2004 · Week 16

Final

Bills

Buffalo

QB Drew Bledsoe

41·7

49ers

San Francisco

QB Ken Dorsey

3Com Park · outdoors · grass · 54°F · wind 18mph

Closing spread

BUF -10

Total

41.5

Model margin

-4.3est.

SF perspective

Push chance

3.2%est.

the line sits on a key number

Win probability

  • 49ers
  • Bills

How each play moved the game.

49ers winsBills wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Billsedge map49ers
  • -0.073EPA / play-0.155
  • 40.7%Success rate37.7%
  • -0.012EPA / dropback-0.120
  • -0.139EPA / rush-0.212
  • 8.2%Explosive rate5.6%
  • 35.8%Third-down rate33.2%
  • 48.1%Red-zone TD rate48.7%
  • 1.71Points / drive1.10
  • 2.7%Turnover rate3.8%
  • -0.135EPA / play allowed+0.068

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 4–3 since 1999

BUF have won 3 straight. Meetings average 44 points. SF are 3-4 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2024 · W13SF @ BUF1035BUF
2020 · W13BUF @ SF3424BUF
2016 · W6SF @ BUF1645BUF
2012 · W5BUF @ SF345SF
2008 · W13SF @ BUF103SF
2001 · W12BUF @ SF035SF

Box score

Individual performances

Bills

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Drew Bledsoe21/3217210
Shane Matthews2/34410

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Willis McGahee151026.82
Shaud Williams17935.51
Lee Evans12121.00
Drew Bledsoe294.50
Eric Moulds111.00

49ers

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Cody Pickett4/105502
Ken Dorsey5/105401

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Kevan Barlow15724.81
Terry Jackson2115.50
Maurice Hicks10101.00
Cody Pickett155.00

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 -102.9%3.2%4.9%3.2%7.5%6.6%

Positive margins favour 49ers; negative favour Bills.

Half-point at risk

3.20%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

37.6%

Expected total

41.0est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-4.77
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment-2.19
  • Rest differential+0.08
  • Expected margin-4.32