Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2006 · Week 3

Final

Broncos

Denver

QB Jake Plummer

17·7

Patriots

New England

QB Tom Brady

Gillette Stadium · outdoors · grass · 68°F · wind 12mph

Closing spread

NE -6.5

Total

38.5

Model margin

+4.7est.

NE perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Patriots
  • Broncos

How each play moved the game.

Patriots winsBroncos wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Broncosedge mapPatriots
  • -0.045EPA / play+0.063
  • 40.7%Success rate44.2%
  • -0.060EPA / dropback+0.118
  • -0.028EPA / rush-0.007
  • 8.8%Explosive rate9.2%
  • -2.37CPOE+0.89
  • 37.1%Third-down rate43.7%
  • 62.0%Red-zone TD rate58.5%
  • 1.52Points / drive1.82
  • 2.8%Turnover rate2.4%

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

NE lead 13–10 since 1999

NE have won 2 straight. Meetings average 45.4 points. NE are 11-12 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · playoffsNE @ DEN107NE
2023 · W16NE @ DEN2623NE
2020 · W6DEN @ NE1812DEN
2017 · W10NE @ DEN4116NE
2016 · W15NE @ DEN163NE
2015 · playoffsNE @ DEN1820DEN
2015 · W12NE @ DEN2430DEN
2014 · W9DEN @ NE2143NE

Box score

Individual performances

Broncos

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jake Plummer15/3025620

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Tatum Bell271234.60
Mike Bell4123.00
Jake Plummer393.00

Patriots

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Tom Brady31/5532010

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Laurence Maroney12181.50
Corey Dillon5163.20
Tom Brady273.50
Kevin Faulk166.00

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 +6.53.6%6.5%7.5%3.2%4.9%3.2%3.0%

Positive margins favour Patriots; negative favour Broncos.

Half-point at risk

4.92%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

61.5%

Expected total

44.0est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+2.11
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+4.67