2001 · Week 16

Final

Commanders

Washington

QB Tony Banks

40·10

Saints

New Orleans

QB Aaron Brooks

Louisiana Superdome · dome · astroturf

Closing spread

NO -5

Total

39.5

Model margin

-0.2est.

NO perspective

Push chance

1.8%est.

Win probability

  • Saints
  • Commanders

How each play moved the game.

Saints winsCommanders wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Commandersedge mapSaints
  • -0.103EPA / play-0.068
  • 38.9%Success rate38.2%
  • -0.101EPA / dropback+0.007
  • -0.105EPA / rush-0.203
  • 8.6%Explosive rate8.8%
  • 34.9%Third-down rate38.8%
  • 43.9%Red-zone TD rate52.3%
  • 1.18Points / drive1.58
  • 2.3%Turnover rate3.1%
  • -0.069EPA / play allowed+0.009

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

All square 6–6 since 1999

Meetings average 55 points. NO are 5-7 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2024 · W15WAS @ NO2019WAS
2021 · W5NO @ WAS3322NO
2018 · W5WAS @ NO1943NO
2017 · W11WAS @ NO3134NO
2015 · W10NO @ WAS1447WAS
2012 · W1WAS @ NO4032WAS
2009 · W13NO @ WAS3330NO
2008 · W2NO @ WAS2429WAS

Box score

Individual performances

Commanders

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Tony Banks9/159401

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Stephen Davis211115.31
Ki-Jana Carter15513.42
Tony Banks591.81
Michael Westbrook100.00

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Zeron Flemister33320
Kevin Lockett13170
Walter Rasby11150
Rod Gardner13150
Stephen Davis22110

Saints

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Aaron Brooks14/2812713

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Ricky Williams17744.40
Aaron Brooks5244.80
Deuce McAllister122.00

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 +52.7%4.4%2.9%7.4%7.3%2.9%4.4%2.7%

Positive margins favour Saints; negative favour Commanders.

Half-point at risk

1.84%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

48.5%

Expected total

44.3est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-2.77
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin-0.21