2003 · Week 1

Final

Falcons

Atlanta

QB Doug Johnson

27·13

Cowboys

Dallas

QB Quincy Carter

Texas Stadium · outdoors · fieldturf · 82°F · wind 5mph

Closing spread

DAL -2

Total

36.5

Model margin

+4.3est.

DAL perspective

Push chance

2.1%est.

Win probability

  • Cowboys
  • Falcons

How each play moved the game.

Cowboys winsFalcons wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Falconsedge mapCowboys
  • -0.116EPA / play-0.085
  • 39.2%Success rate39.6%
  • -0.213EPA / dropback-0.053
  • +0.020EPA / rush-0.123
  • 7.5%Explosive rate9.1%
  • 29.8%Third-down rate36.8%
  • 53.9%Red-zone TD rate50.3%
  • 1.36Points / drive1.23
  • 2.7%Turnover rate2.6%
  • +0.030EPA / play allowed-0.125

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 47.9 points. DAL are 5-7 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2024 · W9DAL @ ATL2127ATL
2021 · W10ATL @ DAL343DAL
2020 · W2ATL @ DAL3940DAL
2018 · W11DAL @ ATL2219DAL
2017 · W10DAL @ ATL727ATL
2015 · W3ATL @ DAL3928ATL
2012 · W9DAL @ ATL1319ATL
2009 · W7ATL @ DAL2137DAL

Box score

Individual performances

Falcons

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Doug Johnson16/2722821

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Warrick Dunn13413.20
Justin Griffith5367.20
T.J. Duckett5214.20
Quentin McCord221.00
Doug Johnson5-2-0.41

Cowboys

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Quincy Carter15/3226811

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Aveion Cason27738.51
Troy Hambrick14533.80
Quincy Carter4112.80

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 +23.6%6.6%7.5%3.2%4.9%3.2%2.9%

Positive margins favour Cowboys; negative favour Falcons.

Half-point at risk

2.11%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

60.5%

Expected total

42.4est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+1.74
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+4.30