2002 Oakland Raiders season

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2002 Oakland Raiders season
Owner Al Davis
General managerAl Davis
Head coach Bill Callahan
Home field Network Associates Coliseum
Results
Record11–5
Division place1st AFC West
Playoff finishWon Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Jets) 30–10
Won AFC Championship
(vs. Titans) 41–24
Lost Super Bowl XXXVII
(vs. Buccaneers) 21–48
Pro Bowlers QB Rich Gannon
WR Jerry Rice
T Lincoln Kennedy
C Barret Robbins
FS Rod Woodson
AP All-Pros QB Rich Gannon (1st team)
WR Jerry Rice (2nd team)
T Lincoln Kennedy (1st team)
C Barret Robbins (1st team)
FS Rod Woodson (1st team)
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum during the Raiders' week 17 win over Kansas City Oakland Raiders 24, Kansas City Chiefs 0, 2002, by Ken Lund.jpg
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum during the Raiders' week 17 win over Kansas City

The 2002 season was the Oakland Raiders' 33rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd overall, their eighth since returning to Oakland and their first under head coach Bill Callahan. The Raiders played their home games at Network Associates Coliseum as members of the AFC West. The Raiders had essentially traded their head coach Jon Gruden following the 2001 season. The Raiders hired Callahan, the offensive coordinator under Gruden, to return them to the playoffs.

Contents

Despite their talent, the Raiders struggled in the first half of the season. A 4–0 start was followed by four consecutive losses; the team's 4–4 record stunned many onlookers. The team, however, redeemed itself by winning seven of its final eight contests. In the third quarter of Oakland's 26–20 win on Monday Night Football over the Jets, Tim Brown became the third player in NFL history with 1,000 career catches. Finishing 11–5 in a conference where twelve teams obtained .500 or better records and nine were above .500, the Raiders won the AFC West for the third consecutive season and clinched the AFC's top seed and full home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They routed the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans in the playoffs, by a combined score of 71–34 and +4 in turnover differential; in doing so, they advanced to their first Super Bowl since 1984. Their opponent was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by their former coach Jon Gruden.

The Raiders entered Super Bowl XXXVII as slight favorites; many predicted a hard-fought showdown between Oakland's top-ranked offense and Tampa Bay's top-ranked defense. The resulting game, however, ended in disaster for the Raiders. An early three-point lead (courtesy of a Sebastian Janikowski field goal) evaporated as the Buccaneers scored 34 unanswered points. The Buccaneers defense, aided by Gruden's knowledge of the Raider offense and Raiders failure to change many of the terms for their offense, intercepted Rich Gannon three times during this scoring surge. Many times, Buccaneer safety John Lynch was able to determine what play was coming based on audibles called by Raider quarterback Rich Gannon. A furious Raider rally cut the score to an almost-competitive 21–34 in the fourth quarter. However, two more Gannon interceptions sealed the Raiders' fate in a 48–21 bludgeoning.

The years following the Super Bowl loss marked a period of decline and futility for the Raiders, earning neither a winning record nor a playoff trip until 2016. As of 2022, this represents the most recent AFC West title and postseason win for the Raiders.

The last remaining active member of the 2002 Oakland Raiders was kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who played his final NFL game in the 2018 season, although he missed the 2017 season.

Offseason

SigningsDepartures
DT Sam Adams (Ravens)CB Eric Allen (retirement)
QB Rick Mirer (49ers)LB Greg Biekert (Vikings)
DT John Parrella (Chargers)QB Rodney Peete (Panthers)
LB Bill Romanowski (Broncos)
FS Rod Woodson (Ravens)

NFL Draft

2002 Oakland Raiders draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
117 Phillip Buchanon   CB Miami from Atlanta
123 Napoleon Harris   LB Northwestern
253 Langston Walker   T California from Tampa Bay
255 Doug Jolley   TE BYU
5147 Kenyon Coleman   DE UCLA
      Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Background

The 2002 season, due mainly to the aforementioned Super Bowl run, ranks among the most important in franchise history. The aging Raiders' controversial elimination from the prior year's playoffs set the stage for a concerted championship push. Owner Al Davis traded then-head coach Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shortly after the Raiders' 2001 playoff loss; in doing so, he received two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and cash considerations from Tampa Bay. Davis, despite team salary cap troubles, also managed to acquire veteran stars Sam Adams, Rod Woodson, and Bill Romanowski during the 2002 offseason.

The Raiders entered the season with a hugely talented, albeit aging roster of players. The offense was led by quarterback Rich Gannon, who would be named MVP for the season. The team's receiving corps of Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, and Jerry Porter ranked among the league's best; additionally, running back Charlie Garner posted 1,903 all-purpose yards. The offensive line, moreover, was anchored by pro-bowlers Lincoln Kennedy and Barret Robbins. The Raiders' offense, all told, led the league in total yardage; Gannon additionally led all NFL quarterbacks in passing with 4,689 yards. The defense, while less vaunted, nonetheless ranked among the NFL's finest; the contributions of Rod Woodson, Bill Romanowski, Charles Woodson, and Trace Armstrong aided the Raiders' cause greatly.

Staff

2002 Oakland Raiders staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning coordinator – Garrett Giemont

Roster

2002 Oakland Raiders final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


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

Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordAttendance
1September 8, 2002 Seattle Seahawks W 31–171–053,260
2September 15, 2002at Pittsburgh Steelers W 30–172–062,260
3Bye
4September 29, 2002 Tennessee Titans W 52–253–058,719
5October 6, 2002at Buffalo Bills W 49–314–073,038
6October 13, 2002at St. Louis Rams L 13–284–166,070
7October 20, 2002 San Diego Chargers L 21–27 (OT)4–260,974
8October 27, 2002at Kansas City Chiefs L 10–204–378,685
9November 3, 2002 San Francisco 49ers L 20–23 (OT)4–462,660
10November 11, 2002at Denver Broncos W 34–105–476,643
11November 17, 2002 New England Patriots W 27–206–462,552
12November 24, 2002at Arizona Cardinals W 41–207–458,814
13December 2, 2002 New York Jets W 26–208–462,257
14December 8, 2002at San Diego ChargersW 27–79–467,968
15December 15, 2002at Miami Dolphins L 17–239–573,572
16December 22, 2002Denver BroncosW 28–1610–562,592
17December 28, 2002Kansas City ChiefsW 24–011–562,078

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 1: Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders
Period1234Total
Seahawks7001017
Raiders7213031

at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California

Game information

Week 5: at Buffalo Bills

Week 5: Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills
Period1234Total
Raiders71472149
Bills02110031

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Week 11: vs. New England Patriots

Week 11: New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders
Period1234Total
Patriots337720
Raiders3147327

at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California

Game information

Week 13: vs. New York Jets

Week 13: New York Jets at Oakland Raiders
Period1234Total
Jets01001020
Raiders3314626

at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California

Game information

Week 15: at Miami Dolphins

Week 15: Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins
Period1234Total
Raiders333817
Dolphins1073323

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Standings

AFC West
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(1) Oakland Raiders 1150.6884–29–3450304W2
Denver Broncos 970.5633–35–7392344W1
San Diego Chargers 880.5003–36–6333367L4
Kansas City Chiefs 880.5002–46–6467399L1

Playoffs

AFC Divisional Playoff Game: vs. New York Jets

AFC Divisional Playoffs: (#4) New York Jets at (#1) Oakland Raiders
Period1234Total
Jets370010
Raiders3771330

at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California

  • Date: January 12, 2003
  • Game time: 4:30 pm
  • Game weather: Overcast, 61 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 62,207
  • Referee: Dick Hantak (105)
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

AFC Championship Game

AFC Championship Game: (#2) Tennessee Titans at (#1) Oakland Raiders
Period1234Total
Titans 7107024
Raiders141031441

at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California

  • Game time: 6:30 p.m. EST/3:30 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Clear, 52 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 62,544
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, Armen Keteyian, and Bonnie Bernstein

The Raiders defeated the Titans and advanced to their first Super Bowl since Super Bowl XVIII, when they were based in Los Angeles. As of 2021, this has been the last time the Raiders won a playoff game, as they would not return to the playoffs again until 2016, and would be the last playoff game to be held at the Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders were approved to relocate to Las Vegas and played their inaugural Las Vegas season in 2020.

Heavy Metal band Metallica performed an unannounced pregame concert prior to the game, and the game's national Anthem was performed by Joe Satriani.

Until the 2019–20 NFL playoffs, this was the last AFC championship game which did not include the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, or Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XXXVII

Super Bowl XXXVII: (A1) Oakland Raiders at (N2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Period1234Total
Raiders (AFC)3061221
Buccaneers (NFC)317141448

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

  • Date: January 26, 2003
  • Game time: 3:26 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 81 °F (27 °C)
  • Referee: Bill Carollo
  • Recap
Game information
First quarter
  • OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 40-yard field goal, 10:40. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 2:55.
  • TB – Martín Gramática 31-yard field goal, 7:51. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:49.

Second quarter

  • TB – Martín Gramática 43-yard field goal, 11:16. Buccaneers 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 3:53.
  • TB – Mike Alstott 2-yard run (Martín Gramática kick), 6:24. Buccaneers 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 2:02.
  • TB – Keenan McCardell 5-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Martín Gramática kick), 0:30. Buccaneers 20–3. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:15.

Third quarter

  • TB – Keenan McCardell 8-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Martín Gramática kick), 5:30. Buccaneers 27–3. Drive: 14 plays, 89 yards, 7:52.
  • TB – Dwight Smith 44-yard interception return (Martín Gramática kick), 4:47. Buccaneers 34–3.
  • OAK – Jerry Porter 39-yard pass from Rich Gannon (pass failed), 2:14. Buccaneers 34–9. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 2:33.

Fourth quarer

  • OAK – Eric Johnson 13-yard return of blocked punt (pass failed), 14:16. Buccaneers 34–15.
  • OAK – Jerry Rice 48-yard pass from Rich Gannon (pass failed), 6:06. Buccaneers 34–21. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 2:56.
  • TB – Derrick Brooks 44-yard interception return (Martín Gramática kick), 1:18. Buccaneers 41–21.
  • TB – Dwight Smith 50-yard interception return (Martín Gramática kick), 0:02. Buccaneers 48–21.

Awards and honors

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References

  1. ↑ "Bert Bell Award past recipients". Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
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