2002 Minnesota Vikings season
Encyclopedia
2002 was the 42nd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings
and the 83rd regular season of the National Football League
.
On January 10, 2002, Mike Tice
was named the sixth Head Coach in Vikings history. Tice was the third of the six Vikings head coaches to be promoted from within the team's coaching ranks but was the first to have actually played for the Vikings. The Vikings dropped their opening game in Chicago 27-23 after blowing a 20-10 halftime lead. Most games during the season were like that. They started out the games strong, but ended up struggling down the stretch. They were winless on the road in 2001 but did win two road games in 2002. They won in New Orleans 32-31 on a touchdown pass to Randy Moss and a two-point conversion with just a few seconds left on the clock in Week 15 and 38-36 in Detroit in Week 17. The team struggled to a 6-10 record but won their last three games.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and the 83rd regular season of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
On January 10, 2002, Mike Tice
Mike Tice
Michael Peter Tice is an American football National Football League coach, best known as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears.-Playing career:...
was named the sixth Head Coach in Vikings history. Tice was the third of the six Vikings head coaches to be promoted from within the team's coaching ranks but was the first to have actually played for the Vikings. The Vikings dropped their opening game in Chicago 27-23 after blowing a 20-10 halftime lead. Most games during the season were like that. They started out the games strong, but ended up struggling down the stretch. They were winless on the road in 2001 but did win two road games in 2002. They won in New Orleans 32-31 on a touchdown pass to Randy Moss and a two-point conversion with just a few seconds left on the clock in Week 15 and 38-36 in Detroit in Week 17. The team struggled to a 6-10 record but won their last three games.
2002 Draft results
| Round | Pick | Name | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (7) | Bryant McKinnie Bryant McKinnie Bryant McKinnie is a American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft... |
Offensive Tackle | Miami University of Miami The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12... |
| 2 | (38) | Raonall Smith Raonall Smith Raonall Carrig Smith is an American Football who plays for the National Football League St. Louis Rams. Previously, he played with the Minnesota Vikings. Smith played college football at Washington State University.Raonall Smith attended Harbor Ridge Middle School... |
Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
Washington State Washington State University Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university... |
| 3 | (70) | Willie Offord Willie Offord Willie C. Offord is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League . Willie Offord retired in 2007 due to injury.-Playing career:... |
Strong Safety | South Carolina University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House... |
| 4 | (105) | Brian Williams Brian Williams (cornerback) Brian Williams is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft... |
Cornerback Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
North Carolina State North Carolina State University North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution... |
| 4 | (132) | Ed Ta'amu Ed Ta'amu Ed Ta'amu is an arena football offensive lineman who currently plays for the Spokane Shock of the newly reformed Arena Football League. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft... |
Offensive Guard | Utah University of Utah The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest... |
| 6 | (177) | Nick Rogers | Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
Georgia Tech Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States... |
| 7 | (218) | Chad Beasley | Offensive Tackle | Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Hokies football The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over... |
Staff
| 2002 Minnesota Vikings staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
|||||
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8, 2002 | at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 27-23 | |
| 2 | September 15, 2002 | Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 45-39 | |
| 3 | September 22, 2002 | Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... |
L 21-14 | |
| 4 | September 29, 2002 | at Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
L 48-23 | |
| 5 | Bye | |||
| 6 | October 13, 2002 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 31-24 | |
| 7 | October 20, 2002 | at New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20-7 | |
| 8 | October 27, 2002 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 25-7 | |
| 9 | November 3, 2002 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
L 38-24 | |
| 10 | November 10, 2002 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 27-20 | |
| 11 | November 17, 2002 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 31-21 | |
| 12 | November 24, 2002 | at New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
L 24-17 | |
| 13 | December 1, 2002 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 30-24 | |
| 14 | December 8, 2002 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
L 26-22 | |
| 15 | December 15, 2002 | at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 32-31 | |
| 16 | December 21, 2002 | Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 20-17 | |
| 17 | December 29, 2002 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 38-36 | |