2002 San Francisco 49ers season
Encyclopedia
The first season following divisional realignment, the Niners won the new-look NFC West
title with a 10–6 record; they swept new division rivals Seattle and Arizona while splitting with the Rams; the Niners lost to former division rival New Orleans. In the playoffs the Niners fell behind the New York Giants
38–14 but erupted with 25 unanswered points and survived a chaotic last-second field goal attempt by the Giants; the 39–38 win was the 26th playoff win in the team's history. The Niners lost the next week at Tampa Bay
and coach Steve Mariucci
was fired. As of 2011, this is the last season the 49ers have reached the playoffs. It was also the last true winning season for the 49ers until 2011
, when they finally snapped their eight-year non-winning jinx.
, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Passing: K. Collins (NYG)- 28/45 342 yards, 0 TD, 3 Int
Rushing: G. Hearst (SF)- 12 ATT 40 yards, 0 TD
Receiving: A. Toomer (NYG)- 9 REC 134 yards, 0 TD
First Quarter-
New York Giants- M. Bryant 29 yard Field Goal (11 plays, 69 yards; 5:59)
San Francisco 49ers- J. Cortez 23 yard Field Goal (9 plays, 63 yards; 4:52)
Second Quarter-
New York Giants- M. Bryant 33 yard Field Goal (8 palys, 47 yards; 1:03)
Third Quarter-
San Francisco 49ers- G. Hearst 9 yeard pass from J. Garcia (J. Cotez kick) (8 plays, 52 yards; 4:26)
Forth Quarter-
San Francisco 49ers- J. Cortez 33 yard Field goal (9 plays, 49 yards; 4:54)
New York Giants- T. Barber 1 yard run (M. Bryant Kick) (14 plays, 77 yards; 6:13)
San Francisco 49ers- J. Cortez 36 yard Field Goal (6 Plays, 52 Yards; 1:49)
, San Francisco, California
Passing: J. Garcia (SF)- 27/36 205 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: M. Anderson (DEN)- 10 ATT 95 yards, 0 TD
Receiving: E. Johnson (SF)- 7 REC 69 yards, 0 TD
First Quarter-
No Scoring
Second Quarter-
San Francisco 49ers- T. Owens 8 yard pass from J. Garcia (J. Cortez Kick) (6 Plays, 56 Yards; 2:37)
Denver Broncos- J. Elam 28 yard Field goal (5 plays, 17 yards; 1:19)
Third Quarter-
Denver Broncos- M. Anderson 1 yard pass from B. Griese (J. Elam Kick) (10 plays, 74 yards; 5:59)
Forth Quarter-
Denver Broncos- O. Gary 1 yard run (J. Elam Kick) (4 plays, 46 yards; 1:59)
Denver Broncos- S. Montgomery 11 yard pass from B. Griese (J. Elam Kick) (13 plays, 99 yards; 6:37)
San Francisco 49ers- J. Garcia 1 yard run (J. Cortez kick) (8 Plays, 67 Yards; 1:35)
at 3Com Park, San Francisco, CA
The Steelers' comeback earlier in the day (36–33 over the Cleveland Browns
) was matched by San Francisco's similar late drive, overcoming a 38–14 deficit by scoring 25 unanswered points in the second half. A last-minute Giants drive collapsed when Trey Junkin
botched a field goal snap, leading to a desperation heave to the endzone that fell short.
NFC West
The NFC West is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: Arizona Cardinals, St...
title with a 10–6 record; they swept new division rivals Seattle and Arizona while splitting with the Rams; the Niners lost to former division rival New Orleans. In the playoffs the Niners fell behind the 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...
38–14 but erupted with 25 unanswered points and survived a chaotic last-second field goal attempt by the Giants; the 39–38 win was the 26th playoff win in the team's history. The Niners lost the next week at Tampa Bay
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...
and coach Steve Mariucci
Steve Mariucci
Stephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:...
was fired. As of 2011, this is the last season the 49ers have reached the playoffs. It was also the last true winning season for the 49ers until 2011
2011 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2011 San Francisco 49ers season is the franchise's 66th season overall, and 62nd in the National Football League . It is the first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke...
, when they finally snapped their eight-year non-winning jinx.
NFL draft
| Round # | |Player | |College |
|---|---|---|
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | TV Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 5, 2002 (Thu) | at 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... |
W 16–13 | ESPN 8:30et | |
| 2 | September 15, 2002 | Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 14–24 | CBS 4:15et | |
| 3 | September 22, 2002 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 20–10 | FOX 4:15et | |
| 4 | BYE WEEK | ||||
| 5 | October 6, 2002 | St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 37–13 | FOX 4:15et | |
| 6 | October 14, 2002 (Mon) | 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... |
W 28–21 | ABC 9:00et | |
| 7 | October 20, 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 .... |
L 27–35 | FOX 1:00et | |
| 8 | October 27, 2002 | Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 38–28 | FOX 4:15et | |
| 9 | November 3, 2002 | at Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 23–20 (OT) | FOX 4:15et | |
| 10 | November 10, 2002 | Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
W 17–13 | CBS 4:15et | |
| 11 | November 17, 2002 | at San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–20 (OT) | FOX 4:15et | |
| 12 | November 25, 2002 (Mon) | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–38 | ABC 9:00et | |
| 13 | December 1, 2002 | 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... |
W 31–24 | FOX 4:15et | |
| 14 | December 8, 2002 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 31–27 | FOX 1:00et | |
| 15 | December 15, 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... |
L 14–20 | FOX 4:15et | |
| 16 | December 21, 2002 (Sat) | at Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17–14 | FOX 4:15et | |
| 17 | December 30, 2002 (Mon) | at St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
L 31–20 | ABC 9:00et | |
Week 1: at New York Giants
at Giants StadiumGiants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
, East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
- Game Date: Thursday, September 5, 2002
- Game Leaders
Passing: K. Collins (NYG)- 28/45 342 yards, 0 TD, 3 Int
Rushing: G. Hearst (SF)- 12 ATT 40 yards, 0 TD
Receiving: A. Toomer (NYG)- 9 REC 134 yards, 0 TD
- Scoring Summary
First Quarter-
New York Giants- M. Bryant 29 yard Field Goal (11 plays, 69 yards; 5:59)
San Francisco 49ers- J. Cortez 23 yard Field Goal (9 plays, 63 yards; 4:52)
Second Quarter-
New York Giants- M. Bryant 33 yard Field Goal (8 palys, 47 yards; 1:03)
Third Quarter-
San Francisco 49ers- G. Hearst 9 yeard pass from J. Garcia (J. Cotez kick) (8 plays, 52 yards; 4:26)
Forth Quarter-
San Francisco 49ers- J. Cortez 33 yard Field goal (9 plays, 49 yards; 4:54)
New York Giants- T. Barber 1 yard run (M. Bryant Kick) (14 plays, 77 yards; 6:13)
San Francisco 49ers- J. Cortez 36 yard Field Goal (6 Plays, 52 Yards; 1:49)
- Scoring Leader: J. Cortez (SF) 10 PTS
Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos
at Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
- Game Date: Sunday, September 15, 2002
- Game Leaders
Passing: J. Garcia (SF)- 27/36 205 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: M. Anderson (DEN)- 10 ATT 95 yards, 0 TD
Receiving: E. Johnson (SF)- 7 REC 69 yards, 0 TD
- Scoring Summary
First Quarter-
No Scoring
Second Quarter-
San Francisco 49ers- T. Owens 8 yard pass from J. Garcia (J. Cortez Kick) (6 Plays, 56 Yards; 2:37)
Denver Broncos- J. Elam 28 yard Field goal (5 plays, 17 yards; 1:19)
Third Quarter-
Denver Broncos- M. Anderson 1 yard pass from B. Griese (J. Elam Kick) (10 plays, 74 yards; 5:59)
Forth Quarter-
Denver Broncos- O. Gary 1 yard run (J. Elam Kick) (4 plays, 46 yards; 1:59)
Denver Broncos- S. Montgomery 11 yard pass from B. Griese (J. Elam Kick) (13 plays, 99 yards; 6:37)
San Francisco 49ers- J. Garcia 1 yard run (J. Cortez kick) (8 Plays, 67 Yards; 1:35)
- Scoring Leader: B. Griese (DEN) 12 PTS
NFC Wild Card – January 5, 2003
- San Francisco 49ers 39, New York Giants 38
at 3Com Park, San Francisco, CA
- Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/1:30 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 53 °F (11.7 °C), sunny
- TV announcers (FoxNFL on FOXNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
): Joe BuckJoe BuckJoseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
(play-by-play), Troy AikmanTroy AikmanTroy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
and Cris CollinsworthCris CollinsworthAnthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for...
(color commentators) - Referee: Ron WinterRon WinterRonald J. "Ron" Winter is an American football official in the National Football League . Winter previously served as a football official for the National Collegiate Athletic Association ....
- Game attendance: 66,318
The Steelers' comeback earlier in the day (36–33 over the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
) was matched by San Francisco's similar late drive, overcoming a 38–14 deficit by scoring 25 unanswered points in the second half. A last-minute Giants drive collapsed when Trey Junkin
Trey Junkin
Abner Kirk "Trey" Junkin III is a former American football linebacker, tight end, and long snapper in the National Football League...
botched a field goal snap, leading to a desperation heave to the endzone that fell short.