2002 Green Bay Packers season

Last updated

2002 Green Bay Packers season
Head coach Mike Sherman
Home field Lambeau Field
Results
Record12–4
Division place1st NFC North
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Falcons) 7–27
Pro Bowlers QB Brett Favre
RB Ahman Green
WR Donald Driver
TE Bubba Franks
G Marco Rivera
FS Darren Sharper
AP All-Pros QB Brett Favre (2nd team)
FS Darren Sharper (2nd team)

The 2002 season was the Green Bay Packers' 82nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their 84th overall.

Contents

For the first time since 1989, LeRoy Butler was not on the opening day roster.

This was the first of three consecutive NFC North titles for the Packers. They achieved a 12–4 record in the regular season, before losing in the NFC Wild Card playoffs round to quarterback Brett Favre's former team, the Atlanta Falcons, at Lambeau Field. [1] This marked the first time in franchise history that the Packers had lost at home in the playoffs. [2]

Background

In 2001, the Packers achieved the franchise's best record since 1997, finishing 12–4 and advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs. There, they lost to the eventual NFC champion St. Louis Rams. During the game, it became clear that the Packers would need wide receivers with greater speed and ability to compete with the conference's best teams. GM Mike Sherman spent the 2002 offseason revamping Green Bay's receiving corps. The team promoted Donald Driver to starter, acquired veteran Terry Glenn from the New England Patriots and drafted Javon Walker in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. The influx of new players seemed to position the Packers as one of the strongest contenders in the NFC.

Season summary

Green Bay started the season with eight wins in their first nine games, led by quarterback Brett Favre and running back Ahman Green. The Packers led the NFC North throughout the year, winning the division by a six-game margin. Green Bay became the first team to win the newly rechristened division, formerly known as the NFC Central. It was the Packers' first division title since 1997, and the team would go on to win the NFC North for three consecutive seasons.

For the first time in years, it appeared that the Packers had a legitimate chance of reaching the Super Bowl heading into the final Sunday of the regular season. With one game left, Green Bay was 12–3, and a victory away from clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs after the Philadelphia Eagles failed to clinch home field advantage themselves one day prior in an overtime defeat to the New York Giants. The Packers had never lost a home playoff game in franchise history, had achieved an 8–0 record at home in 2002, and had established a run of Lambeau Field dominance since the Mike Holmgren era. As a result, playing home games at Lambeau Field would seemingly give the Packers a significant advantage in the playoffs. The final game was on the road against the New York Jets, who beat the Packers handily to win the AFC East division title. The loss which coincided with the Buccaneers winning was a blow to the Packers, who dropped down to the number three seed in the NFC and had an incredibly difficult road to the Super Bowl. Six days later, the Packers were beaten by Michael Vick's Atlanta Falcons, the first home playoff loss in Packers history.

The 2002 season was another memorable year for quarterback Brett Favre. Throughout the season, Favre was a favorite to win his fourth Most Valuable Player award. The Packers' lopsided loss to the Jets in the regular season finale may have swayed voters, as Favre lost the MVP award by merely two votes to Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon.

Offseason

SigningsDepartures
WR Terry Glenn (Patriots)WR Bill Schroeder (Lions)
LB Hardy Nickerson (Jaguars)WR Charles Lee (Buccaneers)
DE Joe Johnson (Saints)RB Dorsey Levens (Eagles)
WR Karsten Bailey (Seahawks)WR Antonio Freeman (Eagles)
CB Darrien Gordon (Falcons)LB Bernardo Harris (Ravens)
T Barry Stokes (Browns)
DE John Thierry (Falcons)
WR Corey Bradford (Texans)
CB Allen Rossum (Falcons)
DT Santana Dotson (Redskins)

2002 NFL draft

In the 2002 NFL draft, the Packers selected 20th overall, drafting future all-pro wide receiver Javon Walker with their first round pick. [3]

2002 NFL Draft selections
RoundSel#PlayerPos.College
120 Javon Walker WRFlorida State
392 Marques Anderson FSUCLA
4135 Najeh Davenport RBMiami
5156 Aaron Kampman DEIowa
5164 Craig Nall QBNorthwestern State, La.
6200 Mike Houghton TSan Diego State

Players highlighted in yellow indicate players selected to the Pro Bowl during their NFL career.

Undrafted free agents

2002 Undrafted Free Agents of note
PlayerPositionCollege
Kevin Barry Offensive Tackle Arizona
Andy Eby Center Kansas State
Tony Fisher Running back Notre Dame
Ken Kocher Defensive Tackle UCLA
Bill Seymour Tight end Michigan
Jeremy Unertl Safety UW–La Crosse
Marcus Wilkins Linebacker Texas

Personnel

Staff

2002 Green Bay Packers staff
Front office
  • President and chief executive officer – Bob Harlan
  • Executive vice president and chief operating officer – John Jones
  • Vice president of player finance/general counsel – Andrew Brandt
  • Vice president of football operations – Mark Hatley
  • Director of college scouting – John Dorsey
  • Director of pro personnel – Reggie McKenzie
  • Personnel analyst to general manager – John Schneider
  • Assistant director of college scouting – Shaun Herock
  • Assistant director of pro personnel – Sean Howard

Head coaches

  • Executive vice president/general manager/head coach – Mike Sherman
  • Assistant head coach/defensive backs – Bob Slowik

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

Roster

2002 Green Bay Packers final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists
  • 76 Chad Clifton T (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 44 Najeh Davenport RB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 91 Joe Johnson DE (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 21 Bhawoh Jue CB/S (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 65 Mark Tauscher T (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
53 active, 6 inactive, 5 practice squad

Preseason

DateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance
August 10, 2002at Philadelphia Eagles L 13–200–1 Veterans Stadium 58,546
August 17, 2002at Arizona Cardinals W 29–211–1 Sun Devil Stadium 35,716
August 26, 2002 Cleveland Browns W 27–202–1 Lambeau Field 62,668
August 30, 2002 Tennessee Titans W 21–203–1 Lambeau Field 62,485

Regular season

Schedule

The Packers finished 12–4 overall, winning the NFC North crown by a six-game margin. [4]

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance
1September 8 Atlanta Falcons W 37–34 (OT)1–0 Lambeau Field 63,127
2September 15at New Orleans Saints L 20–351–1 Louisiana Superdome 67,958
3September 22at Detroit Lions W 37–312–1 Ford Field 61,505
4September 29 Carolina Panthers W 17–143–1Lambeau Field63,329
5October 7at Chicago Bears W 34–214–1 Memorial Stadium 63,226
6October 13at New England Patriots W 28–105–1 Gillette Stadium 68,436
7October 20 Washington Redskins W 30–96–1Lambeau Field63,363
8Bye
9November 4 Miami Dolphins W 24–107–1Lambeau Field63,284
10November 10Detroit LionsW 40–148–1Lambeau Field63,313
11November 17at Minnesota Vikings L 21–318–2 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 64,153
12November 24at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 7–218–3 Raymond James Stadium 65,672
13December 1Chicago BearsW 30–209–3Lambeau Field64,196
14December 8Minnesota VikingsW 26–2210–3Lambeau Field64,070
15December 15at San Francisco 49ers W 20–1411–3 3Com Park 67,947
16December 22 Buffalo Bills W 10–012–3Lambeau Field64,106
17December 29at New York Jets L 17–4212–4 Giants Stadium 78,733

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 1: Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers
Period1234OTTotal
Falcons021310034
Packers310147337

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 2: at New Orleans Saints

Week 2: Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints
Period1234Total
Packers0107320
Saints7147735

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

Week 3: at Detroit Lions

Week 3: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
Period1234Total
Packers71014637
Lions71001431

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 4: Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers
Period1234Total
Panthers700714
Packers370717

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 5: at Chicago Bears

Week 5: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
Period1234Total
Packers14107334
Bears770721

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

Game information

Week 6: at New England Patriots

Week 6: Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots
Period1234Total
Packers0147728
Patriots030710

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

Week 7: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 7: Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers
Period1234Total
Redskins33309
Packers71001330

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 9: Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers
Period1234Total
Dolphins0001010
Packers01410024

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 10: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
Period1234Total
Lions700714
Packers32710040

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 11: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Period1234Total
Packers077721
Vikings14071031

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

Week 12: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 12: Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Period1234Total
Packers70007
Buccaneers0311721

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida

Game information

Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 13: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Period1234Total
Bears770620
Packers33101430

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Period1234Total
Vikings1039022
Packers0671326

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 15: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 15: Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers
Period1234Total
Packers3014320
49ers068014

at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California

Game information

Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 16: Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers
Period1234Total
Bills00000
Packers030710

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 17: at New York Jets

Week 17: Green Bay Packers at New York Jets
Period1234Total
Packers0100717
Jets014141442

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

Standings

NFC North
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(3) Green Bay Packers 1240.7505–19–3398328L1
Minnesota Vikings 6100.3754–25–7390442W3
Chicago Bears 4120.2502–43–9281379L2
Detroit Lions 3130.1881–53–9306451L8

Playoffs

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance
WildcardJanuary 4, 2003 Atlanta Falcons L 7–270–1 Lambeau Field 65,358

Game summaries

NFC Wild Card: vs. Atlanta Falcons

NFC Wild Card Game: (6) Atlanta Falcons at (3) Green Bay Packers
Period1234Total
Falcons14103027
Packers00707

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Awards and records

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Green Bay Packers season</span> NFL team season

The 2003 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 85th season overall and their 83rd in the National Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Green Bay Packers season</span> NFL team season

The 2007 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 89th overall and 87th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Packers finished the regular season with a 13–3 record. They received for the first time since 1997 a bye for the first round of the playoffs, won their divisional round playoff game, and lost in the NFC Championship game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. It was the first time the Packers had lost a home NFC Championship game, and only their third home playoff loss ever. This was the last season for quarterback Brett Favre as a Green Bay Packer, as he initially retired following the season but came out of retirement and was subsequently traded to the New York Jets during the offseason.

The 2000 season was the Green Bay Packers' 80th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 82nd overall. It was the first season for which Mike Sherman was the head coach of the team. Sherman was the thirteenth head coach in franchise history. The Packers finished 9–7, failing to qualify for the playoffs. Both the Packers' total offense and total defense ranked 15th in the league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Green Bay Packers season</span> NFL team season

The 1999 season was the Green Bay Packers' 79th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 81st overall. It was the first and only season for head coach Ray Rhodes. The Packers finished 8–8, posting their worst record since Brett Favre took over the helm as the Packers' starting quarterback, and also missing the playoffs for the first time since 1992.

The 1994 Green Bay Packers season was the team's 76th season overall and their 74th in the National Football League. The Packers finished with a 9–7 record for their third straight winning season. 1994 marked the first of 8 seasons in which Packers' quarterback Brett Favre would throw more than 30 touchdown passes. It also marked the second season in which he started all 16 games for the Packers, starting a record-breaking starting streak which would continue throughout his career. This was the final season that the Packers played at Milwaukee County Stadium; they played home games exclusively at Lambeau beginning in 1995. Three Packers had the distinction of being named to the NFL's All-Time 75th Anniversary Team: Reggie White, Don Hutson, and Ray Nitschke. After defeating the Detroit Lions 16–12 in the NFC Wild Card Game, the season ended in a 35–9 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

The 2002 season was the Carolina Panthers' eighth in the National Football League and their first under head coach John Fox. They tried to improve upon their 1–15 record in 2001, and make it to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Detroit Lions season</span> NFL team season

The 2002 season was the Detroit Lions' 73rd in the National Football League (NFL). It was the Lions’ inaugural season at the new Ford Field in Downtown Detroit and their first in the city since the team left Tiger Stadium after the 1974 season. Following the season, Marty Mornhinweg was fired and Steve Mariucci was hired as the Lions' head coach. The Lions entered the 2002 season looking to improve on their 2–14 record from 2001 and make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. They improved on their record, winning 3 games. However, the new stadium didn't help the team overall, and they continued to disappoint, beginning the season with three consecutive losses. By week 9, the Lions had a 3–5 record after a win over the Dallas Cowboys. However, after that win, the Lions lost their remaining 8 games to finish the season 3–13 and failed to reach the playoffs. The Lions also went 0–8 on the road for the second straight season. As a result, Marty Mornhinweg was fired after the season. In his 2 seasons as head coach, the Lions went 5–27 for a winning percentage of .156.

The 2002 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 37th in the National Football League (NFL) and their first in the newly formed NFC South. It was also the team's first season under new owner Arthur Blank, who acquired the team during the 2002 offseason. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 7–9 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998. The team was also involved in a rare tie, matching the Pittsburgh Steelers 34–34 at the end of overtime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Minnesota Vikings season</span> 52nd season in franchise history

The 2012 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), as well as their second full season under head coach Leslie Frazier. They looked to improve upon their 3–13 season the year before, and did so after defeating the Tennessee Titans in Week 5; their win over the Houston Texans in Week 16 made this their first winning season since 2009. The Vikings also made the playoffs for the first time since 2009 with a Week 17 win over the Green Bay Packers to give them a 10–6 regular season record, but were defeated by the same opponents in the Wild Card playoff round the following week. Adrian Peterson was named the league's Most Valuable Player after rushing for 2,097 yards, just nine yards short of breaking the single-season record held by Eric Dickerson since 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Green Bay Packers season</span> NFL team season

The 2012 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 94th season overall and their 92nd in the National Football League (NFL), and the seventh under head coach Mike McCarthy. The Packers won the NFC North division title for the second year in a row with an 11–5 record. The Packers lost in the Divisional round of the playoffs to the eventual NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers by the score of 45–31, finishing with a postseason record of 1–1. The Packers offense finished the season fifth in points and eleventh in yards per game. The defense finished eleventh in points allowed and twenty-second in yards allowed per game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Green Bay Packers season</span> NFL team season

The 2013 season was the Green Bay Packers' 95th season overall, 93rd in the National Football League (NFL) and eighth under head coach Mike McCarthy. The Packers came into the 2013 season looking to win the NFC North for the 3rd year in a row. They came off a 45–31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs the previous season. The Packers started the 2013 season in a rematch with the San Francisco 49ers, to whom they lost 28–34. After winning their home opener against the Redskins, Green Bay lost 34–30 in Cincinnati to the Cincinnati Bengals after holding a 30–14 lead in the 3rd quarter. Following the loss in Cincinnati, the Packers won 4 games in a row to sit at 5–2 before losing a Monday Night game at home to the Chicago Bears, 20–27. In that game, the Packers lost star quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a broken collarbone in the 1st quarter. He would be replaced by backups Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn during recovery. In Week 12, the Packers tied the Minnesota Vikings 26–26; it was Green Bay's first tie since 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Green Bay Packers season</span> NFL team season

The 2015 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 97th season overall, 95th in the National Football League, and the tenth under head coach Mike McCarthy. With a Week 15 win over the Oakland Raiders, the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff spot for the seventh consecutive season, but they failed to win their fifth consecutive NFC North title after a Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings as does matching their 12–4 record from last season. As a result, the fifth-seeded Packers traveled to Washington to face the fourth-seeded Redskins in the wild-card round. They beat the Redskins 35–18, and then traveled to Arizona for a rematch against the second-seeded Arizona Cardinals, where the Packers' season ended as they lost to the Cardinals in overtime, 20–26. One highlight of the Packers' season was a stunning come-from-behind victory over their division rivals Detroit Lions, which resulted in a 61-yard game-winning Hail Mary pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to tight end Richard Rodgers II as time expired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Green Bay Packers season</span> NFL team season

The 2016 Green Bay Packers season was their 98th season overall, 96th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 11th under head coach Mike McCarthy. Despite a 4–6 start to the season, the Green Bay Packers went on a 6-game winning streak to finish the regular season with a 10–6 record. The team clinched the NFC North for the fifth time in six years with their week 17 win over the Detroit Lions. They routed the fifth-seeded New York Giants 38–13 in the wild card round of the playoffs and defeated the top-seeded and heavily favored Dallas Cowboys 34–31 in the divisional round of the playoffs, but their season came to an end when they were beat by the second-seeded Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game 44–21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Green Bay Packers season</span> NFL team season

The 2018 season was the Green Bay Packers' 98th season in the National Football League, their 100th overall and their 13th and final season under head coach Mike McCarthy. After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to injury during their 2017 season, the Packers failed to improve their 7–9 record from last season and finished with a 6–9–1 record, their worst since 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Green Bay Packers season</span> 101st season in franchise history

The 2019 season was the Green Bay Packers' 99th in the National Football League (NFL), their 101st overall and their first under new head coach Matt LaFleur. After suffering back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1990–91 and missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2005–06, the Packers improved on their 6–9–1 record from 2018, finishing 13–3 and returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. This guaranteed the Packers' first non-losing season since that same year. Green Bay swept the NFC North for the first time since their franchise-best 2011 season, and achieved their best record since that season as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Minnesota Vikings season</span> 59th season in franchise history

The 2019 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their fourth playing home games at U.S. Bank Stadium and their sixth under head coach Mike Zimmer. They improved on their 8–7–1 campaign from 2018 with a Week 14 win over the Detroit Lions, and returned to the playoffs following a one-year absence after the Los Angeles Rams lost to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16. That week, the Vikings were eliminated from contention for the NFC North division title, losing 23–10 to the Green Bay Packers. They defeated the New Orleans Saints 26–20 in overtime in the Wild Card round but lost 27–10 to the eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Seattle Seahawks season</span>

The 2019 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 44th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 10th under head coach Pete Carroll. It marked their first full season since 1996 without longtime owner Paul Allen, who had died during the 2018 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Green Bay Packers season</span> 102nd season in franchise history

The 2020 season was the Green Bay Packers' 100th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 102nd overall and their second under head coach Matt LaFleur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Green Bay Packers season</span> 103rd season in franchise history

The 2021 season was the Green Bay Packers' 101st season in the National Football League (NFL), their 103rd overall and their third under head coach Matt LaFleur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Green Bay Packers season</span> 104th season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the Green Bay Packers' 102nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 104th overall and fourth under head coach Matt LaFleur.

References

  1. "2002 Packers' schedule". Packers.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  2. "Vick, Falcons shock Packers in Lambeau". NFL.com. January 4, 2003. Archived from the original on December 11, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  3. "Draft History – Green Bay Packers". NFL.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  4. "NFL History – 2002 Regular Season Standings". NFL.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2007.