Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2017 · Week 15

Final

Patriots

New England

QB Tom Brady

27·24

Steelers

Pittsburgh

QB Ben Roethlisberger

Heinz Field · outdoors · grass · 42°F · wind 4mph

Closing spread

NE -2.5

Total

53

Model margin

+0.7est.

PIT perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Steelers
  • Patriots

How each play moved the game.

Steelers winsPatriots wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

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

Patriotsedge mapSteelers
  • +0.137EPA / play+0.076
  • 49.2%Success rate46.0%
  • +0.254EPA / dropback+0.177
  • -0.042EPA / rush-0.085
  • 9.4%Explosive rate9.4%
  • +3.49CPOE+3.69
  • 40.8%Third-down rate43.8%
  • 60.8%Red-zone TD rate57.6%
  • 2.52Points / drive2.22
  • 1.1%Turnover rate1.8%

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 14–5 since 1999

Meetings average 47.2 points. PIT are 6-12-1 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W3PIT @ NE2114PIT
2023 · W14NE @ PIT2118NE
2022 · W2NE @ PIT1714NE
2019 · W1PIT @ NE333NE
2018 · W15NE @ PIT1017PIT
2016 · playoffsPIT @ NE1736NE
2016 · W7NE @ PIT2716NE
2015 · W1PIT @ NE2128NE

Box score

Individual performances

Patriots

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Tom Brady22/3529811

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Dion Lewis13675.21
Rex Burkhead4123.01
Tom Brady2-2-1.00

Steelers

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Ben Roethlisberger22/3028121

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Le'Veon Bell241174.91
James Conner3134.30
Ben Roethlisberger3103.30
Fitzgerald Toussaint133.00

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 -2.52.6%4.3%2.9%7.3%7.4%3.0%4.5%2.8%

Positive margins favour Steelers; negative favour Patriots.

Half-point at risk

2.10%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

51.0%

Expected total

47.0est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-1.11
  • Home-field advantage+1.74
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential+0.08
  • Expected margin+0.71