The Sports Wire

Falcons at Commanders

Prediction updated
Falcons at Commanders · Week 15 · Sun, Dec 20 · 12:00 PM CT · Fox

Our call: FalconsToss-up

3 of 4 models favor the Falcons.

On average the models have the Falcons by 0.9 points, a 53% win chance.

Early prediction, updates weekly until kickoff.

Data through Week 5's games (the last played Mon, Oct 12), from nflverse play-by-play; nflverse last published it .

Atlanta Falcons (2–3) at Washington Commanders (1–3–1) Sun, Dec 20, 2026 Kickoff 12:00 PM CT on Fox Washington

TV listings: ESPN

Every model

ModelSaysWin chance
Consensus (our call)The average of Our model, Elo, SRS and ESPN FPI (whichever are there); the market is left out. This is our call.Falcons by 0.953%
Our model ExperimentalOur ratings from nflverse play-by-play: opponent-adjusted EPA per play, home field and the starting quarterback, frozen on the 2024 season and tested once on 2025. Experimental.Commanders by 1.153%
EloEvery team's Elo rating from every game since 1999 (FiveThirtyEight's method).Falcons by 0.652%
SRSSimple Rating System: points scored minus allowed, adjusted for the schedule, blended with last season early on. Settings chosen by hand, not tuned.Falcons by 3.259%
ESPN FPIESPN's Football Power Index matchup predictor, read from ESPN before kickoff. Read in the week of the game.Available game week—
RecordThe team with the better record this season; equal records go to the home team. A winner only.Falcons—

Our model is experimental. Season so far (79 games, Weeks 1–4 reconstructed): it missed the final margin by 9.8 points on average, the market's margin by 9.8; ours was closer in 38 of 79. Scorecard →

Numbers to know

Starting quarterbacks

Not named yet. The quarterbacks we assume show here in game week: once every earlier game is in, or two days before Week 15's first kickoff.

Injuries

The official Week 15 injury report isn't out yet. It shows here once nflverse has it, in the week of the game.

Latest news

Atlanta Falcons

More Falcons news →

Washington Commanders

More Commanders news →

Headlines and a line or two from each outlet's own feed, linked to the original; the stories are theirs, not ours.

Matchup

Opponent-adjusted, from nflverse play-by-play, through Week 5 (the games played so far); league rank in brackets.

FalconsCommanders
Net EPA per play+0.01 (15th)−0.09 (26th)
Offense, EPA per play−0.02 (17th)−0.04 (21st)
Defense, EPA per play allowed (lower is better)−0.04 (10th)+0.06 (25th)
Passing offense, EPA per dropback−0.06 (29th)+0.03 (19th)
Rushing offense, EPA per run+0.02 (3rd)−0.14 (23rd)
Offense success rate45% (12th)40% (28th)

Last 5 meetings

The Commanders won 4 of the last 5 meetings.

Sep 28, 2025Week 4, 2025Falcons 34, Commanders 27at Atlanta
Dec 29, 2024Week 17, 2024Commanders 30, Falcons 24at Washington
Oct 15, 2023Week 6, 2023Commanders 24, Falcons 16at Atlanta
Nov 27, 2022Week 12, 2022Commanders 19, Falcons 13at Washington
Oct 3, 2021Week 4, 2021Commanders 34, Falcons 30at Atlanta