2002 · Week 4

Final

Saints

New Orleans

QB Aaron Brooks

21·26

Lions

Detroit

QB Joey Harrington

Ford Field · dome · fieldturf

Closing spread

NO -9

Total

45

Model margin

+1.2est.

DET perspective

Push chance

1.0%est.

Win probability

  • Lions
  • Saints

How each play moved the game.

Lions winsSaints wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Saintsedge mapLions
  • -0.006EPA / play-0.148
  • 39.0%Success rate34.3%
  • +0.038EPA / dropback-0.156
  • -0.078EPA / rush-0.134
  • 8.2%Explosive rate8.1%
  • 40.9%Third-down rate29.8%
  • 59.3%Red-zone TD rate49.8%
  • 1.94Points / drive0.96
  • 2.7%Turnover rate2.9%
  • -0.005EPA / play allowed+0.065

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

DET lead 8–6 since 1999

DET have won 2 straight. Meetings average 54.6 points. DET are 6-8 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2026 · W1NO @ DET3031DET
2023 · W13DET @ NO3328DET
2020 · W4NO @ DET3529NO
2017 · W6DET @ NO3852NO
2016 · W13DET @ NO2813DET
2015 · W15DET @ NO3527DET
2014 · W7NO @ DET2324DET
2011 · playoffsDET @ NO2845NO

Box score

Individual performances

Saints

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Aaron Brooks27/4826922

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Deuce McAllister12615.11
Aaron Brooks44912.30

Lions

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Joey Harrington20/3526710

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
James Stewart18653.60
Richard Huntley341.30
Joey Harrington2-3-1.50

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Az-Zahir Hakim36980
Bill Schroeder78781
Larry Foster35370
Mikhael Ricks13340
Scotty Anderson0400
James Stewart35-50

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 -94.2%2.8%7.2%7.5%3.0%

Positive margins favour Lions; negative favour Saints.

Half-point at risk

1.03%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

52.4%

Expected total

44.4est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-1.34
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+1.23