How many points will the Buccaneers give up?

The 2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave up an average of 24.6 points per game, PPG. That is an unadjusted amount because it includes the offense’s pick six (actually, seven points if you include the point after attempt, PAT). That stat has the Bucs ranked 23^rd overall in PPG. Last year was coach Schiano and company’s first year. With one year under the belt, what do you think the defense will allow in PPG, unadjusted?

Let us not go too crazy and throw numbers up there to simply throw numbers up there. Permit me to give you some background and then you decide what range that might be for points allowed, PA, average this year.

Here are the players no longer with the Buccaneers’ defense: DE Bennet, DT Miller, CB Talib, CB Wright, and S Barber.

The additions to the Buccaneers’ 2013 defense are: CB Revis, S Goldson, DT Landri, and the following rookies CB Banks (2^nd round), DT Spence (4^th round), DE Gholston, as well as DE Means.

Allow me to introduce some statistical breakdown from the 2012 season. We had a bye week after the fourth game. The bye helped to segment my table below.

The schedule for 2013 actually mimics the 2012 season because the Bucs have a bye after the first four games. That makes collecting stats much easier for me because the breakdown can be documented and compared to last year’s stats.

Now, let us take a look at the points allowed average within our division and conflate that with two teams we will be seeing again for 2013, the Philadelphia Eagles and the St. Louis "we know your offense too well" Rams.

Astonishingly, the points allowed average is quite similar to the season’s average against the teams the Bay will be seeing again for 2013. That includes the drubbing the Saints gave us with a 35 and 41 point performances.

The question for you to answer is did the Buccaneers improved, remain in the same disposition or became worse for the 2013 season by points allowed average. One more moment before I let your mind go astray: the average PA for 2012 in the NFL was 22.7 points; the low was 15.3 points and the high was 29.4 points. Now, have at it and leave a comment as to why you picked what you picked.