2002 Houston Texans season
Inaugural season for the Texans
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2002 season was the Houston Texans' debut season in the National Football League and the first NFL season for the city of Houston since the Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997 and became the Titans 2 years later in 1999. Their coaching staff was headed by Dom Capers, who previously coached the expansion Carolina Panthers when they debuted in 1995. The divisional realignment also placed the Texans and Titans in the same division.
| 2002 Houston Texans season | |
|---|---|
Texans inaugural season logo | |
| Owner | Bob McNair |
| General manager | Charley Casserly |
| Head coach | Dom Capers |
| Home stadium | Reliant Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 4–12 |
| Division place | 4th AFC South |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 2
|
The Texans won their inaugural regular season game against the Dallas Cowboys 19–10 on Sunday Night Football. The Texans finished their debut season with a 4–12 record.
Due to being an expansion franchise, the Texans were given the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft. Houston used the selection on Fresno State quarterback David Carr. Carr finished the season with 2,592 passing yards, setting the franchise record for most passing yards by a rookie in a single season. Carr's record would not be broken until 2021, when Davis Mills finished that season with 2,664 passing yards (a number since surpassed by C. J. Stroud's 4,108 in 2023).[1][2]
NFL returns to Houston
In June 1997, Bob McNair and Chuck Watson's plans for a National Hockey League expansion team fell apart due to the lack of an arena in the Houston area. Afterward, the Houston Oilers moved to Nashville to become the Tennessee Titans. The discussion eventually began to create a new NFL expansion team, with the 31st being awarded to the reformed Cleveland Browns. Houston and Los Angeles were the two finalists, and on October 6, 1999, the league's owners voted unanimously to award Houston the 32nd franchise. In 2000, the new team, tentatively known as "Houston NFL 2002", decided on five potential team names: Apollos, Bobcats, Stallions, Texans and Wildcatters. This shortlist was eventually reduced to Apollos, Stallions and Texans. On September 6, the team name was officially revealed as the Houston Texans.[3]
On January 19, 2000, the team hired former Washington Redskins general manager Charley Casserly to serve in the same position.[3] In the search for a head coach, Miami coach Butch Davis was involved in discussions with McNair, but elected to stay with the university.[4] In January 2001, the Texans hired Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Dom Capers as head coach; Capers had previously worked with the expansion Carolina Panthers as their HC.[5] On January 20, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Vic Fangio joined the staff in the same role,[6] followed by former Cleveland Browns head coach Chris Palmer as offensive coordinator on February 3.[7]
Offseason
Free agency
On November 5, 2001, the Texans held workouts for defensive backs at the Reliant Astrodome. On December 29, the team signed ten players: running back Michael Basnight, safety Leomont Evans, tackles Robert Hicks and Jerry Wisne, defensive tackle Jason Nikolao, quarterback Mike Quinn, fullback Matt Snider, cornerback Jason Suttle, linebacker Casey Tisdale and safety Kevin Williams. On March 6, 2002, Colts offensive lineman Steve McKinney became the first unrestricted free agent to be signed by the Texans.[3][8]
Expansion draft
To fill the Texans roster, the NFL held an expansion draft on February 18. The team was permitted to select 42 players from the other 31 teams, each of which allowed five players to be drafted. Houston were required to select 30 players or spend 38 percent ($27.24 million) of the $71.7 million salary cap.[9]
The first player that the Texans selected was Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Tony Boselli; however, the five-time Pro Bowler had been suffering from shoulder injuries during the 2001 season and never played a snap for the Texans.[10] Houston also selected 18 more players.
On February 26, quarterback Danny Wuerffel was traded to the Washington Redskins for defensive tackle Jerry DeLoach. The Texans had intended to draft DeLoach, but the Redskins replaced him with Matt Campbell.[11]
^ Made roster.
NFL draft
| 2002 Houston Texans draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | David Carr | QB | Fresno State | |
| 2 | 33 | Jabar Gaffney | WR | Florida | |
| 2 | 50 | Chester Pitts | OT | San Diego State | Extra selection |
| 3 | 66 | Fred Weary | OG | Tennessee | |
| 3 | 83 | Charles Hill | DT | Maryland | Extra selection |
| 4 | 99 | Jonathan Wells | RB | Ohio State | |
| 5 | 136 | Jarrod Baxter | FB | New Mexico | |
| 5 | 153 | Ramon Walker | S | Pittsburgh | Extra selection |
| 6 | 173 | Demarcus Faggins | CB | Kansas State | |
| 6 | 190 | Howard Green | DT | LSU | Extra selection |
| 7 | 229 | Greg White | DE | Minnesota | Extra selection |
| 7 | 261 | Ahmad Miller | DT | UNLV | Extra selection |
| Made roster | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Atnaf Harris | Wide receiver | Cal State Northridge |
| Joey Knapp | Tight end | UTEP |
| John Minardi | Wide receiver | Colorado |
| Jimmy McClain | Linebacker | Troy State |
| Eric Parker | Wide receiver | Tennessee |
| Ed Stansbury | Running back | UCLA |
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOF | August 5 | vs. New York Giants | L 17–34 | 0–1 | Fawcett Stadium (Canton) | Recap |
| 1 | August 10 | at New Orleans Saints | W 13–10 | 1–1 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 9–19 | 1–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 24 | Miami Dolphins | L 3–24 | 1–3 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 13–17 | 1–4 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | Dallas Cowboys | W 19–10 | 1–0 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 15 | at San Diego Chargers | L 3–24 | 1–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 22 | Indianapolis Colts | L 3–23 | 1–2 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 29 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 17–35 | 1–3 | Veterans Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | Bye | |||||
| 6 | October 13 | Buffalo Bills | L 24–31 | 1–4 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 20 | at Cleveland Browns | L 17–34 | 1–5 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 27 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 21–19 | 2–5 | Alltel Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 3 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 3–38 | 2–6 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 10 | at Tennessee Titans | L 10–17 | 2–7 | The Coliseum | Recap |
| 11 | November 17 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 21–24 | 2–8 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 24 | New York Giants | W 16–14 | 3–8 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 1 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 3–19 | 3–9 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 14 | December 8 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 24–6 | 4–9 | Heinz Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 15 | Baltimore Ravens | L 19–23 | 4–10 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 22 | at Washington Redskins | L 10–26 | 4–11 | FedExField | Recap |
| 17 | December 29 | Tennessee Titans | L 3–13 | 4–12 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Texans | 7 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 19 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 8, 2002
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 69,604
- Referee: Bill Carollo
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire and Suzy Kolber
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Chargers | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: September 15, 2002
- Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 74° (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 56,098
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV announcers (CBS): Craig Bolerjack, Craig James and Scott Kaplan
- Box score, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: vs. Indianapolis Colts
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 7 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 22, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Roof open 81° Sunny
- Game attendance: 69,204
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: at Philadelphia Eagles
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Eagles | 3 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 35 |
at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 29, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 72° (Sunny, partly cloudy)
- Game attendance: 64,867
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 3 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Texans | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: October 13, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 pm CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,120
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: at Cleveland Browns
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 17 | 10 | 34 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: October 20, 2002
- Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 52°
- Game attendance: 73,248
- Referee: Gerald Austin
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: at Jacksonville Jaguars
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 21 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 19 |
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: October 27, 2002
- Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 53,721
- Referee: Ron Blum
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 10 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 38 |
| Texans | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 3, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 69,827
- Referee: Larry Nemmers
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: at Tennessee Titans
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Titans | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: November 10, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 68,804
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 17, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 69,711
- Referee: Dick Hantak
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: vs. New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Texans | 0 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 16 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 24, 2002
- Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 70,054
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas and Matt Sampsell
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Giants entered the game at 6–4 looking for an easy victory over the expansion Texans. The first quarter was scoreless with miscues from both teams. Houston received the opening kickoff, but went three-and-out, punting the ball to end the drive. On the second play of the following drive, New York running back Tiki Barber fumbled the ball at the Giants 27-yard line with the ball being recovered by Houston linebacker Jamie Sharper. On the next drive, Texans' running back James Allen fumbled the ball and it was recovered at the New York 30-yard line by linebacker Dhani Jones for the Giants. The two teams would trade punts with the first points being scored by Houston kicker Kris Brown on a 40-yard field goal in the second quarter. The Giants would respond a few drives later with Barber scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run. The game's next scoring play would come late in the second quarter. New York long snapper Bob Jones fumbled the snap with the ball being recovered by punter Matt Allen, who was tackled in his own end zone for a safety with the Texans trailing 7–5 at halftime.
Houston's first touchdown of the game came in the 3rd quarter, with a 1-yard run from Jonathan Wells. The Texans went for two, with Allen catching a pass from David Carr to put Houston up 13–7 with 6:57 left in the 3rd quarter. The Giants' following drive ended with Matt Bryant missing a 33-yard field goal. New York would score on its next possession with a 31-yard pass from Kerry Collins to receiver Amani Toomer to the Giants up 14–13 with 13:18 left in the game. Houston responded on the next drive with a 50-yard field goal to take a 16–14 lead with 6:57 left. The Giants had three drives to respond, but Collins was picked off twice on back-to-back possessions with the last play of the game being a failed Hail Mary to give the Texans a 16–14 upset victory.
To this day, this remains the last time the Texans defeated the Giants.
Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Colts | 10 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: December 1, 2002
- Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 56,820
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: at Pittsburgh Steelers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 14 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| Steelers | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: December 8, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 58,551
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Texans had one of the worst offensive performances ever in an NFL game, only having 47 total yards of offense while the Steelers had 422 yards. The Texans' defense forced five turnovers and scored three touchdowns. Pittsburgh quarterback Tommy Maddox threw two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns by Houston cornerback Aaron Glenn; Maddox also lost a fumble that was recovered by Texans cornerback Kenny Wright for a touchdown.[13]
Week 15: vs. Baltimore Ravens
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 19 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 15, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 70,108
- Referee: Bernie Kukar
- TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Craig James
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: at Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Redskins | 7 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 26 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
- Date: December 22, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 70,291
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 29, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 70,694
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
This was the Titans' first game to be played in Houston since December 15, 1996 when the team was known as the Houston Oilers.[14]
Standings
Division
| AFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Tennessee Titans | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–0 | 9–3 | 367 | 324 | W5 |
| (5) Indianapolis Colts | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 349 | 313 | W1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 328 | 315 | L2 |
| Houston Texans | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 213 | 356 | L3 |
Conference
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | ||||||||||||
| 1[a] | Oakland Raiders | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .529 | .531 | ||
| 2[a] | Tennessee Titans | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–0 | 9–3 | .479 | .474 | ||
| 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 6–0 | 8–4 | .486 | .451 | ||
| 4[b] | New York Jets | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .500 | .500 | ||
| Wild Cards | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .479 | .400 | ||
| 6[c] | Cleveland Browns | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .486 | .413 | ||
| Did not qualify for the postseason | ||||||||||||
| 7[c][d] | Denver Broncos | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .527 | .486 | ||
| 8[b][c][d][e] | New England Patriots | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .525 | .455 | ||
| 9[b][e] | Miami Dolphins | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .508 | .486 | ||
| 10[f] | Buffalo Bills | East | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .473 | .352 | ||
| 11[f][g] | San Diego Chargers | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .492 | .453 | ||
| 12[g] | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .527 | .516 | ||
| 13 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .506 | .384 | ||
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .506 | .438 | ||
| 15 | Houston Texans | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | .518 | .492 | ||
| 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .537 | .406 | ||
| Tiebreakers[h] | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Statistics
Despite being in their first season, Football Outsiders calculated that the Texans were, play-for-play, the least successful team in the NFL in 2002.[15] FO also stated that the 2002 Texans had the worst offense and third-worst run offense they have ever tracked.[16]
Team
Individual
| Category | Player | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | |||
| Passing yards | David Carr | 2,592 | |
| Passing touchdowns | David Carr | 9 | |
| Rushing yards | Jonathan Wells | 529 | |
| Rushing touchdowns | Jonathan Wells David Carr | 3 | |
| Receiving yards | Corey Bradford | 697 | |
| Receiving touchdowns | Corey Bradford | 6 | |
| Defense | |||
| Tackles (Solo) | Jay Foreman | 105 | |
| Sacks | Jeff Posey | 8 | |
| Interceptions | Aaron Glenn | 5 | |
Source:[19]