2002 New York Giants season
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The 2002 season was the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
' 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. After a midseason slump, head coach Jim Fassel stripped offensive coordinator
Sean Payton Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...
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.


Offseason


NFL Draft


Undrafted free agents


Staff


Roster


Regular season


Schedule


Game summaries


Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers

''at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
'' * Date: September 5 * Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST * TV: ESPN * Announcers:
Mike Patrick Michael Patrick (born September 9, 1944) is a retired American sportscaster, known for his long tenure with ESPN. Early career Patrick began his broadcasting career in the fall of 1966 at WVSC-Radio in Somerset, Pennsylvania. In 1970, he was ...
, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and Suzy Kolber 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 Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...
field goal made it 13-6 49ers with 8 minutes to go,
Tiki Barber Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
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 Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
caught nine passes for 134 yards.


Week 2: at St. Louis Rams

''at
Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in Downtown St. Louis, downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and ...
,
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
'' * 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 Oliver 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 Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
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 Isaac Jason Hilliard (born April 5, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver Who most recently served as the wide receivers coach for the Auburn Tigers (NCAA). He played college football for the University of Florida, and earned All-A ...
was the leading receiver with 4 receptions for 97 yards, while
Amani Toomer Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
added 4 catches for 92 yards. The defense forced 4 Rams turnovers against just one by the Giants.


Week 3: vs. Seattle Seahawks

''at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
'' * 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 Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is a former American football quarterback and analyst who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He is best known as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens during their Su ...
pass with 1:35 remaining. The Giants held the Seahawks to just 145 yards of total offense.
Amani Toomer Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
caught four passes for 100 yards.


Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals

''at
Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in the southwestern United States, on the campus of Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona. It is home to the ASU Sun Devils football team of the Pac-12 Conference. The s ...
, Tempe, Arizona'' * Date: September 29 * Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST (4:05 p.m. EST) * TV: FOX * Announcers:
Dick Stockton Richard Edward Stokvis (born November 22, 1942), known professionally as Dick Stockton, is an American retired sportscaster. Stockton began his career in Philadelphia, then moved to Pittsburgh, where he worked as the sports director for KDKA-TV ...
, Daryl Johnston, and Ron Pitts The Giants completed their NFC West cycle with a poor performance against the Cardinals. The Giants struck first with
Tiki Barber Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
running in for a 6-yard touchdown in the first quarter. However, in the second quarter, Kerry Collins was intercepted by
Justin Lucas Justin Ashley Lucas is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for six seasons for the Arizona Cardinals (1999-2003) and St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National ...
, 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 Marcel Cornelius Shipp (born August 8, 1978) is a former American football running back and current coach. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) from 2001 to 2008 for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. He was si ...
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.


Week 5: at Dallas Cowboys

''at Texas Stadium,
Irving, Texas Irving is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in Dallas County, it is also an inner ring suburb of Dallas. The city of Irving is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. According to a 2019 estimate from the United States Census Bureau, ...
'' * Date: October 6 * Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST (1:00 p.m. EST) * TV: FOX * Announcers: Pat Summerall, Brian Baldinger, and Mike Doocy


Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons

''at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
'' * Date: October 13 * Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST * TV: FOX * Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Ron Pitts


Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

''at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania'' * Date: October 28 * Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST * TV: ABC * Announcers: Al Michaels, John Madden and
Melissa Stark Melissa Stark is an American television personality and sportscaster, best known as the current sideline reporter for '' NBC Sunday Night Football'' and the former sideline reporter for ''Monday Night Football''. Currently a reporter for the NFL ...


Week 9: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

''at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
'' * Date: November 3 * Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST * TV: ESPN * Announcers:
Mike Patrick Michael Patrick (born September 9, 1944) is a retired American sportscaster, known for his long tenure with ESPN. Early career Patrick began his broadcasting career in the fall of 1966 at WVSC-Radio in Somerset, Pennsylvania. In 1970, he was ...
, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and Suzy Kolber


Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings

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 St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Its enrollment in 2020 was approximately ...
. 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.


Week 11: vs. Washington Redskins

''at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
'' * 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

''at Reliant Stadium,
Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
'' * 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

''at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
'' * Date: December 1 * Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST * TV: CBS * Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross, and
Beasley Reece Beasley Young Reece, Jr. (born March 18, 1954, in Waco, Texas) is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at North Texa ...


Week 14: at Washington Redskins

''at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland'' * Date: December 8 * Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST * TV: FOX * Announcers:
Dick Stockton Richard Edward Stokvis (born November 22, 1942), known professionally as Dick Stockton, is an American retired sportscaster. Stockton began his career in Philadelphia, then moved to Pittsburgh, where he worked as the sports director for KDKA-TV ...
, Daryl Johnston, and
Dave Feldman Dave Feldman (born 1965) is an American sportscaster. Formerly at ESPN and WTTG-TV in Washington, D.C., Feldman began his current position as reporter and television anchor for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area in San Francisco, California on July 23, 20 ...


Week 15: vs. Dallas Cowboys

''at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
'' * Date: December 15 * Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST * TV: FOX * Announcers: Pat Summerall, Brian Baldinger, and John DiScepolo


Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts

''at
RCA Dome The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons (1984– 2007). It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention Ce ...
, Indianapolis, Indiana'' * Date: December 22 * Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST * TV: FOX * Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, and Pam Oliver 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 Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
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 Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
, 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 Charles Stackhouse (born April 4, 1980) is a former professional American football player who played fullback for two seasons for the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team ...
for an 18-yard touchdown to make the score 24–3. With 11 seconds to go in the third quarter,
Tiki Barber Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
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 Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
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 Kenneth Jerome Holmes (born October 24, 1973) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 18th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Miami. Holmes a ...
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 The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
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.


Week 17: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

''at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
'' * Date: December 28 * Game time: 1:30 p.m. EST * TV: FOX * Announcers: Joe Buck, Cris Collinsworth, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver


Standings


Postseason


Prelude: Giants sign Trey Junkin

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 Daniel O'Leary (October 22, 1856 – June 24, 1922), also known as "Hustlin' Dan", was an American Major League Baseball player from Detroit. He played in the outfield sparingly for five seasons with five different teams from to . The last ...
, 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 Abner Kirk "Trey" Junkin III (born January 23, 1961) is a former American football long snapper in the National Football League. Junkin played college football at Louisiana Tech University. Although considered one of the forefathers of the mode ...
, 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.


Schedule


Game summaries


Wild Card Round: at San Francisco 49ers

''at
3Com Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 un ...
, 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 Oliver 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 Julian Thomas Peterson (born July 28, 1978) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He pl ...
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 Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
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 Kevan Courtney Barlow (born January 7, 1980) is a former American football running back. During his career, he played for the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. Early life Barlow played his high school football at Pea ...
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 Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
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 Matt Allen (born October 23, 1977) is an former American football punter in the National Football League. Allen played college football at Troy State and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. He played for one ...
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 Abner Kirk "Trey" Junkin III (born January 23, 1961) is a former American football long snapper in the National Football League. Junkin played college football at Louisiana Tech University. Although considered one of the forefathers of the mode ...
, 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 Tai Lamar Streets (born April 20, 1977) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected with the second pick of the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. H ...
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 Delvin Lemar Joyce (born September 21, 1978) is an American financial advisor and former American football running back and return specialist. He played college football at James Madison. Joyce rose from a walk-on to become an honorable mention A ...
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 Ahmed Kamil Plummer (born March 26, 1976) is a former American football player who played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers from 2000-2005. A 5'11", 191 lb. cornerback from Ohio State University, Plummer was selected by the 49ers in t ...
, 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 traded to Oakland, 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

{{2002 NFL season by team New York Giants seasons
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
New York Giants season 21st century in East Rutherford, New Jersey Meadowlands Sports Complex