Inaugural season for the Texans
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 & 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.
The Texans won their inaugural regular season game against the Dallas Cowboys 19–10 on Sunday Night Football . They were the first to do this since the 1961 Minnesota Vikings won their inaugural game. 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 [ edit ] 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] Miami coach Butch Davis was involved in discussions with McNair, but elected to stay with the university.[ 4] Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Dom Capers as head coach; Capers had previously worked with the expansion Carolina Panthers as their HC.[ 5] Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Vic Fangio joined the staff in the same role,[ 6] Cleveland Browns head coach Chris Palmer as offensive coordinator on February 3.[ 7]
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]
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]
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.
[ 12]
Undrafted free agents [ edit ]
2002 Houston Texans staff
Front office
Founder, chairman and chief executive officer – Bob McNair
Senior vice president and general manager – Charley Casserly
Associate director of pro scouting – Bobby Grier
Associate director of pro scouting – Miller McCalmon
Coordinator of college scouting – Mike Maccagnan Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys [ edit ]
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 42-yard field goal, 13:22. Texans 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards.
DAL – Billy Cundiff 33-yard field goal, 1:05. Texans 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 0:32. Third quarter
DAL – Michael Wiley 46-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 7:13. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 84 yards. Fourth quarter
HOU – Corey Bradford 65-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 13:15. Texans 17–10. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 0:25.
HOU – Quincy Carter sacked in the end zone for a safety, 2:47. Texans 19–10.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 2: at San Diego Chargers [ edit ]
Game information
First quarter
SD – Curtis Conway 35-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 11:55. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 3:37.
SD – Curtis Conway 3-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 2:52. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 0:33. Second quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 36-yard field goal, 9:31. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:45.
SD – Steve Christie 36-yard field goal, 0:07. Chargers 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 0:28. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
SD – Raylee Johnson fumble recovery in the end zone (Steve Christie kick), 11:49. Chargers 24–3.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 3: vs. Indianapolis Colts [ edit ]
Week 3: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Colts 7
6
0 10 23
Texans
0
0
3 0 3
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 26-yard field goal, 12:59. Colts 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 10:59.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 39-yard field goal, 1:38. Colts 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 2:34. Third quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 24-yard field goal, 4:55. Colts 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:22. Fourth quarter
IND – Reggie Wayne 43-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 4:06. Colts 20–3. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:30.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 37-yard field goal, 1:15. Colts 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:03.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 4: at Philadelphia Eagles [ edit ]
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
PHI – Duce Staley 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 13:31. Eagles 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:19.
PHI – Duce Staley 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 5:18. Eagles 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:08.
PHI – David Akers 41-yard field goal, 2:46. Eagles 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:15. Third quarter
PHI – Brian Dawkins 57-yard pass from Brian Mitchell (McNabb pass to Lewis ), 11:43. Eagles 28–7. Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 3:52.
HOU – Corey Bradford 29-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 9:16. Eagles 28–14. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:12.
HOU – Kris Brown 48-yard field goal, 2:37. Eagles 28–17. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:33. Fourth quarter
PHI – James Thrash 38-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 5:15. Eagles 35–17. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 0:53.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills [ edit ]
Week 6: Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans
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, 2002Game time : 12:00 pm CSTGame weather : None (indoor stadium)Game attendance : 70,120Referee : Ed Hochuli TV announcers (CBS ) : Don Criqui and Steve TaskerRecap
Game information
First quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 26-yard field goal, 10:26. Texans 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:19.
BUF – Mike Hollis 33-yard field goal, 5:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 5:26. Second quarter
HOU – Jabar Gaffney 26-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 10:31. Texans 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:34.
HOU – David Carr 17-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 5:04. Texans 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 4:04.
BUF – Travis Henry 1-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 0:54. Texans 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 4:10. Third quarter
BUF – Travis Henry 23-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 6:32. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 5:10. Fourth quarter
HOU – Billy Miller 5-yard pass from James Allen (Kris Brown kick), 14:10. Texans 24–17. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:24.
BUF – Eric Moulds 23-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 10:39. Tied 24–24. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:31.
BUF – Peerless Price 26-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 3:55. Bills 31–24. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:30.
Top passers
BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 19/33, 254 yards, 2 TD
HOU – David Carr – 12/23, 218 yards, TD Top rushers
BUF – Travis Henry – 28 rushes, 159 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Jonathan Wells – 12 rushes, 70 yards Top receivers
BUF – Peerless Price – 8 receptions, 121 yards, TD
HOU – Corey Bradford – 5 receptions, 126 yards
Week 7: at Cleveland Browns [ edit ]
Week 7: Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
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, 2002Game time : 3:05 p.m. CSTGame weather : 52°Game attendance : 73,248Referee : Gerald Austin TV announcers (CBS) : Gus Johnson and Brent JonesRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
CLE – Phil Dawson 36-yard field goal, 10:30. Browns 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:20.
HOU – Corey Bradford 39-yard pass from Jabar Gaffney (Kris Brown kick), 9:03. Texans 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 0:37.
CLE – André Davis 95-yard kick return (Phil Dawson kick), 8:31. Browns 17–14.
HOU – Kris Brown 47-yard field goal, 5:48. Tied 17–17. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 1:59.
CLE – Quincy Morgan 25-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 3:22. Browns 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:14. Fourth quarter
CLE – Phil Dawson 44-yard field goal, 5:46. Browns 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 31 yards, 3:57.
CLE – Jamel White 2-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 2:00. Browns 34–17. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:35.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 8: at Jacksonville Jaguars [ edit ]
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 43-yard field goal, 11:55. Texans 10–9. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 3:39.
JAX – Tim Seder 34-yard field goal, 6:31. Jaguars 12–10. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:43. Fourth quarter
HOU – Billy Miller 1-yard pass from David Carr (Carr pass to Gaffney ), 18–12. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:12.
JAX – Stacey Mack 2-yard run (Tim Seder kick), 7:58. Jaguars 19–18. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:22.
HOU – Kris Brown 45-yard field goal, 2:24. Texans 21–19. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 0:28.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 9: vs. Cincinnati Bengals [ edit ]
Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans – Game summary
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, 2002Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame attendance : 69,827Referee : Larry Nemmers TV announcers (CBS) : Don Criqui and Steve TaskerRecap
Game information
First quarter
HOU − Kris Brown 23-yard field goal, 10:58. Texans 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 3:55.
CIN – Neil Rackers 25-yard field goal, 5:51. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 4:16.
CIN – Artrell Hawkins 102-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 0:00. Bengals 10–3. Second quarter
CIN – Michael Westbrook 26-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Neil Rackers kick), 6:00. Bengals 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 5:29.
CIN – Peter Warrick 33-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Neil Rackers kick), 0:42. Bengals 24–3. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 0:07. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
CIN – Michael Westbrook 12-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Neil Rackers kick), 11:28. Bengals 31–3. Drive: 13 plays, 98 yards, 16:59.
CIN – Chad Johnson 10-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Neil Rackers kick), 6:01. Bengals 38–3. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:38.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 10: at Tennessee Titans [ edit ]
Week 10: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
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, 2002Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame attendance : 68,804Referee : Bill Leavy TV announcers (CBS) : Don Criqui and Steve TaskerRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
TEN – Joe Nedney 24-yard field goal, 7:54. Titans 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:36.
HOU – Kris Brown 51-yard field goal, 1:11. Titans 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 41 yards, 5:06. Third quarter
TEN – Shad Meier 17-yard pass from Steve McNair (Joe Nedney kick), 10:52. Titans 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 4:06. Fourth quarter
HOU – Jarrod Baxter 10-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 3:10. Titans 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 1:41.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 11: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars [ edit ]
Week 11: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary
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, 2002Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame attendance : 69,711Referee : Dick Hantak TV announcers (CBS) : Don Criqui and Steve TaskerRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
JAX – Kyle Brady 2-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Tim Seder kick), 10:20. Jaguars 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 96 yards, 1:44.
HOU – Corey Bradford 52-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 3:56. Jaguars 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:37.
JAX – Tim Seder 22-yard field goal, 0:00. Jaguars 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 1:55. Third quarter
JAX – Jimmy Smith 13-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Tim Seder kick), 12:50. Jaguars 24–7. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:15.
HOU – David Carr 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 1:25. Jaguars 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:12. Fourth quarter
HOU – David Carr 14-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 2:04. Jaguars 24–21. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 5:14.
Top passers
Top rushers
JAX – Fred Taylor – 13 rushes, 56 yards
HOU – David Carr – 7 rushes, 33 yards, 2 TD Top receivers
Week 12: vs. New York Giants [ edit ]
Week 12: New York Giants at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Giants
0
7
0 7 14
Texans 0
5
8 3 16
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 40-yard field goal, 12:38. Texans 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 15:40.
NYG – Tiki Barber 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:45. Giants 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 86 yards, 2:22.
HOU – Matt Allen tackled in end zone, 0:26. Giants 7–5. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
NYG – Amani Toomer 31-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 13:18. Giants 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 12:02.
HOU – Kris Brown 50-yard field goal, 6:57. Texans 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 5:57.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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 5–7 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.
Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts [ edit ]
Week 13: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
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, 2002Game time : 3:05 p.m. CSTGame attendance : 56,820Referee : Johnny GrierTV announcers (CBS) : Ian Eagle and Solomon WilcotsRecap
Game information
First quarter
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 31-yard field goal, 10:00. Colts 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:56.
IND – Marcus Pollard 16-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 8:55. Colts 10–0. Drive: 1 play, 16 yards, 0:08. Second quarter
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 46-yard field goal, 12:30. Colts 13–0. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 0:50. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
IND – James Mungro 1-yard run (kick failed), 8:38. Colts 19–0. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:51.
HOU – Kris Brown 34-yard field goal, 3:55. Colts 19–3. Drive: 6 plays, 4 yards, 0:53.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
HOU – James Allen – 10 receptions, 49 yards
IND – Marvin Harrison – 9 receptions, 101 yards
Week 14: at Pittsburgh Steelers [ edit ]
Week 14: Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
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, 2002Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame attendance : 58,551Referee : Bob McElwee TV announcers (CBS) : Ian Eagle and Solomon WilcotsRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
PIT – Jeff Reed 40-yard field goal, 0:25. Texans 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 2:28. Third quarter
PIT – Jeff Reed 31-yard field goal, 9:45. Texans 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:08. Fourth quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 43-yard field goal, 3:40. Texans 17–6. Drive: 4 plays, −5 yards, 0:17.
HOU – Aaron Glenn 65-yard interception return, 2:21. Texans 24–6.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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 [ edit ]
Week 15: Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans – Game summary
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, 2002Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame attendance : 70,108Referee : Bernie Kukar TV announcers (CBS) : Bill Macatee and Craig JamesRecap
Game information
First quarter
BAL – Matt Stover 22-yard field goal, 7:30. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 0:50. Second quarter
HOU – Jonathan Wells 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 13:45. Texans 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 91 yards, 18:27.
BAL – Matt Stover 22-yard field goal, 12:00. Texans 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 0:43.
BAL – Travis Taylor 26-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Matt Stover kick), 2:00. Ravens 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 97 yards, 5:00. Third quarter
BAL – Chester Taylor 11-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Matt Stover kick), 7:30. Ravens 20–7. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 4:00.
HOU – Avion Black 76-yard punt return (Kris Brown kick), 0:59. Ravens 20–14. Fourth quarter
BAL – Matt Stover 47-yard field goal, 9:00. Ravens 23–14. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:00.
HOU – Kris Brown 41-yard field goal, 3:40. Ravens 23–17. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 2:21.
HOU – Team safety, 2:28. Ravens 23–19.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 16: at Washington Redskins [ edit ]
Week 16: Houston Texans at Washington Redskins – Game summary
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, 2002Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame attendance : 70,291Referee : Jeff Triplette TV announcers (CBS) : Don Criqui and Steve TaskerRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
WSH – Houston penalty in end zone, 14:05. Redskins 9–3.
WSH – Derrius Thompson 13-yard pass from Patrick Ramsey (José Cortez kick), 1:15. Redskins 16–3. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:57. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
WSH – Ladell Betts 3-yard run (José Cortez kick), 14:30. Redskins 23–3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 12:19.
HOU – Kevin Williams blocked punt recovery, 9:46. Redskins 23–10.
WSH – José Cortez 23-yard field goal, 2:54. Redskins 26–10. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:53.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans [ edit ]
Week 17: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary
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, 2002Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame attendance : 70,694Referee : Walt Coleman TV announcers (CBS) : Ian Eagle and Solomon WilcotsRecap
Game information
First quarter
TEN – Joe Nedney 28-yard field goal, 4:01. Titans 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:34. Second quarter
TEN – Joe Nedney 26-yard field goal, 2:56. Titans 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:48. Third quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 42-yard field goal, 1:19. Titans 6–3. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 0:13. Fourth quarter
TEN – Eddie George 5-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 5:24. Titans 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:09.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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]
#
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]
^ a b Oakland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b c N.Y. Jets finished ahead of New England based on win percentage in common games (8–4 to 7–5) and Miami based on division record (4–2 to 2–4).
^ a b c Cleveland finished ahead of Denver and New England based on conference record (7–5 vs 5–7/6–6)
^ a b Denver finished ahead of New England based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b New England finished ahead of Miami based on division record (4–2 to 2–4).
^ a b Buffalo finished ahead of San Diego based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b San Diego finished ahead of Kansas City based on division record (3–3 to 2–4).
^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
Despite being in their first season, Football Outsiders [ 15] FO also stated that the 2002 Texans had the worst offense and third-worst run offense they have ever tracked.[ 16]
Category
Total yards
Yards per game
NFL rank(out of 32)
Passing offense
2,225
139.1
32nd
Rushing offense
1,347
84.2
31st
Total offense[ 17]
3,572
223.3
32nd
Passing defense
3,141
196.3
10th
Rushing defense
2,089
130.6
28th
Total defense[ 18]
5,230
326.9
16th
Source :[ 19]
^ Sidhu, Deepi (January 9, 2022). "with 11 starts under his belt, Houston Texans QB Davis Mills has now solidified himself as the leading rookie passer in franchise history with 2,664 yards" . Houston Texans. Retrieved January 9, 2022 . ^ Wilson, Aaron (February 8, 2024). "Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud named Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after epic first season" . KPRC-TV . Retrieved September 19, 2024 . ^ a b c "Texans Team History" . Houston Texans . Retrieved January 19, 2016 .^ "Owner: Texans won't hire coach until 2002" . Amarillo Globe-News Associated Press . January 3, 2001. Retrieved January 19, 2016 .^ "Dom Capers" . Green Bay Packers the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2016 .^ "PLUS: PRO FOOTBALL; TEXANS HIRE FANGIO" . The New York Times . Retrieved January 19, 2016 .^ "Texans hire Palmer" . Amarillo Globe-News Associated Press . February 3, 2001. Retrieved January 19, 2016 .^ "2002 Roster" (PDF) . Houston Texans the original (PDF) on March 25, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2016 .^ "Unprotected players for expansion draft" . ESPN . Retrieved January 19, 2016 .^ "Five-time Pro Bowler Boselli set to retire" . ESPN . Retrieved January 19, 2016 .^ Pasquarelli, Len (February 26, 2002). "Texans deal Wuerffel to 'Skins in first-ever trade" . ESPN . Retrieved January 19, 2016 . ^ "2002 Houston Texans draftees" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved December 12, 2014 .^ "Texans turn to defense for all of their offense" . ESPN . December 8, 2002. Retrieved January 21, 2020 .[dead link ] ^ "Titans seal first-round bye in playoffs" . ESPN . December 29, 2002. Retrieved February 15, 2021 .[dead link ] ^ −41.6 DVOA, Football Outsiders: 2002 TEAM EFFICIENCY RATINGS
^ Football Outsiders – DVOA 7.0: Worst Teams Ever , from 1991–2011^ "2002 NFL Team Total Offense Stats" . ESPN. Retrieved April 29, 2022 .^ "2002 NFL Team Total Defense Stats" . ESPN. Retrieved April 29, 2022 .^ "2002 Texans Statistics" . Houston Texans. Retrieved April 29, 2022 .
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