Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2001 · Week 12 · Division

Final

Cowboys

Dallas

QB Quincy Carter

20·14

Commanders

Washington

QB Tony Banks

FedExField · outdoors · grass · 52°F · wind 9mph

Closing spread

WAS -8.5

Total

35.5

Model margin

+3.9est.

WAS perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Commanders
  • Cowboys

How each play moved the game.

Commanders winsCowboys wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Cowboysedge mapCommanders
  • -0.125EPA / play-0.103
  • 36.1%Success rate38.9%
  • -0.132EPA / dropback-0.101
  • -0.117EPA / rush-0.105
  • 10.1%Explosive rate8.6%
  • 32.7%Third-down rate34.9%
  • 32.6%Red-zone TD rate43.9%
  • 0.93Points / drive1.18
  • 3.1%Turnover rate2.3%
  • -0.034EPA / play allowed-0.069

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

DAL lead 38–16 since 1999

DAL have won 2 straight. Meetings average 44.3 points. WAS are 23-31 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W17DAL @ WAS3023DAL
2025 · W7WAS @ DAL2244DAL
2024 · W18WAS @ DAL2319WAS
2024 · W12DAL @ WAS3426DAL
2023 · W18DAL @ WAS3810DAL
2023 · W12WAS @ DAL1045DAL
2022 · W18DAL @ WAS626WAS
2022 · W4WAS @ DAL1025DAL

Box score

Individual performances

Cowboys

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Quincy Carter7/1413011

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Emmitt Smith251024.11
Michael Wiley36120.30
Troy Hambrick10474.70
Quincy Carter750.70

Commanders

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Tony Banks17/3221611

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Stephen Davis17533.10
Tony Banks4256.31
Ki-Jana Carter133.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +8.56.7%7.5%3.2%4.9%3.2%2.9%

Positive margins favour Commanders; negative favour Cowboys.

Half-point at risk

1.25%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

59.5%

Expected total

43.2est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+1.59
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential-0.24
  • Expected margin+3.92