2002 Green Bay Packers season
NFL team season
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The 2002 season was the Green Bay Packers' 82nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their 84th overall.
| 2002 Green Bay Packers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Mike Sherman |
| Home stadium | Lambeau Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC North |
| Playoffs | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Falcons) 7–27 |
| All-Pros | 2
|
| Pro Bowlers | 6 |
| Uniform | |
 | |
For the first time since 1989, LeRoy Butler was not on the opening day roster. This would be the last time until 2025 the Packers drafted a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft.
This was the first of three consecutive NFC North titles for the Packers. They achieved a 12–4 record in the regular season, before losing in the NFC Wild Card playoffs round to quarterback Brett Favre's former team, the Atlanta Falcons, at Lambeau Field.[1] This marked the first time in franchise history that the Packers had lost at home in the playoffs. They have done so six more times since: in 2004, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2020, and 2021.
After the season, Jeff Blackshear decided he had played his final NFL game.
Background
In 2001, the Packers achieved the franchise's best record since 1997, finishing 12–4 and advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs. There, they lost to the eventual NFC champion St. Louis Rams. During the game, it became clear that the Packers would need wide receivers with greater speed and ability to compete with the conference's best teams. GM Mike Sherman spent the 2002 offseason revamping Green Bay's receiving corps. The team promoted Donald Driver to starter, acquired veteran Terry Glenn from the New England Patriots and drafted Javon Walker in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft. The influx of new players seemed to position the Packers as one of the strongest contenders in the NFC.
Season summary
Green Bay started the season with eight wins in their first nine games, led by quarterback Brett Favre and running back Ahman Green. The Packers led the NFC North throughout the year, winning the division by a six-game margin. Green Bay became the first team to win the newly rechristened division, formerly known as the NFC Central. It was the Packers' first division title since 1997, and the team would go on to win the NFC North for three consecutive seasons.
For the first time in years, it appeared that the Packers had a legitimate chance of reaching the Super Bowl heading into the final Sunday of the regular season. With one game left, Green Bay was 12–3, and a victory away from clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs after the Philadelphia Eagles failed to clinch home field advantage themselves one day prior in an overtime defeat to the New York Giants. The Packers had never lost a home playoff game in franchise history, had achieved an 8–0 record at home in 2002, and had established a run of Lambeau Field dominance since the Mike Holmgren era. As a result, playing home games at Lambeau Field would seemingly give the Packers a significant advantage in the playoffs. The final game was on the road against the New York Jets, who beat the Packers handily to win the AFC East division title. The loss which coincided with the Buccaneers winning was a blow to the Packers, who dropped down to the number three seed in the NFC and had an incredibly difficult road to the Super Bowl. Six days later, the Packers were beaten by Michael Vick's Atlanta Falcons, the first home playoff loss in Packers history.
The 2002 season was another memorable year for quarterback Brett Favre. Throughout the season, Favre was a favorite to win his fourth Most Valuable Player award. The Packers' lopsided loss to the Jets in the regular season finale may have swayed voters, as Favre lost the MVP award by merely two votes to Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon.
Offseason
| Additions | Subtractions |
|---|---|
| WR Terry Glenn (Patriots) | WR Bill Schroeder (Lions) |
| LB Hardy Nickerson (Jaguars) | DT Santana Dotson (Redskins) |
| DE Joe Johnson (Saints) | RB Dorsey Levens (Eagles) |
| WR Karsten Bailey (Seahawks) | WR Antonio Freeman (Eagles) |
| CB Darrien Gordon (Falcons) | LB Bernardo Harris (Ravens) |
| RB Ki-Jana Carter (Redskins) | OT Barry Stokes (Browns) |
| S LeRoy Butler (retirement) | |
| DE John Thierry (Falcons) | |
| WR Corey Bradford (Texans) | |
| CB Allen Rossum (Falcons) | |
| S Billy Jenkins (Bills) |
Draft
In the 2002 NFL draft, the Packers selected 20th overall, drafting future all-pro wide receiver Javon Walker with their first round pick.[2]
| 2002 Green Bay Packers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Javon Walker * | Wide receiver | Florida State | |
| 3 | 92 | Marques Anderson | Safety | UCLA | |
| 4 | 135 | Najeh Davenport | Running back | Miami (FL) | |
| 5 | 156 | Aaron Kampman * | Defensive end | Iowa | |
| 5 | 164 | Craig Nall | Quarterback | Northwestern State | |
| 6 | 200 | Mike Houghton | Offensive tackle | San Diego State | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Algie Atkinson | Linebacker | Kansas |
| Kevin Barry | Offensive Tackle | Arizona |
| Rob Bironas | Kicker | Georgia Southern |
| Marcus Brady | Quarterback | Cal State Northridge |
| Andy Eby | Center | Kansas State |
| Scott Elder | Punter | Oklahoma State |
| Tony Fisher | Running back | Notre Dame |
| John Gilmore | Defensive end | Tennessee State |
| Adrian Hollingshed | Linebacker | Georgia |
| Ken Kocher | Defensive Tackle | UCLA |
| Richard Lewis | Wide receiver | North Dakota State |
| Seneca McMillan | Cornerback | Nicholls State |
| Bill Seymour | Tight end | Michigan |
| Erwin Swiney | Cornerback | Nebraska |
| Jeremy Unertl | Safety | UW–La Crosse |
| Marcus Wilkins | Linebacker | Texas |
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Preseason
| Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 10, 2002 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 13–20 | 0–1 | Veterans Stadium | 58,546 |
| August 17, 2002 | at Arizona Cardinals | W 29–21 | 1–1 | Sun Devil Stadium | 35,716 |
| August 26, 2002 | Cleveland Browns | W 27–20 | 2–1 | Lambeau Field | 62,668 |
| August 30, 2002 | Tennessee Titans | W 21–20 | 3–1 | Lambeau Field | 62,485 |
Regular season
Schedule
The Packers finished 12–4 overall, winning the NFC North crown by a six-game margin.[3]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | Atlanta Falcons | W 37–34 (OT) | 1–0 | Lambeau Field | 63,127 | |
| 2 | September 15 | at New Orleans Saints | L 20–35 | 1–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 67,958 | |
| 3 | September 22 | at Detroit Lions | W 37–31 | 2–1 | Ford Field | 61,505 | |
| 4 | September 29 | Carolina Panthers | W 17–14 | 3–1 | Lambeau Field | 63,329 | |
| 5 | October 7 | at Chicago Bears | W 34–21 | 4–1 | Memorial Stadium | 63,226 | |
| 6 | October 13 | at New England Patriots | W 28–10 | 5–1 | Gillette Stadium | 68,436 | |
| 7 | October 20 | Washington Redskins | W 30–9 | 6–1 | Lambeau Field | 63,363 | |
| 8 | Bye | ||||||
| 9 | November 4 | Miami Dolphins | W 24–10 | 7–1 | Lambeau Field | 63,284 | |
| 10 | November 10 | Detroit Lions | W 40–14 | 8–1 | Lambeau Field | 63,313 | |
| 11 | November 17 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 21–31 | 8–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,153 | |
| 12 | November 24 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 7–21 | 8–3 | Raymond James Stadium | 65,672 | |
| 13 | December 1 | Chicago Bears | W 30–20 | 9–3 | Lambeau Field | 64,196 | |
| 14 | December 8 | Minnesota Vikings | W 26–22 | 10–3 | Lambeau Field | 64,070 | |
| 15 | December 15 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 20–14 | 11–3 | 3Com Park | 67,947 | |
| 16 | December 22 | Buffalo Bills | W 10–0 | 12–3 | Lambeau Field | 64,106 | |
| 17 | December 29 | at New York Jets | L 17–42 | 12–4 | Giants Stadium | 78,733 | |
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 1: Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
| Packers | 3 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 37 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: September 8, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 83 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,127
- Referee: Ron Winter (14)
- TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee, Tim Ryan, Drew Smith
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: at New Orleans Saints
Week 2: Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Saints | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: September 15, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 67,958
- Referee: Johnny Grier (23)
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Detroit Lions
Week 3: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 37 |
| Lions | 7 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: September 22, 2002
- Game time: 4:15 p.m.
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 61,505
- Referee: Bill Leavy (127)
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 4: Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Packers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: September 29, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Overcast, 65 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,329
- Referee: Bill Carollo (63)
- TV announcers (FOX): Pat Summerall and Brian Baldinger
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at Chicago Bears
Week 5: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
- Date: October 7, 2002
- Game time: 9:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Clear, 46 °F (8 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,226
- Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: at New England Patriots
Week 6: Green Bay Packers (4–1) at New England Patriots (3–2) – Game summary
| Quarter | 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 announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: vs. Washington Redskins
Week 7: Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Packers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 30 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 9: Miami Dolphins (5–2) at Green Bay Packers (6–1) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Packers | 0 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: November 4, 2002
- Game time: 9:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Clear, 30 °F (−1 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,284
- Referee: Tom White (123)
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions
Week 10: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Packers | 3 | 27 | 10 | 0 | 40 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: November 10, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,329
- Referee: Dick Hantak (105)
- TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 11: Green Bay Packers (8–1) at Minnesota Vikings (2–7) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Vikings | 14 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date: November 17, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 64,153
- Referee: Ron Blum (7)
- TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston, Jeff Grayson
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 12: Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 21 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
- Date: November 24, 2002
- Game time: 4:15 p.m.
- Game weather: Clear, 70 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 65,672
- Referee: Johnny Grier (23)
- TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears
Week 13: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
| Packers | 3 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 30 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: December 1, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Cloudy, 23 °F (−5 °C)
- Game attendance: 64,196
- Referee: Ron Winter (14)
- TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Ron Pitts
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 14: Minnesota Vikings (3–9) at Green Bay Packers (9–3) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 10 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 22 |
| Packers | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 26 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: December 8, 2002
- Game time: 8:35 p.m.
- Game weather: Clear skies, 11 °F (−12 °C)
- Game attendance: 64,070
- Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann and Suzy Kolber
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Packers improved to 10-3 and finished 5-1 against the NFC North while also knocking the Vikings out of playoff contention. The game also notably had a brawl between both sides after a game sealing pick.
Week 15: at San Francisco 49ers
Week 15: Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 20 |
| 49ers | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 14 |
at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California
- Date: December 15, 2002
- Game time: 4:15 p.m.
- Game weather: Light Rain, 58 °F (14 °C)
- Game attendance: 67,947
- Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
- TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 16: Buffalo Bills (7–7) at Green Bay Packers (11–3) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Packers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: December 22, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Snow flurries, 27 °F (−3 °C)
- Game attendance: 64,106
- Referee: Tom White (123)
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross and Beasley Reece
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: at New York Jets
Week 17: Green Bay Packers (12–3) at New York Jets (8–7) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Jets | 0 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: December 29, 2002
- Game time: 4:15 p.m.
- Game weather: Cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,733
- Referee: Dick Hantak (105)
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and John DiScepolo
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
Division
| NFC North | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) Green Bay Packers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 398 | 328 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 5–7 | 390 | 442 | W3 |
| Chicago Bears | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 281 | 379 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 306 | 451 | L8 |
Conference
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | ||||||||||
| 1[a] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .469 | .432 |
| 2[a][b] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .482 | .432 |
| 3[a][b] | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .451 | .414 |
| 4 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .504 | .450 |
| Wild Cards | ||||||||||
| 5 | New York Giants | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .482 | .450 |
| 6 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .494 | .429 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | ||||||||||
| 7 | New Orleans Saints | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .498 | .566 |
| 8[c] | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .508 | .446 |
| 9[c] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .506 | .433 |
| 10[d] | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .527 | .438 |
| 11[d] | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .486 | .357 |
| 12 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .498 | .417 |
| 13[e] | Arizona Cardinals | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .500 | .400 |
| 14[e] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .500 | .475 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .521 | .430 |
| 16 | Detroit Lions | North | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .494 | .375 |
| Tiebreakers[f] | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Playoffs
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 4, 2003 | Atlanta Falcons | L 7–27 | 0–1 | Lambeau Field | 65,358 |
Game summaries
NFC Wild Card: vs. Atlanta Falcons
NFC Wild Card Game: (6) Atlanta Falcons at (3) Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: January 4, 2003
- Game time: 8:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Clear, 31 °F (−1 °C)
- Game attendance: 65,358
- Referee: Bernie Kukar (86)
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Awards and records
- Brett Favre, NFC Leader, Attempts (551)
- Brett Favre, NFC Leader, Completions (341)
- Brett Favre, NFC Leader(tied), Touchdown Passes (27)