Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2004 · Week 17

Final

49ers

San Francisco

QB Ken Dorsey

7·21

Patriots

New England

QB Tom Brady

Gillette Stadium · outdoors · grass · 32°F · wind 2mph

Closing spread

NE -13

Total

37

Model margin

+10.7est.

NE perspective

Push chance

2.1%est.

Win probability

  • Patriots
  • 49ers

How each play moved the game.

Patriots wins49ers wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

49ersedge mapPatriots
  • -0.155EPA / play+0.099
  • 37.7%Success rate46.5%
  • -0.120EPA / dropback+0.228
  • -0.212EPA / rush-0.039
  • 5.6%Explosive rate10.3%
  • 33.2%Third-down rate45.1%
  • 48.7%Red-zone TD rate62.5%
  • 1.10Points / drive2.15
  • 3.8%Turnover rate2.5%
  • +0.068EPA / play allowed-0.088

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 3–3 since 1999

SF have won 2 straight. Meetings average 47.2 points. NE are 3-3 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2024 · W4NE @ SF1330SF
2020 · W7SF @ NE336SF
2016 · W11NE @ SF3017NE
2012 · W15SF @ NE4134SF
2008 · W5NE @ SF3021NE

Box score

Individual performances

49ers

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Ken Dorsey18/2918910

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Kevan Barlow251034.10
Maurice Hicks10323.20

Patriots

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Tom Brady22/3022621
Rohan Davey1/41000

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Corey Dillon141168.31
Cedric Cobbs5204.00
Patrick Pass4164.00
Bethel Johnson11111.00
Rabih Abdullah252.50
Tom Brady133.00
Rohan Davey133.00

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 +136.5%2.3%3.0%4.8%3.5%3.6%3.0%2.7%

Positive margins favour Patriots; negative favour 49ers.

Half-point at risk

2.09%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

76.0%

Expected total

42.3est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+5.98
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment+2.19
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+10.73