Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2008 · Week 1

Final

Cowboys

Dallas

QB Tony Romo

28·10

Browns

Cleveland

QB Derek Anderson

Cleveland Browns Stadium · outdoors · grass · 71°F · wind 12mph

Closing spread

DAL -6

Total

48.5

Model margin

+0.3est.

CLE perspective

Push chance

2.9%est.

the line sits on a key number

Win probability

  • Browns
  • Cowboys

How each play moved the game.

Browns winsCowboys wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Cowboysedge mapBrowns
  • -0.018EPA / play-0.155
  • 41.9%Success rate36.2%
  • -0.021EPA / dropback-0.205
  • -0.015EPA / rush-0.086
  • 10.2%Explosive rate6.7%
  • +3.06CPOE-11.69
  • 43.2%Third-down rate33.5%
  • 67.6%Red-zone TD rate29.2%
  • 1.67Points / drive1.05
  • 3.1%Turnover rate2.6%

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

DAL lead 5–1 since 1999

Meetings average 49 points. CLE are 2-4 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2024 · W1DAL @ CLE3317DAL
2020 · W4CLE @ DAL4938CLE
2016 · W9DAL @ CLE3510DAL
2012 · W11CLE @ DAL2023DAL
2004 · W2CLE @ DAL1219DAL

Box score

Individual performances

Cowboys

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Tony Romo24/3232011

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Marion Barber16805.02
Felix Jones9626.91
Tashard Choice5265.20
Tony Romo1-1-1.00

Browns

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Derek Anderson11/2411410

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Jamal Lewis13624.80
Derek Anderson4246.00
Jason Wright155.00

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 -62.7%4.4%2.9%7.3%7.4%2.9%4.5%

Positive margins favour Browns; negative favour Cowboys.

Half-point at risk

2.90%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

49.9%

Expected total

40.6est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-2.19
  • Home-field advantage+2.49
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+0.29