2002 New Orleans Saints season
2002 New Orleans Saints season | |
---|---|
General manager | Mickey Loomis |
Head coach | Jim Haslett |
Home field | Louisiana Superdome |
Results | |
Record | 9–7 |
Division place | 3rd NFC South |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Pro Bowlers | Deuce McAllister (RB) Joe Horn (WR) Michael Lewis (KR) Fred McAfee (ST) |
AP All-Pros | Deuce McAllister (1st team) Michael Lewis (ST) Fred McAfee (ST) |
The 2002 season was the New Orleans Saints' 36th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 27th playing home games at the Louisiana Superdome. They improved upon their previous season's performance of 7–9, winning nine games.[1] Despite the winning season, and ranking third in total offense in 2002, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons. As of 2022, this remains the only season in which the Saints have worn their gold jerseys.
A bright moment during the season for the Saints was sweeping the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Those two wins were almost guaranteed to make New Orleans a playoff team; however, three consecutive losses, all to losing teams, including one to the 1–13 Cincinnati Bengals, knocked New Orleans out of playoff contention.
Offseason
[edit]Additions | Subtractions |
---|---|
WR Jerome Pathon (Colts) | RB Ricky Williams (Dolphins) |
TE David Sloan (Lions) | T Willie Roaf (Chiefs) |
CB Ken Irvin (Bills) | DT La'Roi Glover (Cowboys) |
WR Jake Reed (Vikings) | CB Fred Weary (Falcons) |
T Victor Riley (Chiefs) | DE Joe Johnson (Packers) |
CB Dale Carter (Vikings) | T Daryl Terrell (Jaguars) |
NFL Draft
[edit]2002 New Orleans Saints draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13 | Donté Stallworth | Wide receiver | Tennessee | |
1 | 25 | Charles Grant | Defensive end | Georgia | |
2 | 44 | LeCharles Bentley * | Guard | Ohio State | |
3 | 82 | James Allen | Linebacker | Oregon State | |
4 | 125 | Keyuo Craver | Defensive back | Nebraska | |
5 | 150 | Mel Mitchell | Defensive back | Western Kentucky | |
6 | 186 | J. T. O'Sullivan | Quarterback | UC Davis | |
6 | 196 | John Gilmore | Tight end | Penn State | |
7 | 224 | Derrius Monroe | Defensive end | Virginia Tech | |
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Undrafted free agents
[edit]Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|
Jeff Reed | Placekicker | North Carolina |
Personnel
[edit]Staff
[edit] Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
[edit]Regular season
[edit]Schedule
[edit]Under the NFL's new scheduling formula, the Saints' non-divisional conference opponents in 2002 were primarily from the NFC North, although they also played former divisional rival the San Francisco 49ers from the NFC West, and the Washington Redskins from the NFC East. Their non-conference opponents were from the AFC North.
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 8 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 26–20 (OT) | 1–0 | 65,554 |
2 | September 15 | Green Bay Packers | W 35–20 | 2–0 | 67,958 |
3 | September 22 | at Chicago Bears | W 29–23 | 3–0 | 63,216 |
4 | September 29 | at Detroit Lions | L 21–26 | 3–1 | 60,023 |
5 | October 6 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 32–29 | 4–1 | 67,734 |
6 | October 13 | at Washington Redskins | W 43–27 | 5–1 | 80,768 |
7 | October 20 | San Francisco 49ers | W 35–27 | 6–1 | 67,903 |
8 | October 27 | Atlanta Falcons | L 35–37 | 6–2 | 67,883 |
9 | Bye | ||||
10 | November 10 | at Carolina Panthers | W 34–24 | 7–2 | 72,566 |
11 | November 17 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 17–24 | 7–3 | 70,382 |
12 | November 24 | Cleveland Browns | L 15–24 | 7–4 | 68,295 |
13 | December 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 23–20 | 8–4 | 68,226 |
14 | December 8 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 37–25 | 9–4 | 69,334 |
15 | December 15 | Minnesota Vikings | L 31–32 | 9–5 | 67,851 |
16 | December 22 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 13–20 | 9–6 | 43,544 |
17 | December 29 | Carolina Panthers | L 6–10 | 9–7 | 66,946 |
Game summaries
[edit]Week 2: vs. Green Bay Packers
[edit]Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Packers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
Saints | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: September 15, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 pm
- Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 88 °F (31 °C)
- Game attendance: 67,958
- Referee: Johnny Grier (23)
- TV: FOX
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Chicago Bears
[edit]Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 0 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 29 |
Bears | 10 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
Game information | ||
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|
Week 4: at Detroit Lions
[edit]Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 0 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 21 |
Lions | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: September 29, 2002
- Game time: 1:03 pm
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 60,023
- Referee: Ron Winter (14)
- TV: Fox
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 15: vs. Minnesota Vikings
[edit]Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 14 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 32 |
Saints | 10 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 31 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: December 15, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 67,851
- Referee: Bob McElwee (95)
- TV: FOX
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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|
Standings
[edit]Division
[edit]NFC South | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 346 | 196 | W1 |
(6) Atlanta Falcons | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 402 | 314 | L1 |
New Orleans Saints | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 432 | 388 | L3 |
Carolina Panthers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 258 | 302 | W2 |
Conference
[edit]# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division leaders | ||||||||||
1[a] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .469 | .432 |
2[a][b] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .482 | .432 |
3[a][b] | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .451 | .414 |
4 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .504 | .450 |
Wild Cards | ||||||||||
5 | New York Giants | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .482 | .450 |
6 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .494 | .429 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | ||||||||||
7 | New Orleans Saints | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .498 | .566 |
8[c] | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .508 | .446 |
9[c] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .506 | .433 |
10[d] | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .527 | .438 |
11[d] | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .486 | .357 |
12 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .498 | .417 |
13[e] | Arizona Cardinals | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .500 | .400 |
14[e] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .500 | .475 |
15 | Chicago Bears | North | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .521 | .430 |
16 | Detroit Lions | North | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .494 | .375 |
Tiebreakers[f] | ||||||||||
|
References
[edit]- ^ 2002 New Orleans Saints
- ^ "2002 New Orleans Saints Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 5, 2014.