Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2002 · Week 8

Final

Lions

Detroit

QB Joey Harrington

17·24

Bills

Buffalo

QB Drew Bledsoe

Ralph Wilson Stadium · outdoors · astroturf · 47°F · wind 18mph

Closing spread

BUF -7.5

Total

50

Model margin

+5.0est.

BUF perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Bills
  • Lions

How each play moved the game.

Bills winsLions wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Lionsedge mapBills
  • -0.148EPA / play+0.021
  • 34.3%Success rate47.1%
  • -0.156EPA / dropback+0.091
  • -0.134EPA / rush-0.110
  • 8.1%Explosive rate8.3%
  • 29.8%Third-down rate42.2%
  • 49.8%Red-zone TD rate59.5%
  • 0.96Points / drive1.81
  • 2.9%Turnover rate2.6%
  • +0.065EPA / play allowed+0.022

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

BUF lead 6–1 since 1999

BUF have won 5 straight. Meetings average 43.6 points. BUF are 3-4 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2024 · W15BUF @ DET4842BUF
2022 · W12BUF @ DET2825BUF
2018 · W15DET @ BUF1314BUF
2014 · W5BUF @ DET1714BUF
2010 · W10DET @ BUF1214BUF
2006 · W6BUF @ DET1720DET

Box score

Individual performances

Lions

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Joey Harrington20/4219911

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
James Stewart24833.51

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
James Stewart812530
Bill Schroeder25460
Az-Zahir Hakim38331
Mikhael Ricks25290
Germane Crowell35230
Scotty Anderson0100

Bills

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Drew Bledsoe21/3630210

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Travis Henry19643.42
Drew Bledsoe4102.50
Joe Burns100.00

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Eric Moulds9181230
Peerless Price461011
Jay Riemersma23180
Josh Reed22180
Sammy Morris11160
Travis Henry12120

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 +7.53.5%6.4%7.5%3.2%4.9%3.3%3.0%

Positive margins favour Bills; negative favour Lions.

Half-point at risk

2.20%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

62.5%

Expected total

45.7est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+2.49
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+5.05