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2002 New York Giants season

The 2002 season was the New York Giants' 78th in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Jim Fassel. The team improved upon their 7–9 record from the previous season by three games and returned to the playoffs for the second time in three years, ending the season on a four-game winning streak.[1] After a midseason slump, head coach Jim Fassel stripped offensive coordinator Sean Payton of playcalling duties, and the Giants went on to a winning streak that would carry them to the playoffs. Leading 35–14 in the third quarter of the NFC wild-card came at San Francisco, Jeremy Shockey dropped a touchdown pass forcing a field goal to make the score 38–14. Fassel decided to rest starting running back Tiki Barber to save him for the next round, but the 49ers gained momentum, and the Giants did not score again, losing the game 39–38. Following the season, Payton was not retained; he won the Super Bowl seven years later as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

2002 New York Giants season
OwnerWellington Mara
Robert Tisch
General managerErnie Accorsi
Head coachJim Fassel
Home fieldGiants Stadium
Results
Record10–6
Division place2nd NFC East
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(at 49ers) 38–39
Pro BowlersTE Jeremy Shockey
DE Michael Strahan

Offseason edit

Additions Subtractions
DE Byron Frisch (Cowboys) K Morten Andersen (Chiefs)
LB Jessie Armstead (Redskins)
T Lomas Brown (Buccaneers)
FS Sam Garnes (Jets)
WR Joe Jurevicius (Buccaneers)

NFL Draft edit

2002 New York Giants draft
Draft order Player name Position College Notes
Round Overall
1 14 Jeremy Shockey Tight end Miami (FL) from Titans
15 Traded to the Tennessee Titans
2 46 Tim Carter Wide receiver Auburn
3 78 Jeff Hatch Tackle Pennsylvania
4 110 Traded to the Tennessee Titans
5 152 Nick Greisen Linebacker Wisconsin
6 188 Wesly Mallard Linebacker Oregon
7 226 Daryl Jones Wide receiver Miami (FL)
245 Quincy Monk Linebacker North Carolina Compensatory pick

Undrafted free agents edit

Staff edit

2002 New York Giants staff
Front office
  • President and co-chief executive officer – Wellington Mara
  • Chairman and co-chief executive officer – Preston Robert Tisch
  • Executive vice president and general counsel – John Mara
  • Vice president and general manager – Ernie Accorsi
  • Assistant general manager – Kevin Abrams
  • Director of player personnel – Jerry Reese
  • Director of pro personnel – David Gettleman
  • Director of college scouting – Jerry Shay
  • Assistant director of pro personnel – Ken Sternfeld

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams – Bruce Read

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – John Dunn
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Craig Stoddard

Roster edit

2002 New York Giants final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists
  • 84 Tim Carter WR/KR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 41 Darnell Dinkins TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 71 Sean Guthrie DE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 75 Keith Hamilton DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 76 Jeff Hatch T (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 88 Ike Hilliard WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 35 Clarence LeBlanc S (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 82 Herman Moore WR/Retired
  •  9 Owen Pochman K (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 29 Damon Washington RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 57 Clayton White LB (PUPTooltip Physically unable to perform)  
  • 52 Dusty Zeigler G (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  
  • 38 Adam Wright RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  


Practice squad

  • 49 Taman Bryant TE
  • 39 Ryan Clark S
  • 60 Pat Crummey G
  • 64 Sean O'Connor G
  • -- Chris Taylor WR


Rookies in italics
53 active, 13 inactive, 5 practice squad

Regular season edit

Schedule edit

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 5 San Francisco 49ers L 13–16 0–1 Giants Stadium 78,748
2 September 15 at St. Louis Rams W 26–21 1–1 Edward Jones Dome 65,932
3 September 22 Seattle Seahawks W 9–6 2–1 Giants Stadium 78,551
4 September 29 at Arizona Cardinals L 7–21 2–2 Sun Devil Stadium 30,014
5 October 6 at Dallas Cowboys W 21–17 3–2 Texas Stadium 63,447
6 October 13 Atlanta Falcons L 10–17 3–3 Giants Stadium 78,728
7 Bye
8 October 28 at Philadelphia Eagles L 3–17 3–4 Veterans Stadium 65,791
9 November 3 Jacksonville Jaguars W 24–17 4–4 Giants Stadium 78,337
10 November 10 at Minnesota Vikings W 27–20 5–4 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 64,005
11 November 17 Washington Redskins W 19–17 6–4 Giants Stadium 78,727
12 November 24 at Houston Texans L 14–16 6–5 Reliant Stadium 70,054
13 December 1 Tennessee Titans L 29–32 6–6 Giants Stadium 78,640
14 December 8 at Washington Redskins W 27–21 7–6 FedExField 78,635
15 December 15 Dallas Cowboys W 37–7 8–6 Giants Stadium 78,698
16 December 22 at Indianapolis Colts W 44–27 9–6 RCA Dome 56,579
17 December 28 Philadelphia Eagles W 10–7 10–6 Giants Stadium 78,782

Game summaries edit

Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers edit

1 2 3 4 Total
49ers 3 0 7 6 16
Giants 3 3 0 7 13

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

The Giants opened their 2002 season at home against the 49ers, in a preview of their infamous Wild Card game later that season. This was the first-ever Thursday night NFL season opener.

The Giants led 6–3 at halftime, with new kicker Matt Bryant kicking field goals of 29 and 33 yards. In the third quarter, 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia found running back Garrison Hearst for a 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 10–6. After a Jose Cortez field goal made it 13-6 49ers with 8 minutes to go, Tiki Barber ran in for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 13–13 with 1:55 to go. However, the Giants defense failed to hold at the end of the game. A 33-yard pass from Garcia to Terrell Owens set up a 36-yard field goal by Cortez with 6 seconds left to win the game for the 49ers.

For the Giants, Amani Toomer caught nine passes for 134 yards.

[2]

Week 2: at St. Louis Rams edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 3 14 3 6 26
Rams 0 7 7 7 21

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

The Giants next traveled to St. Louis to take on the defending NFC champion Rams, who were favored by 12 to defeat the Giants. However, the Giants jumped out to a 17–0 lead in the first half. In the second quarter, Kerry Collins found rookie tight end Jeremy Shockey for his first career touchdown on a 28-yard pass. Later in the quarter, Jason Sehorn picked off Kurt Warner and returned his errant pass 31 yards for a touchdown. The Rams finally got on the board with Warner finding receiver Ricky Proehl for a 6-yard touchdown to make the score 17–7 Giants at the half.

In the third quarter, Marshall Faulk scored a touchdown to narrow the score to 17–14. After two Matt Bryant field goals, Faulk scored another touchdown from 8 yards out to make the score 23–21 with 8:24 to go. The Giants finally clinched the game when cornerback Will Allen intercepted a Kurt Warner pass with 1:43 remaining.

Kerry Collins was 22 of 26 for 307 yards and a touchdown with an interception. Ike Hilliard was the leading receiver with 4 receptions for 97 yards, while Amani Toomer added 4 catches for 92 yards. The defense forced 4 Rams turnovers against just one by the Giants.

[3]

Week 3: vs. Seattle Seahawks edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Seahawks 3 3 0 0 6
Giants 0 0 3 6 9

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: September 22
  • Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST
  • TV: FOX
  • Announcers: Sam Rosen, Bill Maas, and Brent Ringenbach

Next came a contest against the Seahawks that did not feature a touchdown. The Giants trailed 6–0 at halftime after two Rian Lindell field goals, but Matt Bryant kicked three field goals in the second half, the last one a 47 yarder coming with 2:04 remaining. As he had the previous week, Will Allen clinched the game by intercepting a Trent Dilfer pass with 1:35 remaining.

The Giants held the Seahawks to just 145 yards of total offense. Amani Toomer caught four passes for 100 yards.

[4]

Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 7 0 0 0 7
Cardinals 0 7 0 14 21

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

The Giants completed their NFC West cycle with a poor performance against the Cardinals. The Giants struck first with Tiki Barber running in for a 6-yard touchdown in the first quarter. However, in the second quarter, Kerry Collins was intercepted by Justin Lucas, who returned the pick 38 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7–7 at the half. In the fourth quarter, Cardinals running back Marcel Shipp scored two touchdowns. The first one was on a 7-yard pass from quarterback Jake Plummer to give the Cardinals a 14–7 lead with 10:36 to go, and the second touchdown was a 10-yard run to clinch the game with 2:13 left.

Both teams gained 263 yards in this contest. However, the Cardinals won the turnover battle 3–1 and time of possession 36:05 to 23:55.

[5]

Week 5: at Dallas Cowboys edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 0 14 0 7 21
Cowboys 0 10 0 7 17

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 0 10 0 7 17
Giants 0 3 7 0 10

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 0 3 0 0 3
Eagles 3 6 0 8 17

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Week 9: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Jaguars 0 0 3 14 17
Giants 7 7 10 0 24

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings edit

Week 10: New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 7 6 6827
Vikings 0 3 31420

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

The Giants took on the Vikings in a midseason contest at the Metrodome. The Giants took charge early, with Kerry Collins finding Charles Stackhouse for a 1-yard touchdown to make the score 7–0. In the second quarter Ron Dayne ran in for a 30-yard touchdown, with a failed two-point conversion making the score 13–3 at the half. Late in the third quarter, Collins found Amani Toomer for an 11-yard touchdown, and the Giants led 19–6 at the start of the fourth quarter. While the Giants flourished offensively, Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper struggled mightily. He completed just 9 of 20 passes, with many of his passes not even close to reaching his receivers. Due to his inability to perform and lack of confidence in this contest, Vikings coach Mike Tice decided to have him take the rest of the day off.

To replace Culpepper, Tice put in Todd Bouman, a local product from St. Cloud State University. Immediately after he went in, the Vikings' fortunes changed. Early in the fourth quarter, Bouman threw a 48-yard bomb to Randy Moss, which set up a 1-yard touchdown by running back Moe Williams. The lead was now 19–13 Giants. On the next Vikings possession, the Vikings ran a draw play where the fastest man in the NFL, Michael Bennett, took off for a 78-yard touchdown. With 8:36 to go, the Vikings were now leading 20–19 in a contest the Giants had dominated. The Giants recovered, however, and Tiki Barber ran in for an 8-yard touchdown with 2:43 to go. On the two-point conversion, the Giants were thrown a life preserver when a Vikings player dropped an interception, with rookie tight end Marcellus Rivers catching the loose ball to make the score 27–20 Giants. The Giants forced a punt on the next Vikings possession when Kenny Holmes sacked Bouman on a third down play to essentially clinch the game.

Kerry Collins was 25 of 35 for 300 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Tiki Barber added 127 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown, and Ron Dixon caught four passes for 107 yards.

[6]

Week 11: vs. Washington Redskins edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 0 10 7 0 17
Giants 3 7 6 3 19

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 17
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • TV: FOX
  • Announcers: Kenny Albert, Tim Green, and John DiScepolo

Week 12: at Houston Texans edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 0 7 0 7 14
Texans 0 5 8 3 16

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: November 24
  • Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST (4:15 p.m. EST)
  • TV: FOX
  • Announcers: Sam Rosen, Bill Maas, and Matt Sampsell

Week 13: vs. Tennessee Titans edit

1 2 3 4OT Total
Titans 0 14 0 153 32
Giants 3 7 10 90 29

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Week 14: at Washington Redskins edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 3 14 7 3 27
Washington 0 3 11 7 21

at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

Week 15: vs. Dallas Cowboys edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 0 0 0 7 7
Giants 21 3 3 10 37

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 3 7 20 14 44
Colts 0 3 3 21 27

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

After two games against teams with losing records, the Giants' schedule got tougher with a road game at Indianapolis. However, the Giants would be up to the challenge in a shootout.

The Giants took a 3–0 lead in the first quarter with a 20-yard Matt Bryant field goal. The first play of the second quarter was when this game took off. Kerry Collins threw a screen pass to Jeremy Shockey, who ran over and flattened Colts safety David Gibson before finally being brought down at the Colts' 14-yard line after a 24-yard gain. Shockey's takedown of Gibson was all the more embarrassing for the Colt as he declared before the game that Shockey was "just another player." Three plays later, Tiki Barber ran in for a 4-yard touchdown. The score was 10–3 Giants at the half, but some noted that the Giants should have been up by more as two lost fumbles hindered their offense.

On the first play of the second half came the play of the game. The Giants ran a flea flicker where Tiki Barber took a handoff before throwing the ball back to Kerry Collins, who then launched a rocket (starting from his own 5-yard line, Collins' pass landed inside the Colts' 40) to Amani Toomer, who outran the already embarrassed David Gibson for an 82-yard touchdown. On the next Giants drive, they extended their lead with Collins finding Charles Stackhouse for an 18-yard touchdown to make the score 24–3. With 11 seconds to go in the third quarter, Tiki Barber ran in for a 1-yard touchdown. The score was 30–6 Giants heading into the fourth quarter.

With 13:34 to go in the fourth quarter, the Colts finally got into the end zone with Peyton Manning finding Reggie Wayne for a 21-yard touchdown to make it 31–12 Giants. The Giants answered with Kerry Collins finding Amani Toomer for a 21-yard touchdown to make the score 37–12. However, after this touchdown the Giants defense and special teams began to blow their seemingly insurmountable lead. The Colts needed just six plays to drive 77 yards for a touchdown, with Manning finding Marvin Harrison for a 25-yard touchdown. The ensuing two-point conversion made the score 37–20 with 4:51 to go. The Colts needed an onside kick, and Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt lofted a kick up and over the Giants frontlines with the Colts recovering the ball. On the very next play, Manning found Reggie Wayne for another Colts touchdown. Suddenly with 4:44 to go, the Giants led by just 10, 37–27. However the Giants recovered the ensuing onside kick before facing a 3rd and 11. Rather than play it safe and run the ball to kill the clock, Jim Fassel called for another pass play. The gamble paid off with Collins hitting Toomer for his third touchdown of the day, a 27-yard touchdown that finally put the game away with 4:00 to go.

Kerry Collins achieved a perfect passer rating of 158.3, going 23 of 29 for 366 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Amani Toomer caught 10 passes for 204 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, with Jeremy Shockey adding 7 receptions for 116 yards. Kenny Holmes registered two sacks for the Giants defense.

Not only did the Giants remain in playoff contention with their win over the Colts, but they gained help from an unlikely source. While this game was taking place, the lowly 1–13 Cincinnati Bengals came from behind and stunned the New Orleans Saints. As a result of this game, the Giants were now ahead of the Saints in playoff standings.

[7]

Week 17: vs. Philadelphia Eagles edit

1 2 3 4OT Total
Eagles 7 0 0 00 7
Giants 0 0 0 73 10

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Standings edit

NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Philadelphia Eagles 12 4 0 .750 5–1 11–1 415 241 L1
(5) New York Giants 10 6 0 .625 5–1 8–4 320 279 W4
Washington Redskins 7 9 0 .438 1–5 4–8 307 365 W2
Dallas Cowboys 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 217 329 L4

Postseason edit

Prelude: Giants sign Trey Junkin edit

While the Giants made the postseason in 2002 after a one-year absence, throughout the season the Giants struggled on special teams, particularly with stability at the long snapper position. The Giants began the season with Bob Jones as their long snapper, but after he struggled the Giants signed Dan O'Leary, who was the long snapper for the final five games of the regular season until he was injured. Before the Giants' Wild Card playoff game with the 49ers, Jim Fassel made the decision to sign Trey Junkin, who had played 19 seasons with Buffalo, Washington, the Raiders, Seattle, and Arizona. Junkin had been cut before the beginning of the season by the Cowboys and had retired before the Giants signed him. Of particular note was an NFL Films video featuring a segment on him and his job as a long snapper late in his career; he stated in the interview that he had made only "two bad snaps" in his career.

[8]

Schedule edit

Week Date Opponent Result Attendance
Wild Card January 5 at San Francisco 49ers L 38–39 66,318

Game summaries edit

Wild Card Round: at San Francisco 49ers edit

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 7 21 10 0 38
49ers 7 7 8 17 39

at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California

The 2002 Giants season ended in one of the most humiliating losses in franchise history, featuring a blown 24 point lead and a catastrophic finish featuring both an epic special teams blunder and a controversial officiating call.

The game essentially unfolded in three phases: an evenly matched beginning, the Giants turning the game into a rout, and the 49ers' comeback.

The Giants won the toss and drove on their opening possession to the 49ers' 33-yard line, but Kerry Collins threw an interception to 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson to end the drive. On the 49ers' first play from scrimmage, Jeff Garcia found Terrell Owens, who broke away from the Giants' secondary and took off for a 76-yard touchdown. The Giants got on the board with 18 seconds left in the quarter, with Collins finding Amani Toomer for a 12-yard touchdown to tie the score 7–7 at the end of the first quarter. The Giants scored another touchdown early in the second quarter with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Collins to Jeremy Shockey for their first lead of the game, 14–7. The 49ers tied the game up with 6:05 left to go in the first half, with running back Kevan Barlow scoring a rushing touchdown.

It was during the final minutes of the first half when the Giants began to build their big lead. The Giants drove down on their ensuing drive for another touchdown, with Kerry Collins finding Amani Toomer for an 8-yard touchdown with 2:49 to go in the first half. After a Jeff Garcia interception to Jason Sehorn, Collins threw yet another touchdown to Toomer for his third touchdown reception of the game, and the Giants led 28–14 at the half. On the opening possession of the second half, the 49ers faced a 4th-and-1 when Dhani Jones stopped 49ers fullback Fred Beasley for no gain. The Giants scored again, with Tiki Barber running in for a 6-yard touchdown. On their next possession, the Giants advanced to the 49ers' 3-yard line for a goal-to-go situation. On 3rd-and-goal, Collins threw a pass directly to Jeremy Shockey, but Shockey dropped the pass and the Giants were forced to settle for a 21-yard Matt Bryant field goal. The Giants were up 38–14 with 4:27 to go in the third quarter, but their momentum had been stopped with Shockey's dropped pass. This play is widely considered to be the turning point in the game.

The 49ers began their comeback with 2:10 to go in the third quarter, when Jeff Garcia found Terrell Owens for a 26-yard touchdown pass. A two-point conversion from Garcia to Owens made it 38–22 heading into the final quarter. After a terrible punt by Matt Allen and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Dhani Jones, the 49ers had great field position at the Giants' 27 to start their next drive, and they cashed in with Garcia running in for a 14-yard touchdown, followed by another two-point conversion from Garcia to Owens. Suddenly, with 14:55 to go in the game, the Giants were only leading 38–30. After another three-and-out by the Giants, the 49ers drove into the Giants' red zone again with a chance to tie the game, when the Giants finally held and the 49ers settled for Jeff Chandler's 25-yard field goal with 7:52 to go. The Giants finally got a drive going after the play, which put the Giants into field goal range with 3:06 to go when their special teams began to unravel. Long snapper Trey Junkin, signed only a few days before the game, sent a low snap into the dirt, resulting in Matt Bryant missing the 42-yard field goal attempt wide left. The 49ers then drove 68 yards down the field, with Garcia finding Tai Streets for a 13-yard touchdown with 1:05 to go. The Giants were now losing a game they had been winning by 24 points, 39–38. As if blowing a seemingly insurmountable lead was not enough, the Giants were losing composure on the field as well, with Shaun Williams getting into a confrontation with Owens, resulting in offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Although the Giants had blown their huge lead, they had one more chance to save their season. Kick returner Delvin Joyce returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to give the Giants good field position at their own 48-yard line. Kerry Collins found Ron Dixon for 10 yards, then after his next pass was nearly intercepted by cornerback Ahmed Plummer, he found Dixon for 19 yards. With 9 seconds left, the Giants ran a quick out to Amani Toomer for 5 more yards, setting up a 41-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the game. What instead ensued was one of the worst plays in Giants history. Trey Junkin launched a poor snap into the dirt, to the point that holder Matt Allen could not get the ball down. Realizing that Bryant could not kick the field goal, Allen rolled out and threw a Hail Mary towards Rich Seubert, an offensive lineman who checked in as an eligible receiver for the play. As the ball neared, 49ers defensive end Chike Okeafor dragged down Seubert, which should have resulted in a pass interference against the 49ers and one more attempt for Bryant, since the game cannot end on a defensive penalty. However, the refs not only did not call pass interference on Okeafor, but instead called ineligible receiver downfield on Seubert, even though he in fact was an eligible receiver. As a result, the game was over.

The blown lead and ending ruined several outstanding individual performances by the Giants. Kerry Collins went 29 of 43 for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns with an interception, while Amani Toomer caught 8 passes for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns and Tiki Barber added 177 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown. The most notable stat from the game, however, related to total yards: Both the Giants and the 49ers were dead even with 446 yards of total offense.

The day after the game, the NFL admitted that the penalty on the final play was incorrectly called. Their statement declared that Rich Seubert's penalty should not have been called, and that Chike Okeafor should have been called for pass interference, meaning that the Giants would have gotten one more chance to win the game. However, when a reporter revealed this to 49ers coach Steve Mariucci after the game, he simply replied, "Bummer," as there was no way the final outcome could be changed.

Trey Junkin, the long snapper who botched the snap on the final play, promptly retired for good immediately after the game. He was deeply distraught about his role in the team's loss and solely blamed himself for the outcome, though many did note that he was hardly the only factor.

The 2002 Wild Card against the 49ers is among the most devastating losses in Giants history not only for its comeback and ending, but also because of the impact on the team. The following season, the Giants fell to 4–12 and tied for last place in the entire league. Critics noted that similar to this game, the 2003 Giants had a penchant for blowing leads, even on the rare occasions where they won. After the season, Jim Fassel was fired and Kerry Collins was released, than signed with the Oakland Raiders, while many key defensive starters left. As a result, the Wild Card against the 49ers would retrospectively be seen by Giants fans as the beginning of the end of the Jim Fassel era.

References edit

  1. ^ 2002 New York Giants
  2. ^ "San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants - September 5, 2002". September 5, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  3. ^ "New York Giants at St. Louis Rams - September 15, 2002". September 15, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  4. ^ "Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants - September 22, 2002". September 22, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  5. ^ "New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals - September 29, 2002". September 29, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  6. ^ "New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings - November 10, 2002". November 10, 2002. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  7. ^ "New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings - November 10, 2002". November 10, 2002. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  8. ^ "Giants Sign Long Snapper Trey Junkin". December 31, 2002.

2002, york, giants, season, 2002, season, york, giants, 78th, national, football, league, their, sixth, under, head, coach, fassel, team, improved, upon, their, record, from, previous, season, three, games, returned, playoffs, second, time, three, years, endin. The 2002 season was the New York Giants 78th in the National Football League NFL and their sixth under head coach Jim Fassel The team improved upon their 7 9 record from the previous season by three games and returned to the playoffs for the second time in three years ending the season on a four game winning streak 1 After a midseason slump head coach Jim Fassel stripped offensive coordinator Sean Payton of playcalling duties and the Giants went on to a winning streak that would carry them to the playoffs Leading 35 14 in the third quarter of the NFC wild card came at San Francisco Jeremy Shockey dropped a touchdown pass forcing a field goal to make the score 38 14 Fassel decided to rest starting running back Tiki Barber to save him for the next round but the 49ers gained momentum and the Giants did not score again losing the game 39 38 Following the season Payton was not retained he won the Super Bowl seven years later as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints 2002 New York Giants seasonOwnerWellington MaraRobert TischGeneral managerErnie AccorsiHead coachJim FasselHome fieldGiants StadiumResultsRecord10 6Division place2nd NFC EastPlayoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs at 49ers 38 39Pro BowlersTE Jeremy ShockeyDE Michael Strahan 2001 Giants seasons 2003 Contents 1 Offseason 1 1 NFL Draft 1 2 Undrafted free agents 2 Staff 3 Roster 4 Regular season 4 1 Schedule 4 2 Game summaries 4 2 1 Week 1 vs San Francisco 49ers 4 2 2 Week 2 at St Louis Rams 4 2 3 Week 3 vs Seattle Seahawks 4 2 4 Week 4 at Arizona Cardinals 4 2 5 Week 5 at Dallas Cowboys 4 2 6 Week 6 vs Atlanta Falcons 4 2 7 Week 8 at Philadelphia Eagles 4 2 8 Week 9 vs Jacksonville Jaguars 4 2 9 Week 10 at Minnesota Vikings 4 2 10 Week 11 vs Washington Redskins 4 2 11 Week 12 at Houston Texans 4 2 12 Week 13 vs Tennessee Titans 4 2 13 Week 14 at Washington Redskins 4 2 14 Week 15 vs Dallas Cowboys 4 2 15 Week 16 at Indianapolis Colts 4 2 16 Week 17 vs Philadelphia Eagles 4 3 Standings 5 Postseason 5 1 Prelude Giants sign Trey Junkin 5 2 Schedule 5 3 Game summaries 5 3 1 Wild Card Round at San Francisco 49ers 6 ReferencesOffseason editAdditions SubtractionsDE Byron Frisch Cowboys K Morten Andersen Chiefs LB Jessie Armstead Redskins T Lomas Brown Buccaneers FS Sam Garnes Jets WR Joe Jurevicius Buccaneers NFL Draft edit Main article 2002 NFL Draft 2002 New York Giants draftDraft order Player name Position College NotesRound Overall1 14 Jeremy Shockey Tight end Miami FL from Titans15 Traded to the Tennessee Titans2 46 Tim Carter Wide receiver Auburn3 78 Jeff Hatch Tackle Pennsylvania4 110 Traded to the Tennessee Titans5 152 Nick Greisen Linebacker Wisconsin6 188 Wesly Mallard Linebacker Oregon7 226 Daryl Jones Wide receiver Miami FL 245 Quincy Monk Linebacker North Carolina Compensatory pickUndrafted free agents edit 2002 undrafted free agents of note Player Position CollegeMatt Bryant Placekicker BaylorRyan Clark Safety LSUBob Jones Long snapper Penn StateMatt Mitrione Defensive tackle PurdueCharles Stackhouse Fullback Ole MissStaff edit2002 New York Giants staff Front office President and co chief executive officer Wellington Mara Chairman and co chief executive officer Preston Robert Tisch Executive vice president and general counsel John Mara Vice president and general manager Ernie Accorsi Assistant general manager Kevin Abrams Director of player personnel Jerry Reese Director of pro personnel David Gettleman Director of college scouting Jerry Shay Assistant director of pro personnel Ken SternfeldHead coaches Head coach Jim FasselOffensive coaches Offensive coordinator quarterbacks Sean Payton Running backs Eric Studesville Wide receivers Jimmy Robinson Tight ends Mike Pope Offensive line Jim McNally Offensive quality control Jay Robertson Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator Johnnie Lynn Defensive line Denny Marcin Linebackers Tom Olivadotti Defensive backs DeWayne Walker Senior defensive analyst Dave Brazil Defensive quality control Rod RustSpecial teams coaches Special teams Bruce ReadStrength and conditioning Strength and conditioning John Dunn Assistant strength and conditioning Craig StoddardRoster edit2002 New York Giants final roster Quarterbacks 5 Kerry Collins 17 Jason Garrett 3 Jesse PalmerRunning backs 21 Tiki Barber 27 Ron Dayne 33 Delvin Joyce KR PR 45 Charles Stackhouse FBWide receivers 86 Ron Dixon 85 Derek Dorris 87 Daryl Jones KR PR 15 Tony Simmons 81 Amani ToomerTight ends 89 Dan Campbell 83 Marcellus Rivers 80 Jeremy Shockey Offensive linemen 74 Ian Allen T 67 Chris Bober C 72 Barrett Brooks T 65 Tam Hopkins G 77 Luke Petitgout T 78 Mike Rosenthal T 69 Rich Seubert G 68 Omar Smith C 73 Terence Wagner C 66 Jason Whittle GDefensive linemen 95 Frank Ferrara DE 99 Byron Frisch DE 97 Cornelius Griffin DT 90 Kenny Holmes DE 94 Dwight Johnson DT 96 Ross Kolodziej DT 70 Lance Legree DT 98 Matt Mitrione DT 92 Michael Strahan DE Linebackers 58 Micheal Barrow MLB 54 Nick Greisen OLB 55 Dhani Jones OLB 59 Kevin Lewis MLB 51 Wesly Mallard OLB 93 Quincy Monk OLB 53 Brandon Short OLBDefensive backs 25 Will Allen CB 22 Ralph Brown CB 37 Johnnie Harris SS 28 DeWayne Patmon FS 24 Will Peterson CB 31 Jason Sehorn CB 26 Kato Serwanga CB 34 Reggie Stephens CB 23 Omar Stoutmire FS 36 Shaun Williams SSSpecial teams 12 Matt Allen P 8 Matt Bryant K 44 Dan O Leary LS Reserve lists 84 Tim Carter WR KR IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 41 Darnell Dinkins TE IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 71 Sean Guthrie DE IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 75 Keith Hamilton DT IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 76 Jeff Hatch T IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 88 Ike Hilliard WR IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 35 Clarence LeBlanc S IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 82 Herman Moore WR Retired 9 Owen Pochman K IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 29 Damon Washington RB IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 57 Clayton White LB PUPTooltip Physically unable to perform nbsp 52 Dusty Zeigler G IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp 38 Adam Wright RB IRTooltip Injured reserve nbsp Practice squad 49 Taman Bryant TE 39 Ryan Clark S 60 Pat Crummey G 64 Sean O Connor G Chris Taylor WRRookies in italics 53 active 13 inactive 5 practice squadRegular season editSchedule edit Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance1 September 5 San Francisco 49ers L 13 16 0 1 Giants Stadium 78 7482 September 15 at St Louis Rams W 26 21 1 1 Edward Jones Dome 65 9323 September 22 Seattle Seahawks W 9 6 2 1 Giants Stadium 78 5514 September 29 at Arizona Cardinals L 7 21 2 2 Sun Devil Stadium 30 0145 October 6 at Dallas Cowboys W 21 17 3 2 Texas Stadium 63 4476 October 13 Atlanta Falcons L 10 17 3 3 Giants Stadium 78 7287 Bye8 October 28 at Philadelphia Eagles L 3 17 3 4 Veterans Stadium 65 7919 November 3 Jacksonville Jaguars W 24 17 4 4 Giants Stadium 78 33710 November 10 at Minnesota Vikings W 27 20 5 4 Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome 64 00511 November 17 Washington Redskins W 19 17 6 4 Giants Stadium 78 72712 November 24 at Houston Texans L 14 16 6 5 Reliant Stadium 70 05413 December 1 Tennessee Titans L 29 32 6 6 Giants Stadium 78 64014 December 8 at Washington Redskins W 27 21 7 6 FedExField 78 63515 December 15 Dallas Cowboys W 37 7 8 6 Giants Stadium 78 69816 December 22 at Indianapolis Colts W 44 27 9 6 RCA Dome 56 57917 December 28 Philadelphia Eagles W 10 7 10 6 Giants Stadium 78 782Game summaries edit Week 1 vs San Francisco 49ers edit 1 2 3 4 Total49ers 3 0 7 6 16Giants 3 3 0 7 13at Giants Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey Date September 5 Game time 8 30 p m EST TV ESPN Announcers Mike Patrick Joe Theismann Paul Maguire and Suzy KolberThe Giants opened their 2002 season at home against the 49ers in a preview of their infamous Wild Card game later that season This was the first ever Thursday night NFL season opener The Giants led 6 3 at halftime with new kicker Matt Bryant kicking field goals of 29 and 33 yards In the third quarter 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia found running back Garrison Hearst for a 9 yard touchdown pass to make it 10 6 After a Jose Cortez field goal made it 13 6 49ers with 8 minutes to go Tiki Barber ran in for a 1 yard touchdown to tie the game at 13 13 with 1 55 to go However the Giants defense failed to hold at the end of the game A 33 yard pass from Garcia to Terrell Owens set up a 36 yard field goal by Cortez with 6 seconds left to win the game for the 49ers For the Giants Amani Toomer caught nine passes for 134 yards 2 Week 2 at St Louis Rams edit 1 2 3 4 TotalGiants 3 14 3 6 26Rams 0 7 7 7 21at Edward Jones Dome St Louis Missouri Date September 15 Game time 3 05 p m CST 4 05 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Joe Buck Cris Collinsworth Troy Aikman and Pam OliverThe Giants next traveled to St Louis to take on the defending NFC champion Rams who were favored by 12 to defeat the Giants However the Giants jumped out to a 17 0 lead in the first half In the second quarter Kerry Collins found rookie tight end Jeremy Shockey for his first career touchdown on a 28 yard pass Later in the quarter Jason Sehorn picked off Kurt Warner and returned his errant pass 31 yards for a touchdown The Rams finally got on the board with Warner finding receiver Ricky Proehl for a 6 yard touchdown to make the score 17 7 Giants at the half In the third quarter Marshall Faulk scored a touchdown to narrow the score to 17 14 After two Matt Bryant field goals Faulk scored another touchdown from 8 yards out to make the score 23 21 with 8 24 to go The Giants finally clinched the game when cornerback Will Allen intercepted a Kurt Warner pass with 1 43 remaining Kerry Collins was 22 of 26 for 307 yards and a touchdown with an interception Ike Hilliard was the leading receiver with 4 receptions for 97 yards while Amani Toomer added 4 catches for 92 yards The defense forced 4 Rams turnovers against just one by the Giants 3 Week 3 vs Seattle Seahawks edit 1 2 3 4 TotalSeahawks 3 3 0 0 6Giants 0 0 3 6 9at Giants Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey Date September 22 Game time 4 15 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Sam Rosen Bill Maas and Brent RingenbachNext came a contest against the Seahawks that did not feature a touchdown The Giants trailed 6 0 at halftime after two Rian Lindell field goals but Matt Bryant kicked three field goals in the second half the last one a 47 yarder coming with 2 04 remaining As he had the previous week Will Allen clinched the game by intercepting a Trent Dilfer pass with 1 35 remaining The Giants held the Seahawks to just 145 yards of total offense Amani Toomer caught four passes for 100 yards 4 Week 4 at Arizona Cardinals edit 1 2 3 4 TotalGiants 7 0 0 0 7Cardinals 0 7 0 14 21at Sun Devil Stadium Tempe Arizona Date September 29 Game time 2 05 p m MST 4 05 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Dick Stockton Daryl Johnston and Ron PittsThe Giants completed their NFC West cycle with a poor performance against the Cardinals The Giants struck first with Tiki Barber running in for a 6 yard touchdown in the first quarter However in the second quarter Kerry Collins was intercepted by Justin Lucas who returned the pick 38 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7 7 at the half In the fourth quarter Cardinals running back Marcel Shipp scored two touchdowns The first one was on a 7 yard pass from quarterback Jake Plummer to give the Cardinals a 14 7 lead with 10 36 to go and the second touchdown was a 10 yard run to clinch the game with 2 13 left Both teams gained 263 yards in this contest However the Cardinals won the turnover battle 3 1 and time of possession 36 05 to 23 55 5 Week 5 at Dallas Cowboys edit 1 2 3 4 TotalGiants 0 14 0 7 21Cowboys 0 10 0 7 17at Texas Stadium Irving Texas Date October 6 Game time 12 00 p m CST 1 00 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Pat Summerall Brian Baldinger and Mike DoocyWeek 6 vs Atlanta Falcons edit 1 2 3 4 TotalFalcons 0 10 0 7 17Giants 0 3 7 0 10at Giants Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey Date October 13 Game time 1 00 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Kenny Albert Daryl Johnston and Ron PittsWeek 8 at Philadelphia Eagles edit 1 2 3 4 TotalGiants 0 3 0 0 3Eagles 3 6 0 8 17at Veterans Stadium Philadelphia Pennsylvania Date October 28 Game time 9 00 p m EST TV ABC Announcers Al Michaels John Madden and Melissa StarkWeek 9 vs Jacksonville Jaguars edit 1 2 3 4 TotalJaguars 0 0 3 14 17Giants 7 7 10 0 24at Giants Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey Date November 3 Game time 8 30 p m EST TV ESPN Announcers Mike Patrick Joe Theismann Paul Maguire and Suzy KolberWeek 10 at Minnesota Vikings edit Week 10 New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings Period 1 2 34TotalGiants 7 6 6827Vikings 0 3 31420at Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis Minnesota Date November 10 2002Game time 12 00 p m CSTGame weather None indoor stadium Game attendance 64 122Referee Tony Corrente 99 TV announcers FOX Dick Stockton Daryl Johnston and Ron PittsRecap Game Book Game informationFirst quarter NYG Charles Stackhouse 1 yard pass from Kerry Collins Matt Bryant kick 6 10 Giants 7 0 Drive 3 plays 23 yards 1 35 Second quarter MIN Gary Anderson 20 yard field goal 12 36 Giants 7 3 Drive 10 plays 51 yards 5 07 NYG Ron Dayne 30 yard run run failed 8 48 Giants 13 3 Drive 7 plays 72 yards 3 48 Third quarter MIN Gary Anderson 27 yard field goal 9 11 Giants 13 6 Drive 7 plays 48 yards 3 02 NYG Amani Toomer 11 yard pass from Kerry Collins kick failed wide left 0 22 Giants 19 6 Drive 6 plays 91 yards 3 04 Fourth quarter MIN Moe Williams 1 yard run Gary Anderson kick 12 06 Giants 19 13 Drive 3 plays 81 yards 1 11 MIN Michael Bennett 78 yard run Gary Anderson kick 8 36 Vikings 20 19 Drive 2 plays 78 yards 0 16 NYG Tiki Barber 8 yard run Kerry Collins Marcellus Rivers pass 2 43 Giants 27 20 Drive 10 plays 80 yards 5 53 Top passers NYG Kerry Collins 25 35 300 yards 2 TD INT MIN Daunte Culpepper 9 20 91 yardsTop rushers NYG Tiki Barber 24 rushes 127 yards TD MIN Michael Bennett 15 rushes 167 yards TDTop receivers NYG Ron Dixon 4 receptions 107 yards MIN Randy Moss 3 receptions 85 yards The Giants took on the Vikings in a midseason contest at the Metrodome The Giants took charge early with Kerry Collins finding Charles Stackhouse for a 1 yard touchdown to make the score 7 0 In the second quarter Ron Dayne ran in for a 30 yard touchdown with a failed two point conversion making the score 13 3 at the half Late in the third quarter Collins found Amani Toomer for an 11 yard touchdown and the Giants led 19 6 at the start of the fourth quarter While the Giants flourished offensively Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper struggled mightily He completed just 9 of 20 passes with many of his passes not even close to reaching his receivers Due to his inability to perform and lack of confidence in this contest Vikings coach Mike Tice decided to have him take the rest of the day off To replace Culpepper Tice put in Todd Bouman a local product from St Cloud State University Immediately after he went in the Vikings fortunes changed Early in the fourth quarter Bouman threw a 48 yard bomb to Randy Moss which set up a 1 yard touchdown by running back Moe Williams The lead was now 19 13 Giants On the next Vikings possession the Vikings ran a draw play where the fastest man in the NFL Michael Bennett took off for a 78 yard touchdown With 8 36 to go the Vikings were now leading 20 19 in a contest the Giants had dominated The Giants recovered however and Tiki Barber ran in for an 8 yard touchdown with 2 43 to go On the two point conversion the Giants were thrown a life preserver when a Vikings player dropped an interception with rookie tight end Marcellus Rivers catching the loose ball to make the score 27 20 Giants The Giants forced a punt on the next Vikings possession when Kenny Holmes sacked Bouman on a third down play to essentially clinch the game Kerry Collins was 25 of 35 for 300 yards and two touchdowns with an interception Tiki Barber added 127 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown and Ron Dixon caught four passes for 107 yards 6 Week 11 vs Washington Redskins edit 1 2 3 4 TotalRedskins 0 10 7 0 17Giants 3 7 6 3 19at Giants Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey Date November 17 Game time 1 00 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Kenny Albert Tim Green and John DiScepoloWeek 12 at Houston Texans edit 1 2 3 4 TotalGiants 0 7 0 7 14Texans 0 5 8 3 16at Reliant Stadium Houston Texas Date November 24 Game time 3 15 p m CST 4 15 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Sam Rosen Bill Maas and Matt SampsellWeek 13 vs Tennessee Titans edit 1 2 3 4OT TotalTitans 0 14 0 153 32Giants 3 7 10 90 29at Giants Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey Date December 1 Game time 1 00 p m EST TV CBS Announcers Kevin Harlan Randy Cross and Beasley ReeceWeek 14 at Washington Redskins edit 1 2 3 4 TotalGiants 3 14 7 3 27Washington 0 3 11 7 21at FedEx Field Landover Maryland Date December 8 Game time 1 00 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Dick Stockton Daryl Johnston and Dave FeldmanWeek 15 vs Dallas Cowboys edit 1 2 3 4 TotalCowboys 0 0 0 7 7Giants 21 3 3 10 37at Giants Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey Date December 15 Game time 4 15 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Pat Summerall Brian Baldinger and John DiScepoloWeek 16 at Indianapolis Colts edit 1 2 3 4 TotalGiants 3 7 20 14 44Colts 0 3 3 21 27at RCA Dome Indianapolis Indiana Date December 22 Game time 1 00 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Joe Buck Troy Aikman Cris Collinsworth and Pam OliverAfter two games against teams with losing records the Giants schedule got tougher with a road game at Indianapolis However the Giants would be up to the challenge in a shootout The Giants took a 3 0 lead in the first quarter with a 20 yard Matt Bryant field goal The first play of the second quarter was when this game took off Kerry Collins threw a screen pass to Jeremy Shockey who ran over and flattened Colts safety David Gibson before finally being brought down at the Colts 14 yard line after a 24 yard gain Shockey s takedown of Gibson was all the more embarrassing for the Colt as he declared before the game that Shockey was just another player Three plays later Tiki Barber ran in for a 4 yard touchdown The score was 10 3 Giants at the half but some noted that the Giants should have been up by more as two lost fumbles hindered their offense On the first play of the second half came the play of the game The Giants ran a flea flicker where Tiki Barber took a handoff before throwing the ball back to Kerry Collins who then launched a rocket starting from his own 5 yard line Collins pass landed inside the Colts 40 to Amani Toomer who outran the already embarrassed David Gibson for an 82 yard touchdown On the next Giants drive they extended their lead with Collins finding Charles Stackhouse for an 18 yard touchdown to make the score 24 3 With 11 seconds to go in the third quarter Tiki Barber ran in for a 1 yard touchdown The score was 30 6 Giants heading into the fourth quarter With 13 34 to go in the fourth quarter the Colts finally got into the end zone with Peyton Manning finding Reggie Wayne for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 31 12 Giants The Giants answered with Kerry Collins finding Amani Toomer for a 21 yard touchdown to make the score 37 12 However after this touchdown the Giants defense and special teams began to blow their seemingly insurmountable lead The Colts needed just six plays to drive 77 yards for a touchdown with Manning finding Marvin Harrison for a 25 yard touchdown The ensuing two point conversion made the score 37 20 with 4 51 to go The Colts needed an onside kick and Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt lofted a kick up and over the Giants frontlines with the Colts recovering the ball On the very next play Manning found Reggie Wayne for another Colts touchdown Suddenly with 4 44 to go the Giants led by just 10 37 27 However the Giants recovered the ensuing onside kick before facing a 3rd and 11 Rather than play it safe and run the ball to kill the clock Jim Fassel called for another pass play The gamble paid off with Collins hitting Toomer for his third touchdown of the day a 27 yard touchdown that finally put the game away with 4 00 to go Kerry Collins achieved a perfect passer rating of 158 3 going 23 of 29 for 366 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions Amani Toomer caught 10 passes for 204 yards and a career high three touchdowns with Jeremy Shockey adding 7 receptions for 116 yards Kenny Holmes registered two sacks for the Giants defense Not only did the Giants remain in playoff contention with their win over the Colts but they gained help from an unlikely source While this game was taking place the lowly 1 13 Cincinnati Bengals came from behind and stunned the New Orleans Saints As a result of this game the Giants were now ahead of the Saints in playoff standings 7 Week 17 vs Philadelphia Eagles edit 1 2 3 4OT TotalEagles 7 0 0 00 7Giants 0 0 0 73 10at Giants Stadium East Rutherford New Jersey Date December 28 Game time 1 30 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Joe Buck Cris Collinsworth Troy Aikman and Pam OliverStandings edit NFC Eastviewtalkedit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK 1 Philadelphia Eagles 12 4 0 750 5 1 11 1 415 241 L1 5 New York Giants 10 6 0 625 5 1 8 4 320 279 W4Washington Redskins 7 9 0 438 1 5 4 8 307 365 W2Dallas Cowboys 5 11 0 313 1 5 3 9 217 329 L4Postseason editPrelude Giants sign Trey Junkin edit While the Giants made the postseason in 2002 after a one year absence throughout the season the Giants struggled on special teams particularly with stability at the long snapper position The Giants began the season with Bob Jones as their long snapper but after he struggled the Giants signed Dan O Leary who was the long snapper for the final five games of the regular season until he was injured Before the Giants Wild Card playoff game with the 49ers Jim Fassel made the decision to sign Trey Junkin who had played 19 seasons with Buffalo Washington the Raiders Seattle and Arizona Junkin had been cut before the beginning of the season by the Cowboys and had retired before the Giants signed him Of particular note was an NFL Films video featuring a segment on him and his job as a long snapper late in his career he stated in the interview that he had made only two bad snaps in his career 8 Schedule edit Week Date Opponent Result AttendanceWild Card January 5 at San Francisco 49ers L 38 39 66 318Game summaries edit Wild Card Round at San Francisco 49ers edit 1 2 3 4 TotalGiants 7 21 10 0 3849ers 7 7 8 17 39at 3Com Park San Francisco California Date January 5 2003 Game time 1 45 p m PST 4 45 p m EST TV FOX Announcers Joe Buck Troy Aikman Cris Collinsworth and Pam OliverThe 2002 Giants season ended in one of the most humiliating losses in franchise history featuring a blown 24 point lead and a catastrophic finish featuring both an epic special teams blunder and a controversial officiating call The game essentially unfolded in three phases an evenly matched beginning the Giants turning the game into a rout and the 49ers comeback The Giants won the toss and drove on their opening possession to the 49ers 33 yard line but Kerry Collins threw an interception to 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson to end the drive On the 49ers first play from scrimmage Jeff Garcia found Terrell Owens who broke away from the Giants secondary and took off for a 76 yard touchdown The Giants got on the board with 18 seconds left in the quarter with Collins finding Amani Toomer for a 12 yard touchdown to tie the score 7 7 at the end of the first quarter The Giants scored another touchdown early in the second quarter with a 2 yard touchdown pass from Collins to Jeremy Shockey for their first lead of the game 14 7 The 49ers tied the game up with 6 05 left to go in the first half with running back Kevan Barlow scoring a rushing touchdown It was during the final minutes of the first half when the Giants began to build their big lead The Giants drove down on their ensuing drive for another touchdown with Kerry Collins finding Amani Toomer for an 8 yard touchdown with 2 49 to go in the first half After a Jeff Garcia interception to Jason Sehorn Collins threw yet another touchdown to Toomer for his third touchdown reception of the game and the Giants led 28 14 at the half On the opening possession of the second half the 49ers faced a 4th and 1 when Dhani Jones stopped 49ers fullback Fred Beasley for no gain The Giants scored again with Tiki Barber running in for a 6 yard touchdown On their next possession the Giants advanced to the 49ers 3 yard line for a goal to go situation On 3rd and goal Collins threw a pass directly to Jeremy Shockey but Shockey dropped the pass and the Giants were forced to settle for a 21 yard Matt Bryant field goal The Giants were up 38 14 with 4 27 to go in the third quarter but their momentum had been stopped with Shockey s dropped pass This play is widely considered to be the turning point in the game The 49ers began their comeback with 2 10 to go in the third quarter when Jeff Garcia found Terrell Owens for a 26 yard touchdown pass A two point conversion from Garcia to Owens made it 38 22 heading into the final quarter After a terrible punt by Matt Allen and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Dhani Jones the 49ers had great field position at the Giants 27 to start their next drive and they cashed in with Garcia running in for a 14 yard touchdown followed by another two point conversion from Garcia to Owens Suddenly with 14 55 to go in the game the Giants were only leading 38 30 After another three and out by the Giants the 49ers drove into the Giants red zone again with a chance to tie the game when the Giants finally held and the 49ers settled for Jeff Chandler s 25 yard field goal with 7 52 to go The Giants finally got a drive going after the play which put the Giants into field goal range with 3 06 to go when their special teams began to unravel Long snapper Trey Junkin signed only a few days before the game sent a low snap into the dirt resulting in Matt Bryant missing the 42 yard field goal attempt wide left The 49ers then drove 68 yards down the field with Garcia finding Tai Streets for a 13 yard touchdown with 1 05 to go The Giants were now losing a game they had been winning by 24 points 39 38 As if blowing a seemingly insurmountable lead was not enough the Giants were losing composure on the field as well with Shaun Williams getting into a confrontation with Owens resulting in offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties Although the Giants had blown their huge lead they had one more chance to save their season Kick returner Delvin Joyce returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to give the Giants good field position at their own 48 yard line Kerry Collins found Ron Dixon for 10 yards then after his next pass was nearly intercepted by cornerback Ahmed Plummer he found Dixon for 19 yards With 9 seconds left the Giants ran a quick out to Amani Toomer for 5 more yards setting up a 41 yard field goal attempt on the last play of the game What instead ensued was one of the worst plays in Giants history Trey Junkin launched a poor snap into the dirt to the point that holder Matt Allen could not get the ball down Realizing that Bryant could not kick the field goal Allen rolled out and threw a Hail Mary towards Rich Seubert an offensive lineman who checked in as an eligible receiver for the play As the ball neared 49ers defensive end Chike Okeafor dragged down Seubert which should have resulted in a pass interference against the 49ers and one more attempt for Bryant since the game cannot end on a defensive penalty However the refs not only did not call pass interference on Okeafor but instead called ineligible receiver downfield on Seubert even though he in fact was an eligible receiver As a result the game was over The blown lead and ending ruined several outstanding individual performances by the Giants Kerry Collins went 29 of 43 for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns with an interception while Amani Toomer caught 8 passes for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns and Tiki Barber added 177 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown The most notable stat from the game however related to total yards Both the Giants and the 49ers were dead even with 446 yards of total offense The day after the game the NFL admitted that the penalty on the final play was incorrectly called Their statement declared that Rich Seubert s penalty should not have been called and that Chike Okeafor should have been called for pass interference meaning that the Giants would have gotten one more chance to win the game However when a reporter revealed this to 49ers coach Steve Mariucci after the game he simply replied Bummer as there was no way the final outcome could be changed Trey Junkin the long snapper who botched the snap on the final play promptly retired for good immediately after the game He was deeply distraught about his role in the team s loss and solely blamed himself for the outcome though many did note that he was hardly the only factor The 2002 Wild Card against the 49ers is among the most devastating losses in Giants history not only for its comeback and ending but also because of the impact on the team The following season the Giants fell to 4 12 and tied for last place in the entire league Critics noted that similar to this game the 2003 Giants had a penchant for blowing leads even on the rare occasions where they won After the season Jim Fassel was fired and Kerry Collins was released than signed with the Oakland Raiders while many key defensive starters left As a result the Wild Card against the 49ers would retrospectively be seen by Giants fans as the beginning of the end of the Jim Fassel era References edit 2002 New York Giants San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants September 5 2002 September 5 2002 Retrieved November 23 2017 New York Giants at St Louis Rams September 15 2002 September 15 2002 Retrieved November 23 2017 Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants September 22 2002 September 22 2002 Retrieved November 23 2017 New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals September 29 2002 September 29 2002 Retrieved November 23 2017 New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings November 10 2002 November 10 2002 Retrieved December 30 2017 New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings November 10 2002 November 10 2002 Retrieved December 30 2017 Giants Sign Long Snapper Trey Junkin December 31 2002 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2002 New York Giants season amp oldid 1172556220, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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