2002 New England Patriots season

The 2002 season was the New England Patriots' 33rd in the National Football League, their 43rd overall and their third under head coach Bill Belichick. They finished with a 9–7 record, good enough for second in the division but not a playoff berth. It was their first season at their new home field, Gillette Stadium, which replaced the adjacent Foxboro Stadium.

2002 New England Patriots season
Head coach	Bill Belichick
Owner	Robert Kraft
Home field	Gillette Stadium[1]
Results
Record	9–7
Division place	2nd AFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	ST Larry Izzo CB Ty Law SS Lawyer Milloy DT Richard Seymour K Adam Vinatieri C Damien Woody
AP All-Pros	K Adam Vinatieri (1st team)
Uniform

Following their victory in Super Bowl XXXVI seven months earlier, the Patriots played their first game in the new Gillette Stadium in the NFL's primetime Monday Night Football opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a win for the Patriots. After an additional two wins to begin the season, including a 44–7 road win against the division rival New York Jets, the team lost five of its next seven games, allowing an average of 137 rushing yards a game during that span. In the final week of the season, the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins on an overtime Adam Vinatieri field goal to give both teams a 9–7 record. A few hours later, the Jets, who defeated the Patriots the week prior, also finished with a 9–7 record with a win over the Green Bay Packers. Due to their record against common opponents, after the Jets won the tiebreaker for the division title, both the Patriots and Dolphins were eliminated from the playoff contention.[2] As of 2019, this is the last season the Patriots failed to win at least 10 games. It also marked the only season when Tom Brady started over half of the regular season games and the team failed to win their division or make the playoffs.

Offseason

Additions	Subtractions
TE Cam Cleeland (Saints)	QB Drew Bledsoe (Bills)
TE Christian Fauria (Seahawks)	WR Terry Glenn (Packers)
WR Donald Hayes (Panthers)	LB Bryan Cox (Saints)
DE Rick Lyle (Jets)	WR Charles Johnson (Bills)
	DT Brandon Mitchell (Seahawks)
	TE Rod Rutledge (Texans)
	CB Terrance Shaw (Raiders)

2002 NFL Draft

Main article: 2002 NFL Draft

2002 New England Patriots draft
Draft order		Player name	Position	College	Notes
Round	Selection
1	21	Daniel Graham	Tight end	Colorado	[3]
2	65	Deion Branch	Wide receiver	Louisville
4	117	Rohan Davey	Quarterback	LSU	[4]
4	126	Jarvis Green	Defensive end	LSU	[5]
7	237	Antwoine Womack	Running back	Virginia	[6]
7	253	David Givens	Wide receiver	Notre Dame	Compensatory pick

Staff

2002 New England Patriots staff

	Front office Chairman/CEO – Robert Kraft Vice Chairman – Jonathan Kraft Senior Vice President/COO – Andy Wasynczuk Vice President of Player Personnel – Scott Pioli Assistant Director of Player Personnel – Jason Licht Director of College Scouting – Larry Cook Assistant Director of College Scouting – Lionel Vital Assistant Director of Pro Scouting – Andre Tippett Assistant Director of Pro Scouting – Keith Kidd Football Research Director – Ernie Adams Head coaches Head Coach – Bill Belichick Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line – Dante Scarnecchia Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks – Charlie Weis Running Backs – Ivan Fears Wide Receivers – Brian Daboll Assistant Offensive Line/Tight Ends – Jeff Davidson			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line – Romeo Crennel Linebackers/Outside Linebackers – Rob Ryan Inside Linebackers – Pepper Johnson Defensive Backs (Secondary) – Eric Mangini Defensive Assistant – Josh McDaniels Special teams coaches Special Teams – Brad Seely Coaching Assistants Offensive Coaching Assistant – Nick Caserio Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Mike Woicik Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Tom Shaw Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Markus Paul

Final roster

2002 New England Patriots final roster

	Quarterbacks 12 Tom Brady  6 Rohan Davey 19 Damon Huard Running backs 44 Marc Edwards FB 33 Kevin Faulk KR/PR 35 Patrick Pass FB 21 J. R. Redmond 32 Antowain Smith Wide receivers 83 Deion Branch 80 Troy Brown PR 84 Fred Coleman 87 David Givens 81 Donald Hayes 86 David Patten Tight ends 49 Fred Baxter 85 Cam Cleeland 88 Christian Fauria		Offensive linemen 63 Joe Andruzzi G 68 Tom Ashworth T 77 Mike Compton G 71 Russ Hochstein G 74 Kenyatta Jones T/G 70 Adrian Klemm T 62 Matt Knutson T 72 Matt Light T 64 Greg Robinson-Randall T 67 Grey Ruegamer C/G 65 Damien Woody C Defensive linemen 97 Jarvis Green DE 91 Bobby Hamilton DE/DT 99 Bernard Holsey DT 96 Rick Lyle DT/DE 55 Willie McGinest DE 98 Anthony Pleasant DE 93 Richard Seymour DT		Linebackers 54 Tedy Bruschi ILB 53 Larry Izzo OLB 52 Ted Johnson ILB 95 Roman Phifer OLB 59 Maugaula Tuitele ILB 50 Mike Vrabel OLB Defensive backs 22 Terrell Buckley CB 30 Je'Rod Cherry FS 27 Victor Green SS 23 Antwan Harris FS 29 Chris Hayes FS 34 Tebucky Jones FS 24 Ty Law CB 36 Lawyer Milloy SS 25 Leonard Myers CB Special teams 66 Lonie Paxton LS  4 Adam Vinatieri K 13 Ken Walter P		Reserve lists 58 Matt Chatham OLB (IR) 75 Mike Clare C (Left Squad) 82 Daniel Graham TE (IR) 31 Ben Kelly CB (IR) 37 Rob Kelly FS (IR) 61 Stephen Neal G (IR) 45 Otis Smith CB (IR) 42 Antwoine Womack RB (NF-Inj.) Practice squad 75 Maurice Anderson DT 28 Dyshod Carter CB 76 Brandon Gorin OT 94 Ken Kocher DT 16 Scott McCready WR Rookies in italics active, inactive, practice squad

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 9, 2002	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 30–14	1–0	Gillette Stadium	68,436
2	September 15, 2002	at New York Jets	W 44–7	2–0	Giants Stadium	78,726
3	September 22, 2002	Kansas City Chiefs	W 41–38 (OT)	3–0	Gillette Stadium	68,436
4	September 29, 2002	at San Diego Chargers	L 14–21	3–1	Qualcomm Stadium	66,463
5	October 6, 2002	at Miami Dolphins	L 13–26	3–2	Pro Player Stadium	73,369
6	October 13, 2002	Green Bay Packers	L 10–28	3–3	Gillette Stadium	68,436
7	Bye
8	October 27, 2002	Denver Broncos	L 16–24	3–4	Gillette Stadium	68,436
9	November 3, 2002	at Buffalo Bills	W 38–7	4–4	Ralph Wilson Stadium	73,448
10	November 10, 2002	at Chicago Bears	W 33–30	5–4	Memorial Stadium	63,105
11	November 17, 2002	at Oakland Raiders	L 20–27	5–5	Network Associates Coliseum	62,552
12	November 24, 2002	Minnesota Vikings	W 24–17	6–5	Gillette Stadium	68,436
13	November 28, 2002	at Detroit Lions	W 20–12	7–5	Ford Field	62,109
14	December 8, 2002	Buffalo Bills	W 27–17	8–5	Gillette Stadium	68,436
15	December 16, 2002	at Tennessee Titans	L 7–24	8–6	The Coliseum	68,809
16	December 22, 2002	New York Jets	L 17–30	8–7	Gillette Stadium	68,436
17	December 29, 2002	Miami Dolphins	W 27–24 (OT)	9–7	Gillette Stadium	68,436

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	0	0	7	14
Patriots	7	3	17	3	30

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: September 9, 2002
• Game time: 9:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Overcast, 86 °F (30 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,436
• Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Christian Fauria 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:57. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:54. PIT – Hines Ward 13-yard pass from Kordell Stewart (Todd Peterson kick), 4:50. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 6:07. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 45-yard field goal, 2:23. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:11. Third quarter NE – Donald Hayes 40-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:27. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:33. NE – Deion Branch 22-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:03. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 6:04. NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 2:08. Patriots 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 2:50. Fourth quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 27-yard field goal, 9:32. Patriots 30–7. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:59. PIT – Kordell Stewart 1-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 0:00. Patriots 30–14. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 2:55. Top passers PIT – Kordell Stewart – 24/37, 242 yards, TD, 3 INT NE – Tom Brady – 29/43, 294 yards, 3 TD Top rushers PIT – Jerome Bettis – 8 rushes, 35 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 17 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers PIT – Hines Ward – 8 receptions, 90 yards, TD NE – Deion Branch – 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD

Week 2: at New York Jets

Week 2: New England Patriots at New York Jets

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	10	17	17	44
Jets	0	0	7	0	7

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 15, 2002
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Hazy, 78 °F (26 °C)
• Game attendance: 78,726
• Referee: Larry Nemmers (20)
• TV: CBS
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NE – Cam Cleeland 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:00. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:06. NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 0:05. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 19 plays, 70 yards, 6:40. Third quarter NE – Tebucky Jones 24-yard fumble return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:15. Patriots 17–0. NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 5:56. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:02. NE – Victor Green 90-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:47. Patriots 27–0. NYJ – Anthony Becht 11-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (John Hall kick), 0:57. Patriots 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:53. Fourth quarter NE – Deion Branch 49-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:13. Patriots 34–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:57. NE – Adam Vinatieri 40-yard field goal, 8:47. Patriots 37–7. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:26. NE – Kevin Faulk 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:22. Patriots 44–7. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 4:35. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 25/35, 269 yards, 2 TD, INT NYJ – Vinny Testaverde – 15/23, 150 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 15 rushes, 66 yards NYJ – Matt Turk – 1 rush, 14 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 9 receptions, 94 yards NYJ – Santana Moss – 1 reception, 35 yards

Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Chiefs	3	7	7	21	0	38
Patriots	0	9	8	21	3	41

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: September 22, 2002
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Warm and humid, 80 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,436
• Referee: Bill Carollo (63)
• TV: CBS
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter KC – Morten Andersen 39-yard field goal, 2:15. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:36. Second quarter KC – Eddie Kennison 14-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 14:56. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 0:47. NE – Kevin Faulk 23-yard pass from Tom Brady (run failed), 6:57. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:40. NE – Adam Vinatieri 37-yard field goal, 0:05. Chiefs 10–9. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 0:51. Third quarter KC – Priest Holmes 3-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 13:00. Chiefs 17–9. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 2:00. NE – Troy Brown 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Antowain Smith run), 7:45. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:15. Fourth quarter NE – Daniel Graham 18-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:55. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:08. NE – David Patten 38-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:23. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 1:24. KC – Eddie Kennison 15-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 9:23. Patriots 31–24. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:00. NE – Antowain Smith 42-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:10. Patriots 38–24. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:13. KC – Priest Holmes 6-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 4:37. Patriots 38–31. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:33. KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Anderson kick), 0:00. Tied 38–38. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 2:30. Overtime NE – Adam Vinatieri 35-yard field goal, 10:20. Patriots 41–38. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 4:40. Top passers KC – Trent Green – 16/25, 149 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT NE – Tom Brady – 39/54, 410 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers KC – Priest Holmes – 30 rushes, 180 yards, 2 TD NE – Antowain Smith – 16 rushes, 92 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Johnnie Morton – 2 receptions, 44 yards NE – Troy Brown – 16 receptions, 176 yards, TD

Week 4: at San Diego Chargers

Week 4: New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	7	0	0	14
Chargers	7	7	7	0	21

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 29, 2002
• Game time: 4:15 p.m.
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C)
• Game attendance: 66,463
• Referee: Ron Blum (7)
• TV: CBS
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Christian Fauria 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:26. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:34. SD – Curtis Conway 52-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 4:17. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 87 yards, 2:33. Second quarter NE – Mike Vrabel 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:13. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:04. SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 37-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 2:19. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:33. Third quarter SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 58-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 14:14. Chargers 21–14. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:46. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 36/53, 353 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT SD – Drew Brees – 10/18, 104 yards, TD Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 16 rushes, 78 yards SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 27 rushes, 217 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NE – Deion Branch – 13 receptions, 128 yards SD – Curtis Conway – 3 receptions, 69 yards, TD

Week 5: at Miami Dolphins

Week 5: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	0	6	7	13
Dolphins	6	10	7	3	26

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: October 6, 2002
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny, 87 °F (31 °C)
• Game attendance: 73,369
• Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
• TV: CBS
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIA – Jay Fiedler 8-yard run (kick blocked), 0:08. Dolphins 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 5:13. Second quarter MIA – Chris Chambers 7-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 11:38. Dolphins 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 3:09. MIA – Olindo Mare 40-yard field goal, 1:11. Dolphins 16–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:31. Third quarter NE – David Patten 34-yard pass from Tom Brady (pass failed), 9:35. Dolphins 16–6. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:35. MIA – Randy McMichael 1-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:05. Dolphins 23–6. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:29. Fourth quarter NE – David Patten 25-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:41. Dolphins 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:58. MIA – Olindo Mare 33-yard field goal, 1:25. Dolphins 26–13. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 3:16. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 17/31, 240 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIA – Jay Fiedler – 17/27, 190 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NE – Kevin Faulk – 2 rushes, 17 yards MIA – Ricky Williams – 36 rushes, 105 yards Top receivers NE – David Patten – 5 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD MIA – Chris Chambers – 6 receptions, 62 yards, TD

Week 6: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 6: Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	0	14	7	7	28
Patriots	0	3	0	7	10

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: October 13, 2002
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Overcast, 61 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,436
• Referee: Bernie Kukar (86)
• TV: Fox
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 9:36. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 3:58. GB – William Henderson 3-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:46. Packers 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 5:50. GB – Ahman Green 8-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:03. Packers 14–3. Drive: 1 play, 8 yards, 0:05. Third quarter GB – Bubba Franks 2-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:50. Packers 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 94 yards, 4:05. Fourth quarter GB – Ahman Green 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:09. Packers 28–3. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:16. NE – David Givens 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:57. Packers 28–10. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:03. Top passers GB – Brett Favre – 17/27, 147 yards, 3 TD NE – Tom Brady – 24/44, 183 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers GB – Ahman Green – 31 rushes, 136 yards, TD NE – Antowain Smith – 13 rushes, 75 yards Top receivers GB – Bubba Franks – 5 receptions, 46 yards, TD NE – Deion Branch – 5 receptions, 38 yards

Week 8: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 8: Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	14	0	3	24
Patriots	0	7	3	6	16

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: October 27, 2002
• Game time: 4:15 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,436
• Referee: Tom White (123)
• TV: CBS
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DEN – Clinton Portis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 10:08. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:10. Second quarter DEN – Shannon Sharpe 8-yard pass from Brian Griese (Jason Elam kick), 14:55. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:56. NE – Antowain Smith 3-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:16. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:54. DEN – Clinton Portis 4-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 2:45. Broncos 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:31. Third quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 26-yard field goal, 7:26. Broncos 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 2:51. Fourth quarter NE – Christian Fauria 8-yard pass from Tom Brady (pass failed), 14:55. Broncos 21–16. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:07. DEN – Jason Elam 19-yard field goal, 9:45. Broncos 24–16. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:10. Top passers DEN – Brian Griese – 18/23, 229 yards, TD, INT NE – Tom Brady – 15/29, 130 yards, TD Top rushers DEN – Clinton Portis – 26 rushes, 111 yards, 2 TD NE – Antowain Smith – 13 rushes, 58 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Ed McCaffrey – 8 receptions, 116 yards NE – Troy Brown – 7 receptions, 59 yards

Week 9: at Buffalo Bills

Week 9: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	10	14	7	38
Bills	0	7	0	0	7

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: November 3, 2002
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
• Game attendance: 73,448
• Referee: Dick Hantak (105)
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Christian Fauria 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:27. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:33. Second quarter NE – Antowain Smith 13-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:54. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:49. NE – Adam Vinatieri 46-yard field goal, 3:49. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 3:48. BUF – Peerless Price 1-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 0:10. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 3:39. Third quarter NE – Kevin Faulk 45-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:33. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 4:08. NE – Antowain Smith 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:54. Patriots 31–7. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:28. Fourth quarter NE – Antowain Smith 14-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:52. Patriots 38–7. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:09. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 22/26, 265 yards, 3 TD BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 28/45, 302 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 29 rushes, 111 yards, TD BUF – Travis Henry – 11 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers NE – David Patten – 6 receptions, 88 yards BUF – Peerless Price – 9 receptions, 98 yards, TD

Week 10: at Chicago Bears

Week 10: New England Patriots at Chicago Bears

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	6	10	17	33
Bears	0	6	21	3	30

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

• Date: November 10, 2002
• Game time: 4:15 p.m.
• Game weather: Overcast, 60 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 63,105
• Referee: Bob McElwee (95)
• TV: CBS
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter CHI – Paul Edinger 39-yard field goal, 14:51. Bears 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 46 yards, 7:14. NE – Adam Vinatieri 57-yard field goal, 10:15. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 4:36. CHI – Paul Edinger 40-yard field goal, 5:31. Bears 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:44. NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 0:04. Tied 6–6. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 1:24. Third quarter CHI – Stanley Pritchett 11-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 12:21. Bears 13–6. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:40. CHI – Marcus Robinson 44-yard pass from Marty Booker (Paul Edinger kick), 10:09. Bears 20–6. Drive: 1 play, 44 yards, 0:09. CHI – Anthony Thomas 2-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 6:42. Bears 27–6. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 0:37. NE – Kevin Faulk 15-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:04. Bears 27–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:38. NE – Adam Vinatieri 42–yard field goal, 1:50. Bears 27–16. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:58. Fourth quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 25-yard field goal, 11:02. Bears 27–19. Drive: 16 plays, 54 yards, 4:44. CHI – Paul Edinger 32-yard field goal, 5:22. Bears 30–19. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 5:40. NE – Kevin Faulk 36-yard pass from Tom Brady (run failed), 2:46. Bears 30–25. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:16. NE – David Patten 20-yard pass from Tom Brady (Tom Brady–Troy Brown pass), 0:21. Patriots 33–30. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:29. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 36/55, 328 yards, 3 TD, INT CHI – Jim Miller – 8/18, 72 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 10 rushes, 41 yards CHI – Anthony Thomas – 21 rushes, 99 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Kevin Faulk – 7 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TD CHI – Marty Booker – 4 receptions, 65 yards

Week 11: at Oakland Raiders

Week 11: New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	3	3	7	7	20
Raiders	3	14	7	3	27

at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: November 17, 2002
• Game time: 8:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Clear, 61 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 62,552
• Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 9:09. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 5:51. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 39-yard field goal, 0:51. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:13. Second quarter OAK – Zack Crockett 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 9:58. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:02. NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 4:16. Raiders 10–6. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:42. OAK – Rich Gannon 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:52. Raiders 17–6. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:44. Third quarter OAK – Zack Crockett 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 5:18. Raiders 24–6. Drive: 15 plays, 85 yards, 9:42. NE – Tedy Bruschi 48-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:27. Raiders 24–13. Fourth quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 28-yard field goal, 1:13. Raiders 27–13. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:28. NE – Kevin Faulk 86-yard kickoff return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:59. Raiders 27–20. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 18/30, 172 yards OAK – Rich Gannon – 26/38, 297 yards, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 15 rushes, 49 yards OAK – Charlie Garner – 15 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 5 receptions, 55 yards OAK – Tim Brown – 5 receptions, 71 yards

Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 12: Minnesota Vikings at New England Patriots

	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	7	7	3	17
Patriots	7	14	0	3	24

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: November 24, 2002
• Game time: 1:00 pm
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 49 °F (9 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,436
• Referee: Gerald Austin (34)
• TV: FOX
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Christian Fauria 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:24. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 5:40. Second quarter NE – Christian Fauria 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:30. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:20. NE – Troy Brown 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 8:02. Patriots 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 4:01. MIN – D'Wayne Bates 6-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 0:19. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 0:50. Third quarter MIN – Kelly Campbell 7-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 4:45. Patriots 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:19. Fourth quarter MIN – Gary Anderson 38-yard field goal, 14:42. Patriots 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:16. NE – Adam Vinatieri 34-yard field goal, 11:09. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:33. Top passers MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 24/49, 272 yards, 2 TD NE – Tom Brady – 21/34, 239 yards, 3 TD Top rushers MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 5 rushes, 59 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 18 rushes, 58 yards Top receivers MIN – Randy Moss – 8 receptions, 92 yards NE – David Patten – 5 receptions, 62 yards

Week 13: at Detroit Lions

Week 13: New England Patriots at Detroit Lions

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots'	10	7	0	3	20
Lions	3	3	3	3	12

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 28, 2002
• Game time: 12:30 pm
• Game weather: none (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 62,109
• Referee: Larry Nemmers (20)
• TV: CBS
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 10:06. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:54. NE – Tedy Bruschi 27-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:44. Patriots 10–0. DET – Jason Hanson 23-yard field goal, 0:08. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:04. Second quarter NE – Antowain Smith 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:24. Patriots 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 1:42. DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, 0:30. Patriots 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 1:54. Third quarter DET – Jason Hanson 39-yard field goal, 4:12. Patriots 17–9. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:51. Fourth quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 29-yard field goal, 13:17. Patriots 20–9. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:55. DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, 9:46. Patriots 20–12. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 3:31. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 18/30, 210 yards, INT DET – Joey Harrington – 22/44, 210 yards, 3 INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 25 rushes, 80 yards, TD DET – James Stewart – 13 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 10 receptions, 111 yards DET – Germane Crowell – 5 receptions, 46 yards

Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 14: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	0	10	7	17
Patriots	17	3	0	7	27

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: December 8, 2002
• Game time: 1:00 pm
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 44 °F (7 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,436
• Referee: Jeff Triplette (42)
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 39-yard field goal, 11:16. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:44. NE – David Patten 10-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:35. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:31. NE – Donald Hayes 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:14. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 9 yards, 0:08. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 46-yard field goal, 2:31. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 7:49. Third quarter BUF – Mike Hollis 26-yard field goal, 7:46. Patriots 20–3. 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:14. BUF – Eric Moulds 12-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 4:15. Patriots 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:53. Fourth quarter NE – Antowain Smith 4-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:06. Patriots 27–10. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 3:17. BUF – Eric Moulds 4-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 1:05. Patriots 27–17. Drive: 18 plays, 88 yards, 4:43. Top passers BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 32/51, 328 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT NE – Tom Brady – 15/27, 183 yards, 2 TD Top rushers BUF – Travis Henry – 15 rushes, 60 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 17 rushes, 68 yards, TD Top receivers BUF – Peerless Price – 9 receptions, 105 yards NE – Deion Branch – 1 reception, 41 yards

Week 15: at Tennessee Titans

Week 15: New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	0	7	0	7
Titans	0	14	7	3	24

at The Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: December 16, 2002
• Game time: 9:00 pm
• Game weather: Cloudy, 57 °F (14 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,809
• Referee: Ron Winter (14)
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden, and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

Second quarter TEN – Steve McNair 11-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 12:16. Titans 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:18. TEN – Steve McNair 1-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 0:32. Titans 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:48. Third quarter NE – Tom Brady 10-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:08. Titans 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 1:52. TEN – Rich Coady 24-yard interception return (Joe Nedney kick), 9:58. Titans 21–7. Fourth quarter TEN – Joe Nedney 28-yard field goal, 9:22. Titans 24–7. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 9:24. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 14/29, 134 yards, INT TEN – Steve McNair – 11/24, 136 yards, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 6 rushes, 31 yards TEN – Eddie George – 31 rushes, 101 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 8 receptions, 73 yards TEN – Derrick Mason – 6 receptions, 86 yards

Week 16: vs. New York Jets

Week 16: New York Jets at New England Patriots

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	14	3	3	10	30
Patriots	7	3	7	0	17

at Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts

• Date: December 22, 2002
• Game time: 8:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,436
• Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NYJ – Laveranues Coles 32-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 10:22. Jets 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:05. NE – Kevin Faulk 87-yard kickoff return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14. NYJ – Santana Moss 11-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 3:34. Jets 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:25. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 49-yard field goal, 10:20. Jets 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:41. NYJ – John Hall 39-yard field goal, 4:35. Jets 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 5:25. Third quarter NE – Christian Fauria 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:25. Tied 17–17. Drive: 16 plays, 66 yards, 8:41. NYJ – John Hall 23-yard field goal, 1:54. Jets 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:10. Fourth quarter NYJ – Wayne Chrebet 15-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 9:30. Jets 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 6:07. NYJ – John Hall 43-yard field goal, 2:36. Jets 30–17. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:55. Top passers NYJ – Chad Pennington – 23/33, 285 yards, 3 TD NE – Tom Brady – 19/37, 133 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NYJ – Curtis Martin – 26 rushes, 106 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 14 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 5 receptions, 78 yards, TD NE – David Patten – 5 receptions, 38 yards

Week 17: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 17: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Dolphins	7	14	0	3	0	24
Patriots	0	10	3	11	3	27

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: December 29, 2002
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,436
• Referee: Bob McElwee (95)
• TV: CBS
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIA – Ricky Williams 8-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 3:17. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 1:08. Second quarter MIA – Ricky Williams 14-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 8:52. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 5:13. NE – Antowain Smith 11-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:25. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:00. MIA – James McKnight 32-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:06. Dolphins 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 1:19. NE – Adam Vinatieri 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Dolphins 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 1:06. Third quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 36-yard field goal, 3:37. Dolphins 21–13. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 5:03. Fourth quarter MIA – Olindo Mare 28-yard field goal, 4:59. Dolphins 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:58. NE – Troy Brown 3-yard pass from Tom Brady (Tom Brady–Christian Fauria pass), 2:46. Dolphins 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 2:13. NE – Adam Vinatieri 43-yard field goal, 1:09. Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:02. Overtime NE – Adam Vinatieri 35-yard field goal, 12:57. Patriots 27–24. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:03. Top passers MIA – Jay Fiedler – 11/25, 110 yards, TD NE – Tom Brady – 25/44, 221 yards, TD, INT Top rushers MIA – Ricky Williams – 31 rushes, 185 yards, 2 TD NE – Antowain Smith – 19 rushes, 55 yards, TD Top receivers MIA – Dedric Ward – 4 receptions, 34 yards NE – Kevin Faulk – 9 receptions, 70 yards

Standings

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(4) New York Jets	9	7	0	.563	4–2	6–6	359	336	W2
New England Patriots	9	7	0	.563	4–2	6–6	381	346	W1
Miami Dolphins	9	7	0	.563	2–4	7–5	378	301	L2
Buffalo Bills	8	8	0	.500	2–4	5–7	379	397	W1

Notes and references

1. "New Stadium Has Face Value". Hartford Currant. August 6, 2002. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
2. "New England 27, Miami 24, OT". Yahoo! Sports. December 29, 2002. Retrieved January 28, 2008.
3. The Patriots traded their first-, third- and seventh-round draft picks to the Washington Redskins for the Redskins' first-round pick. Patriots.com summary. Archived May 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
4. The Patriots traded fourth- and fifth-round draft picks to the Denver Broncos for the Broncos' fourth-round pick. The Patriots received the fifth-round pick in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the Patriots' sixth-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. Patriots.com summary Archived May 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
5. The Patriots received a fourth-round pick from the Green Bay Packers in a trade for Terry Glenn and a conditional pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. Patriots.com summary Archived May 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
6. The Patriots traded a fifth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for the Cowboys' fifth- and seventh-round draft picks. Patriots.com summary Archived May 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine

Further reading

• Glennon, Sean (2004), This Pats Year: A Trek Through a Season as a Football Fan, Taylor Trade Publishing, ISBN 1-58979-119-3

External links

• Season page on Pro Football Reference
• New England Patriots Super Bowl History