.