2002 New England Patriots season

2002 New England Patriots season
OwnerRobert Kraft
Head coachBill Belichick
Home stadiumGillette Stadium
Results
Record9–7
Division place2nd AFC East
PlayoffsDid not qualify
All-ProsK Adam Vinatieri (1st team)
Pro BowlersST Larry Izzo
CB Ty Law
SS Lawyer Milloy
DT Richard Seymour
K Adam Vinatieri
C Damien Woody
Uniform

The 2002 season was the New England Patriots' 33rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd overall and their third under head coach Bill Belichick. They finished with a 9–7 record, good enough for second in the division but not a playoff berth. It was their first season at their new home field, Gillette Stadium, which replaced the adjacent Foxboro Stadium.

This was the first season since 1992 that Drew Bledsoe was not on the opening day roster, as he was traded to the Buffalo Bills during the offseason.

Following their victory in Super Bowl XXXVI seven months earlier, the Patriots played their first game in the new Gillette Stadium in the NFL's primetime Monday Night Football opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a win for the Patriots. After an additional two wins to begin the season, including a 44–7 road win against the division rival New York Jets, the team lost five of its next seven games, allowing an average of 137 rushing yards a game during that span. In the final week of the season, the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins on an overtime Adam Vinatieri field goal to give both teams a 9–7 record. A few hours later, the Jets, who defeated the Patriots the week prior, also finished with a 9–7 record with a win over the Green Bay Packers. Due to their record against common opponents, after the Jets won the tiebreaker for the division title, both the Patriots and Dolphins were eliminated from the playoff contention. The 2002 season was the only time the Patriots failed to win at least 10 games during the regular season in the Brady–Belichick era. It also marked the only season with Tom Brady as the primary starter that the team failed to make the playoffs, and the only time that Brady lost four consecutive games. The Patriots would not fail to win another AFC East title or miss the postseason again until 2008.

Offseason

AdditionsSubtractions
TE Cam Cleeland (Saints)QB Drew Bledsoe (Bills)
TE Christian Fauria (Seahawks)WR Terry Glenn (Packers)
WR Donald Hayes (Panthers)LB Bryan Cox (Saints)
DE Rick Lyle (Jets)WR Charles Johnson (Bills)
DT Brandon Mitchell (Seahawks)
TE Rod Rutledge (Texans)
CB Terrance Shaw (Raiders)

2002 expansion draft

New England Patriots selected during the expansion draft
Round Overall Name Position Expansion team
—10Matt StevensSafetyHouston Texans

2002 NFL draft

2002 New England Patriots draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 21 Daniel Graham  Tight end Colorado from Tampa Bay via Oakland and Washington
2 65 Deion Branch  Wide receiver Louisville
4 117 Rohan Davey  Quarterback LSU from Denver
4 126 Jarvis Green  Defensive end LSU from Green Bay
7 237 Antwoine Womack  Running back Virginia from Miami via Dallas
7 253 David Givens  Wide receiver Notre Dame Compensatory pick
      Made roster  

Undrafted free agents

2002 undrafted free agents of note
Player Position College
T.C. Taylor Wide Receiver Jackson State

Staff

2002 New England Patriots staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

Final roster

2002 New England Patriots roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

 Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

 Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams (ST)

 Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 7 reserve, 5 practice squad

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 9 Pittsburgh Steelers W 30–14 1–0 Gillette Stadium Recap
2 September 15 at New York Jets W 44–7 2–0 Giants Stadium Recap
3 September 22 Kansas City Chiefs W 41–38 (OT) 3–0 Gillette Stadium Recap
4 September 29 at San Diego Chargers L 14–21 3–1 Qualcomm Stadium Recap
5 October 6 at Miami Dolphins L 13–26 3–2 Pro Player Stadium Recap
6 October 13 Green Bay Packers L 10–28 3–3 Gillette Stadium Recap
7 Bye
8 October 27 Denver Broncos L 16–24 3–4 Gillette Stadium Recap
9 November 3 at Buffalo Bills W 38–7 4–4 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
10 November 10 at Chicago Bears W 33–30 5–4 Memorial Stadium Recap
11 November 17 at Oakland Raiders L 20–27 5–5 Network Associates Coliseum Recap
12 November 24 Minnesota Vikings W 24–17 6–5 Gillette Stadium Recap
13 November 28 at Detroit Lions W 20–12 7–5 Ford Field Recap
14 December 8 Buffalo Bills W 27–17 8–5 Gillette Stadium Recap
15 December 16 at Tennessee Titans L 7–24 8–6 The Coliseum Recap
16 December 22 New York Jets L 17–30 8–7 Gillette Stadium Recap
17 December 29 Miami Dolphins W 27–24 (OT) 9–7 Gillette Stadium Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers (0–0) at New England Patriots (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 7 0 0714
Patriots 7 3 17330

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

First quarter

  • NE – Christian Fauria 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:57. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:54.
  • PIT – Hines Ward 13-yard pass from Kordell Stewart (Todd Peterson kick), 4:50. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 6:07.

Second quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 45-yard field goal, 2:23. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:11.

Third quarter

  • NE – Donald Hayes 40-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:27. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:33.
  • NE – Deion Branch 22-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:03. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 6:04.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 2:08. Patriots 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 2:50.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 27-yard field goal, 9:32. Patriots 30–7. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:59.
  • PIT – Kordell Stewart 1-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 0:00. Patriots 30–14. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 2:55.

Top passers

  • PIT – Kordell Stewart – 24/37, 242 yards, TD, 3 INT
  • NE – Tom Brady – 29/43, 294 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

  • PIT – Jerome Bettis – 8 rushes, 35 yards
  • NE – Antowain Smith – 17 rushes, 60 yards

Top receivers

  • PIT – Hines Ward – 8 receptions, 90 yards, TD
  • NE – Deion Branch – 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD

Week 2: at New York Jets

Week 2: New England Patriots (1–0) at New York Jets (1–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 0 10 171744
Jets 0 0 707

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • NE – Cam Cleeland 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:00. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:06.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 0:05. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 19 plays, 70 yards, 6:40.

Third quarter

  • NE – Tebucky Jones 24-yard fumble return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:15. Patriots 17–0.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 5:56. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:02.
  • NE – Victor Green 90-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:47. Patriots 27–0.
  • NYJ – Anthony Becht 11-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (John Hall kick), 0:57. Patriots 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:53.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Deion Branch 49-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:13. Patriots 34–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:57.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 40-yard field goal, 8:47. Patriots 37–7. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:26.
  • NE – Kevin Faulk 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:22. Patriots 44–7. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 4:35.

Top passers

  • NE – Tom Brady – 25/35, 269 yards, 2 TD, INT
  • NYJ – Vinny Testaverde – 15/23, 150 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

  • NE – Antowain Smith – 15 rushes, 66 yards
  • NYJ – Matt Turk – 1 rush, 14 yards

Top receivers

  • NE – Troy Brown – 9 receptions, 94 yards
  • NYJ – Santana Moss – 1 reception, 35 yards

Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs (1–1) at New England Patriots (2–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Chiefs 3 7 721038
Patriots 0 9 821341

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

First quarter

  • KC – Morten Andersen 39-yard field goal, 2:15. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:36.

Second quarter

  • KC – Eddie Kennison 14-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 14:56. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 0:47.
  • NE – Kevin Faulk 23-yard pass from Tom Brady (run failed), 6:57. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:40.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 37-yard field goal, 0:05. Chiefs 10–9. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 0:51.

Third quarter

  • KC – Priest Holmes 3-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 13:00. Chiefs 17–9. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 2:00.
  • NE – Troy Brown 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Antowain Smith run), 7:45. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:15.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Daniel Graham 18-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:55. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:08.
  • NE – David Patten 38-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:23. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 1:24.
  • KC – Eddie Kennison 15-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 9:23. Patriots 31–24. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:00.
  • NE – Antowain Smith 42-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:10. Patriots 38–24. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:13.
  • KC – Priest Holmes 6-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 4:37. Patriots 38–31. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:33.
  • KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Anderson kick), 0:00. Tied 38–38. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 2:30.

Overtime

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 35-yard field goal, 10:20. Patriots 41–38. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 4:40.

Top passers

  • KC – Trent Green – 16/25, 149 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
  • NE – Tom Brady – 39/54, 410 yards, 4 TD, INT

Top rushers

  • KC – Priest Holmes – 30 rushes, 180 yards, 2 TD
  • NE – Antowain Smith – 16 rushes, 92 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • KC – Johnnie Morton – 2 receptions, 44 yards
  • NE – Troy Brown – 16 receptions, 176 yards, TD

Week 4: at San Diego Chargers

Week 4: New England Patriots (3–0) at San Diego Chargers (3–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 7 7 0014
Chargers 7 7 7021

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

Game information

First quarter

  • NE – Christian Fauria 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:26. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:34.
  • SD – Curtis Conway 52-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 4:17. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 87 yards, 2:33.

Second quarter

  • NE – Mike Vrabel 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:13. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:04.
  • SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 37-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 2:19. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:33.

Third quarter

  • SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 58-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 14:14. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:46.

Top passers

  • NE – Tom Brady – 36/53, 353 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
  • SD – Drew Brees – 10/18, 104 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • NE – Antowain Smith – 16 rushes, 78 yards
  • SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 27 rushes, 217 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

  • NE – Deion Branch – 13 receptions, 128 yards
  • SD – Curtis Conway – 3 receptions, 69 yards, TD

The loss ended the Patriots' 10-game winning streak against the Chargers, losing to them for the first time since the 1970 season.

Week 5: at Miami Dolphins

Week 5: New England Patriots (3–1) at Miami Dolphins (3–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 0 0 6713
Dolphins 6 10 7326

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

First quarter

  • MIA – Jay Fiedler 8-yard run (kick blocked), 0:08. Dolphins 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 5:13.

Second quarter

  • MIA – Chris Chambers 7-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 11:38. Dolphins 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 3:09.
  • MIA – Olindo Mare 40-yard field goal, 1:11. Dolphins 16–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:31.

Third quarter

  • NE – David Patten 34-yard pass from Tom Brady (pass failed), 9:35. Dolphins 16–6. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:35.
  • MIA – Randy McMichael 1-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:05. Dolphins 23–6. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:29.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – David Patten 25-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:41. Dolphins 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:58.
  • MIA – Olindo Mare 33-yard field goal, 1:25. Dolphins 26–13. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 3:16.

Top passers

  • NE – Tom Brady – 17/31, 240 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
  • MIA – Jay Fiedler – 17/27, 190 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

  • NE – Kevin Faulk – 2 rushes, 17 yards
  • MIA – Ricky Williams – 36 rushes, 105 yards

Top receivers

  • NE – David Patten – 5 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD
  • MIA – Chris Chambers – 6 receptions, 62 yards, TD

Week 6: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 6: Green Bay Packers (4–1) at New England Patriots (3–2) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Packers 0 14 7728
Patriots 0 3 0710

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

Second quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 9:36. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 3:58.
  • GB – William Henderson 3-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:46. Packers 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 5:50.
  • GB – Ahman Green 8-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:03. Packers 14–3. Drive: 1 play, 8 yards, 0:05.

Third quarter

  • GB – Bubba Franks 2-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:50. Packers 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 94 yards, 4:05.

Fourth quarter

  • GB – Ahman Green 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:09. Packers 28–3. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:16.
  • NE – David Givens 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:57. Packers 28–10. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:03.

Top passers

  • GB – Brett Favre – 17/27, 147 yards, 3 TD
  • NE – Tom Brady – 24/44, 183 yards, TD, 3 INT

Top rushers

  • GB – Ahman Green – 31 rushes, 136 yards, TD
  • NE – Antowain Smith – 13 rushes, 75 yards

Top receivers

  • GB – Bubba Franks – 5 receptions, 46 yards, TD
  • NE – Deion Branch – 5 receptions, 38 yards

Week 8: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 8: Denver Broncos (5–2) at New England Patriots (3–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Broncos 7 14 0324
Patriots 0 7 3616

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • DEN – Shannon Sharpe 8-yard pass from Brian Griese (Jason Elam kick), 14:55. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:56.
  • NE – Antowain Smith 3-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:16. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:54.
  • DEN – Clinton Portis 4-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 2:45. Broncos 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:31.

Third quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 26-yard field goal, 7:26. Broncos 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 2:51.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Christian Fauria 8-yard pass from Tom Brady (pass failed), 14:55. Broncos 21–16. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:07.
  • DEN – Jason Elam 19-yard field goal, 9:45. Broncos 24–16. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:10.

Top passers

  • DEN – Brian Griese – 18/23, 229 yards, TD, INT
  • NE – Tom Brady – 15/29, 130 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • DEN – Clinton Portis – 26 rushes, 111 yards, 2 TD
  • NE – Antowain Smith – 13 rushes, 58 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • DEN – Ed McCaffrey – 8 receptions, 116 yards
  • NE – Troy Brown – 7 receptions, 59 yards

Week 9: at Buffalo Bills

Week 9: New England Patriots (3–4) at Buffalo Bills (5–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 7 10 14738
Bills 0 7 007

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

First quarter

  • NE – Christian Fauria 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:27. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:33.

Second quarter

  • NE – Antowain Smith 13-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:54. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:49.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 46-yard field goal, 3:49. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 3:48.
  • BUF – Peerless Price 1-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 0:10. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 3:39.

Third quarter

  • NE – Kevin Faulk 45-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:33. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 4:08.
  • NE – Antowain Smith 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:54. Patriots 31–7. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:28.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Antowain Smith 14-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:52. Patriots 38–7. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:09.

Top passers

  • NE – Tom Brady – 22/26, 265 yards, 3 TD
  • BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 28/45, 302 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

  • NE – Antowain Smith – 29 rushes, 111 yards, TD
  • BUF – Travis Henry – 11 rushes, 53 yards

Top receivers

  • NE – David Patten – 6 receptions, 88 yards
  • BUF – Peerless Price – 9 receptions, 98 yards, TD

Week 10: at Chicago Bears

Week 10: New England Patriots (4–4) at Chicago Bears (2–6) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 0 6 101733
Bears 0 6 21330

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • CHI – Paul Edinger 39-yard field goal, 14:51. Bears 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 46 yards, 7:14.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 57-yard field goal, 10:15. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 4:36.
  • CHI – Paul Edinger 40-yard field goal, 5:31. Bears 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:44.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 0:04. Tied 6–6. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 1:24.

Third quarter

  • CHI – Stanley Pritchett 11-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 12:21. Bears 13–6. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:40.
  • CHI – Marcus Robinson 44-yard pass from Marty Booker (Paul Edinger kick), 10:09. Bears 20–6. Drive: 1 play, 44 yards, 0:09.
  • CHI – Anthony Thomas 2-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 6:42. Bears 27–6. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 0:37.
  • NE – Kevin Faulk 15-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:04. Bears 27–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:38.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 42–yard field goal, 1:50. Bears 27–16. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:58.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 25-yard field goal, 11:02. Bears 27–19. Drive: 16 plays, 54 yards, 4:44.
  • CHI – Paul Edinger 32-yard field goal, 5:22. Bears 30–19. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 5:40.
  • NE – Kevin Faulk 36-yard pass from Tom Brady (run failed), 2:46. Bears 30–25. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:16.
  • NE – David Patten 20-yard pass from Tom Brady (Tom Brady–Troy Brown pass), 0:21. Patriots 33–30. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:29.

Top passers

  • NE – Tom Brady – 36/55, 328 yards, 3 TD, INT
  • CHI – Jim Miller – 8/18, 72 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

  • NE – Antowain Smith – 10 rushes, 41 yards
  • CHI – Anthony Thomas – 21 rushes, 99 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • NE – Kevin Faulk – 7 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TD
  • CHI – Marty Booker – 4 receptions, 65 yards

With the comeback win, the Patriots defeated Chicago and improved to 5-4.

Week 11: at Oakland Raiders

Week 11: New England Patriots (5–4) at Oakland Raiders (5–4) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 3 3 7720
Raiders 3 14 7327

at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California

Game information

First quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 9:09. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 5:51.
  • OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 39-yard field goal, 0:51. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:13.

Second quarter

  • OAK – Zack Crockett 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 9:58. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:02.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 4:16. Raiders 10–6. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:42.
  • OAK – Rich Gannon 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:52. Raiders 17–6. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:44.

Third quarter

  • OAK – Zack Crockett 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 5:18. Raiders 24–6. Drive: 15 plays, 85 yards, 9:42.
  • NE – Tedy Bruschi 48-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:27. Raiders 24–13.

Fourth quarter

  • OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 28-yard field goal, 1:13. Raiders 27–13. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:28.
  • NE – Kevin Faulk 86-yard kickoff return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:59. Raiders 27–20. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14.

Top passers

  • NE – Tom Brady – 18/30, 172 yards
  • OAK – Rich Gannon – 26/38, 297 yards, INT

Top rushers

  • NE – Antowain Smith – 15 rushes, 49 yards
  • OAK – Charlie Garner – 15 rushes, 57 yards

Top receivers

  • NE – Troy Brown – 5 receptions, 55 yards
  • OAK – Tim Brown – 5 receptions, 71 yards

With the loss, the Patriots fell to 5-5 and finished 1-3 against the AFC West.

Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 12: Minnesota Vikings (3–7) at New England Patriots (5–5) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 7 7317
Patriots 7 14 0324

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

First quarter

  • NE – Christian Fauria 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:24. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 5:40.

Second quarter

  • NE – Christian Fauria 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:30. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:20.
  • NE – Troy Brown 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 8:02. Patriots 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 4:01.
  • MIN – D'Wayne Bates 6-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 0:19. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 0:50.

Third quarter

  • MIN – Kelly Campbell 7-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 4:45. Patriots 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:19.

Fourth quarter

  • MIN – Gary Anderson 38-yard field goal, 14:42. Patriots 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:16.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 34-yard field goal, 11:09. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:33.

Top passers

  • MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 24/49, 272 yards, 2 TD
  • NE – Tom Brady – 21/34, 239 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

  • MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 5 rushes, 59 yards
  • NE – Antowain Smith – 18 rushes, 58 yards

Top receivers

  • MIN – Randy Moss – 8 receptions, 92 yards
  • NE – David Patten – 5 receptions, 62 yards

Week 13: at Detroit Lions

Week 13: New England Patriots (6–5) at Detroit Lions (3–8) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 10 7 0320
Lions 3 3 3312

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

First quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 10:06. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:54.
  • NE – Tedy Bruschi 27-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:44. Patriots 10–0.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 23-yard field goal, 0:08. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:04.

Second quarter

  • NE – Antowain Smith 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:24. Patriots 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 1:42.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, 0:30. Patriots 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 1:54.

Third quarter

  • DET – Jason Hanson 39-yard field goal, 4:12. Patriots 17–9. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:51.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 29-yard field goal, 13:17. Patriots 20–9. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:55.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, 9:46. Patriots 20–12. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 3:31.

Top passers

  • NE – Tom Brady – 18/30, 210 yards, INT
  • DET – Joey Harrington – 22/44, 210 yards, 3 INT

Top rushers

  • NE – Antowain Smith – 25 rushes, 80 yards, TD
  • DET – James Stewart – 13 rushes, 57 yards

Top receivers

  • NE – Troy Brown – 10 receptions, 111 yards
  • DET – Germane Crowell – 5 receptions, 46 yards

With the win, the Patriots improved to 7-5 and finished 3-1 against the NFC North.

Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 14: Buffalo Bills (6–6) at New England Patriots (7–5) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 0 0 10717
Patriots 17 3 0727

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: December 8, 2002
  • Game time: 1:00 pm
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 44 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 68,436
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette (42)
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 39-yard field goal, 11:16. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:44.
  • NE – David Patten 10-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:35. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:31.
  • NE – Donald Hayes 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:14. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 9 yards, 0:08.

Second quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 46-yard field goal, 2:31. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 7:49.

Third quarter

  • BUF – Mike Hollis 26-yard field goal, 7:46. Patriots 20–3. 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:14.
  • BUF – Eric Moulds 12-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 4:15. Patriots 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:53.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Antowain Smith 4-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:06. Patriots 27–10. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 3:17.
  • BUF – Eric Moulds 4-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 1:05. Patriots 27–17. Drive: 18 plays, 88 yards, 4:43.

Top passers

  • BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 32/51, 328 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT
  • NE – Tom Brady – 15/27, 183 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

  • BUF – Travis Henry – 15 rushes, 60 yards
  • NE – Antowain Smith – 17 rushes, 68 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • BUF – Peerless Price – 9 receptions, 105 yards
  • NE – Deion Branch – 1 reception, 41 yards

Week 15: at Tennessee Titans

Week 15: New England Patriots (8–5) at Tennessee Titans (8–5) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 0 0 707
Titans 0 14 7324

at The Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: December 16, 2002
  • Game time: 9:00 pm
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 57 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 68,809
  • Referee: Ron Winter (14)
  • TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden, and Melissa Stark
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Second quarter

  • TEN – Steve McNair 11-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 12:16. Titans 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:18.
  • TEN – Steve McNair 1-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 0:32. Titans 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:48.

Third quarter

  • NE – Tom Brady 10-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:08. Titans 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 1:52.
  • TEN – Rich Coady 24-yard interception return (Joe Nedney kick), 9:58. Titans 21–7.

Fourth quarter

  • TEN – Joe Nedney 28-yard field goal, 9:22. Titans 24–7. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 9:24.

Top passers

  • NE – Tom Brady – 14/29, 134 yards, INT
  • TEN – Steve McNair – 11/24, 136 yards, INT

Top rushers

  • NE – Antowain Smith – 6 rushes, 31 yards
  • TEN – Eddie George – 31 rushes, 101 yards

Top receivers

  • NE – Troy Brown – 8 receptions, 73 yards
  • TEN – Derrick Mason – 6 receptions, 86 yards

With the humiliating loss, the Patriots fell to 8-6 and finished 4-4 on the road.

Week 16: vs. New York Jets

Week 16: New York Jets (7–7) at New England Patriots (8–6) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 14 3 31030
Patriots 7 3 7017

at Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts

  • Date: December 22, 2002
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
  • Game attendance: 68,436
  • Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire, Joe Theismann, and Suzy Kolber
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • NYJ – Laveranues Coles 32-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 10:22. Jets 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:05.
  • NE – Kevin Faulk 87-yard kickoff return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14.
  • NYJ – Santana Moss 11-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 3:34. Jets 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:25.

Second quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 49-yard field goal, 10:20. Jets 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:41.
  • NYJ – John Hall 39-yard field goal, 4:35. Jets 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 5:25.

Third quarter

  • NE – Christian Fauria 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:25. Tied 17–17. Drive: 16 plays, 66 yards, 8:41.
  • NYJ – John Hall 23-yard field goal, 1:54. Jets 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:10.

Fourth quarter

  • NYJ – Wayne Chrebet 15-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 9:30. Jets 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 6:07.
  • NYJ – John Hall 43-yard field goal, 2:36. Jets 30–17. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:55.

Top passers

  • NYJ – Chad Pennington – 23/33, 285 yards, 3 TD
  • NE – Tom Brady – 19/37, 133 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

  • NYJ – Curtis Martin – 26 rushes, 106 yards
  • NE – Antowain Smith – 14 rushes, 46 yards

Top receivers

  • NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 5 receptions, 78 yards, TD
  • NE – David Patten – 5 receptions, 38 yards

Week 17: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 17: Miami Dolphins (9–6) at New England Patriots (8–7) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Dolphins 7 14 03024
Patriots 0 10 311327

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

First quarter

  • MIA – Ricky Williams 8-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 3:17. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 1:08.

Second quarter

  • MIA – Ricky Williams 14-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 8:52. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 5:13.
  • NE – Antowain Smith 11-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:25. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:00.
  • MIA – James McKnight 32-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:06. Dolphins 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 1:19.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Dolphins 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 1:06.

Third quarter

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 3:37. Dolphins 21–13. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 5:03.

Fourth quarter

  • MIA – Olindo Mare 28-yard field goal, 4:59. Dolphins 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:58.
  • NE – Troy Brown 3-yard pass from Tom Brady (Tom Brady–Christian Fauria pass), 2:46. Dolphins 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 2:13.
  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 43-yard field goal, 1:09. Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:02.

Overtime

  • NE – Adam Vinatieri 35-yard field goal, 12:57. Patriots 27–24. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:03.

Top passers

  • MIA – Jay Fiedler – 11/25, 110 yards, TD
  • NE – Tom Brady – 25/44, 221 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

  • MIA – Ricky Williams – 31 rushes, 185 yards, 2 TD
  • NE – Antowain Smith – 19 rushes, 55 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • MIA – Dedric Ward – 4 receptions, 34 yards
  • NE – Kevin Faulk – 9 receptions, 70 yards

With the overtime victory, the Patriots eliminated the Dolphins from playoff contention and they would both finish the regular season at 9-7. Unfortunately for New England, the Jets' 42-17 win over Green Bay prevented the Pats from clinching the AFC East and eliminated them from playoff contention. This remains only season the Patriots missed the playoffs following a Super Bowl victory. This would also be the last time the Patriots both failed to clinch the AFC East and a playoff berth until 2008. New England ended the season 4-2 against the AFC East and 4-4 at home.

Standings

AFC East
 W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) New York Jets 9 7 0 .563 4–2 6–6 359 336 W2
New England Patriots 9 7 0 .563 4–2 6–6 381 346 W1
Miami Dolphins 9 7 0 .563 2–4 7–5 378 301 L2
Buffalo Bills 8 8 0 .500 2–4 5–7 379 397 W1

Notes

  1. ↑ The Patriots traded their first-, third- and seventh-round draft picks to the Washington Redskins for the Redskins' first-round pick.
  2. ↑ The Patriots traded fourth- and fifth-round draft picks to the Denver Broncos for the Broncos' fourth-round pick. The Patriots received the fifth-round pick in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the Patriots' sixth-round pick in the 2001 NFL draft.
  3. ↑ The Patriots received a fourth-round pick from the Green Bay Packers in a trade for Terry Glenn and a conditional pick in the 2003 NFL draft.
  4. ↑ The Patriots traded a fifth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for the Cowboys' fifth- and seventh-round draft picks.
  5. ↑ The Patriots and Chargers did not meet at all between 1984 and 1993 inclusive — an impossible occurrence in the pre-1978 or post-2002 NFL — because non-division conference matchups were entirely based on the previous season’s standings.

References

  1. ↑ "New Stadium Has Face Value". Hartford Courant. August 6, 2002. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  2. ↑ "New England 27, Miami 24, OT". Yahoo! Sports. December 29, 2002. Retrieved January 28, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Draft summary". Patriots.com. May 19, 2011. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011.
  4. ↑ Patriots.com summary Archived May 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Patriots.com summary Archived May 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Patriots.com summary Archived May 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "Chargers vs. Patriots Results". The Football Database.
  8. ↑ Urena, Ivan. Pro Football Schedules: A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present. McFarland. pp. 17, 221. ISBN 0786473517.
  9. ↑ Lisk, Jason (May 19, 2008). "History of the NFL's structure and formats, part two". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2022.

Further reading