2002 New York Jets season
2002 season of NFL team New York Jets
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The 2002 season was the New York Jets' 33rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd season overall and their second under head coach Herman Edwards. The team tried to improve upon their 10–6 record from 2001 but failed to do so after a 2–5 start. However, the Jets recovered and finished 9–7, winning their second AFC East division title.
| 2002 New York Jets season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Woody & Christopher Johnson |
| Head coach | Herman Edwards |
| Home stadium | The Meadowlands |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 1st AFC East |
| Playoffs | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Colts) 41–0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Raiders) 10–30 |
| All-Pros | C Kevin Mawae (2nd team) |
| Pro Bowlers | C Kevin Mawae DE John Abraham |
| Uniform | |
| |
After a 24–21 week 8 loss to the Cleveland Browns at the Meadowlands dropped the Jets' season record to 2–5, head coach Herman Edwards gave his famous "You play to win the game" response to a question in his press conference the following Tuesday. Edwards' vigorous defense of his team's refusal to quit, along with the midseason debut of quarterback Chad Pennington, helped spark the Jets' turnaround.
After posting a stunning rout of the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 41–0 at the Meadowlands in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, they lost for the second year in a row to the eventual AFC champion Oakland Raiders, 30–10 in the Divisional round.
As of the 2026 season, this is the Jets' most recent AFC East division title and is also the last time they have hosted a home playoff game.
Offseason
| Additions | Subtractions |
|---|---|
| P Matt Turk (Dolphins) | P Tom Tupa (Buccaneers) |
| CB Aaron Beasley (Jaguars) | G Kerry Jenkins (Buccaneers) |
| G Dave Szott (Redskins) | DT Shane Burton (Panthers) |
| DT Josh Evans (Titans) | DE Rick Lyle (Patriots) |
| CB Donnie Abraham (Buccaneers) | LB James Farrior (Steelers) |
| LB Sam Cowart (Bills) | WR Craig Yeast (CFL) |
| DT Larry Webster (Ravens) | G David Loverne (Redskins) |
| FS Sam Garnes (Giants) | S Victor Green (Patriots) |
| DE Steve White (Buccaneers) | DE Eric Ogbogu (Bengals) |
| S Chris Hayes (Patriots) | |
| DT Steve Martin (Patriots) | |
| WR Matthew Hatchette (Raiders) |
2002 expansion draft
| Round | Overall | Name | Position | Expansion team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 2 | Ryan Young | Offensive Tackle | Houston Texans |
| — | 3 | Aaron Glenn | Cornerback | Houston Texans |
| — | 3 | Marcus Coleman | Cornerback | Houston Texans |
2002 NFL draft
| 2002 New York Jets draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Bryan Thomas | DE | UAB | |
| 2 | 57 | Jon McGraw | S | Kansas State | |
| 3 | 88 | Chris Baker | TE | Michigan State | |
| 4 | 121 | Alan Harper | DT | Fresno State | |
| 5 | 154 | Jonathan Goodwin * | G | Michigan | from Washington |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Kroy Bailey | Wide receiver | North Carolina |
| Scott Bradley | Linebacker | Boston College |
| Jay Brooks | Cornerback | Texas A&M |
| Jaime Burrow | Linebacker | Nebraska |
| Ataveus Cash | Wide receiver | Howard |
| Joe Cooper | Linebacker | Ohio State |
| Andrew Davison | Cornerback | Kansas |
| Little John Flowers | Running back | Michigan State |
| Marcus Floyd | Cornerback | Indiana |
| Jerimiah Janssen | Linebacker | St. Norbert |
| Matt Knutson | Tackle | North Dakota |
| Chad Kuhns | Fullback | Wisconsin |
| Faaesea Mailo | Guard | USC |
| Tavon Mason | Wide receiver | Virginia |
| Kyle McCann | Quarterback | Iowa |
| Brandon Moore | Guard | Illinois |
| Idris Price | Linebacker | New Haven |
| Johnathan Reese | Running back | Columbia |
| Doug Shanahan | Safety | Hofstra |
| Chris Smith | Tackle | UC Davis |
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning |
Roster
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 8 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 16–6 | 1–0 | Heinz Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 15 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 34–16 | 2–0 | Ravens Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 24 | New York Giants | W 28–7 | 3–0 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 23–16 | 4–0 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
Under the NFL's newly established schedule rotation, during the 2002 regular season the Jets played against all of the teams from the AFC West, as well as the Cleveland Browns from the AFC North and the Jacksonville Jaguars from the AFC South, who finished in the same positions as the Jets in their respective divisions in 2001. Their non-conference opponents were from the NFC North.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | at Buffalo Bills | W 37–31 (OT) | 1–0 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 15 | New England Patriots | L 7–44 | 1–1 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 22 | at Miami Dolphins | L 3–30 | 1–2 | Pro Player Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 29 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 3–28 | 1–3 | Alltel Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 6 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 25–29 | 1–4 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | |||||
| 7 | October 20 | Minnesota Vikings | W 20–7 | 2–4 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 27 | Cleveland Browns | L 21–24 | 2–5 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 3 | at San Diego Chargers | W 44–13 | 3–5 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 10 | Miami Dolphins | W 13–10 | 4–5 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 17 | at Detroit Lions | W 31–14 | 5–5 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 12 | November 24 | Buffalo Bills | W 31–13 | 6–5 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at Oakland Raiders | L 20–26 | 6–6 | Network Associates Coliseum | Recap |
| 14 | December 8 | Denver Broncos | W 19–13 | 7–6 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 15 | at Chicago Bears | L 13–20 | 7–7 | Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 22 | at New England Patriots | W 30–17 | 8–7 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 29 | Green Bay Packers | W 42–17 | 9–7 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Buffalo Bills
Week 1: New York Jets (0–0) at Buffalo Bills (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 17 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 37 |
| Bills | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: September 8, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 86 °F (30 °C)
- Game attendance: 72,751
- Referee: Bob McElwee (95)
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, and Armen Keteyian
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
New York won on the first play of overtime as Chad Morton returned the kickoff for 96 yards. The Jets improved to 1-0 with the win to start the year.
Week 2: vs. New England Patriots
Week 2: New England Patriots (1–0) at New York Jets (1–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 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 pm
- Game weather: Hazy, rain, 78 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,726
- Referee: Larry Nemmers (20)
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf, and Bonnie Bernstein
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Miami Dolphins
Week 3: New York Jets (1–1) at Miami Dolphins (2–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Dolphins | 10 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 30 |
at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Date: September 22, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 pm
- Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
- Game attendance: 73,426
- Referee: Gerald Austin (34)
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, and Armen Keteyian
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 4: New York Jets (1–2) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1–1) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: September 29, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 pm
- Game attendance: 55,670
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs (2–2) at New York Jets (1–3) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 3 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 29 |
| Jets | 7 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 25 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 6, 2002
- Game time: 4:05 pm
- Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,149
- Referee: Johnny Grier (23)
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf, and Bonnie Bernstien
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 7: Minnesota Vikings (1–4) at New York Jets (1–4) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Jets | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 20, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 pm
- Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 57 °F (14 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,516
- Referee: Mike Carey (94)
- TV announcers (FOX): Curt Menefee, Tim Ryan, and John DiScepolo
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 8: Cleveland Browns (3–4) at New York Jets (2–4) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 3 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 24 |
| Jets | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 27, 2002
- Game time: 1:00 pm
- Game weather: Overcast, 57 °F (14 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,502
- Referee: Bob McElwee (95)
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross, and Beasley Reece
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: at San Diego Chargers
Week 9: New York Jets (2–5) at San Diego Chargers (6–1) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 14 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 44 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 3, 2002
- Game time: 4:05 pm
- Game weather: Sunny, 69 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 59,772
- Referee: Bill Leavy (127)
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf, and Bonnie Bernstein
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 10: Miami Dolphins (5–3) at New York Jets (3–5) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Jets | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: November 10, 2002
- Game time: 8:30 pm
- Game weather: Cloudy, 65 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,920
- Referee: Larry Nemmers (20)
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire, Joe Theismann, and Suzy Kolber
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at Detroit Lions
Week 11: New York Jets (4–5) at Detroit Lions (3–6) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 31 |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 12: Buffalo Bills (5–5) at New York Jets (5–5) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Jets | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: at Oakland Raiders
Week 13: New York Jets (6–5) at Oakland Raiders (7–4) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Raiders | 3 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 26 |
at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: December 2, 2002
- Game time: 9:00 pm
- Game weather: Clear, 57 °F (14 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,257
- Referee: Bernie Kukar (86)
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 14: Denver Broncos (7–5) at New York Jets (6–6) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Jets | 0 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 19 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: at Chicago Bears
Week 15: New York Jets (7–6) at Chicago Bears (3–10) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Bears | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: at New England Patriots
Week 16: New York Jets (7–7) at New England Patriots (8–6) – Game summary
| Quarter | 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 pm
- Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,436
- Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire, Joe Theismann, and Suzy Kolber
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: vs. Green Bay Packers
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 pm
- 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With their dominant win over Green Bay, the Jets (due to having tie-break over New England based on common record) were able to clinch the AFC East and the #4 seed in the AFC with a 9-7 record. As of 2025, this is the last time the Jets clinched the AFC East.
Standings
Division
| 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 |
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] | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Postseason
Schedule
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 4, 2003 | Indianapolis Colts (5) | W 41–0 | 1–0 | Giants Stadium | Recap |
| Divisional | January 12, 2003 | at Oakland Raiders (1) | L 10–30 | 1–1 | Network Associates Coliseum | Recap |
Game summaries
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Indianapolis Colts
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Indianapolis Colts at (4) New York Jets – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jets | 7 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 41 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: January 4, 2003
- Game time: 4:30 pm
- Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,524
- Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
- TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger and Gary Danielson
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
This game turned out to be the Jets' last home playoff game at Giants Stadium, and as of 2024, it is also their last home playoff game to date.
AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (1) Oakland Raiders
AFC Divisional Playoffs: (4) New York Jets at (1) Oakland Raiders – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Raiders | 3 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 30 |
at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: January 12, 2003
- Game time: 4:30 pm
- Game weather: Overcast, 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,207
- Referee: Dick Hantak (105)
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|