The 2002 season was the Indianapolis Colts' 50th in the National Football League (NFL) and 19th in Indianapolis. The Colts made it to the playoffs after a one-year absence, improving upon their 6–10 record from the 2001 season. This was the first of nine consecutive playoff appearances for the Colts. The 2002 season marked the first for the Colts in the newly formed AFC South after competing for 32 seasons in the AFC East. The season is memorable for the team hiring former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy. He would later take the Colts to a victory in Super Bowl XLI after a successful 2006 season.
In the Wildcard round, the Colts were soundly embarrassed by the New York Jets, as they ended up losing the game 41–0. The Jets would go on to lose to the eventual AFC champion Oakland Raiders the following week.
Offseason
NFL draft
[1]
Undrafted free agents
Personnel
Staff
2002 Indianapolis Colts staff
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Front office
- Owner and chief executive officer – Jim Irsay
- President – Bill Polian
- Senior executive vice president – Pete Ward
- Executive vice president – Bob Terpening
- Director of football operations – Dom Anile
- Director of pro player personnel – Clyde Powers
- Assistant director of football operations – Chris Polian
- Director of player development – Steve Champlin
- Coordinator of player personnel – John Becker
- Director of college scouting – Mike Butler
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
- Strength and conditioning – Jon Torine
- Assistant strength and conditioning – Richard Howell
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[2]
Roster
[3]
Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1: at Jacksonville Jaguars
In the 2002 season, the Colts and Jaguars faced off for the first time as divisional rivals in their season opener on September 8 in Jacksonville. The Colts initiated the scoring with a touchdown in the first quarter. The Jaguars tied it in the second quarter. In the final minutes of the second quarter, Mark Brunell threw a 40–yard pick–six to LB Marcus Washington. The Jaguars then missed a 52–yard field goal attempt, resulting in a halftime score of 14–7 in favor of the Colts. In the third quarter, a fumble by Colts RB Edgerrin James led to a Jaguars' field goal, followed by another fumble from Colts TE Marcus Pollard that led to a Jaguars touchdown, giving them the lead. However, after the Jaguars forced a Colts three–and–out, return specialist Damon Gibson mishandled the catch, allowing Colts DB Clifton Crosby to recover the ball at Jacksonville's 19–yard line. The Colts capitalized on this opportunity, scoring a touchdown to regain the lead. In the fourth quarter, the Colts added another touchdown to widen their advantage. The Jaguars mounted a lengthy drive, scoring a touchdown and converting a two–point attempt to narrow the Colts' lead. The Colts effectively managed the Jaguars' timeouts, leaving them with the ball and about a minute remaining. The Jaguars advanced to the Colts' 46–yard line but ultimately ran out of time, resulting in a 28–25 victory for the Colts.[4][5]
Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins
Game information
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First quarter
- MIA – Jay Fiedler 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 9:34. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 5:26.
- MIA – Rob Konrad 9-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 2:18. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 3:33.
Second quarter
- IND – Mike Vanderjagt 25-yard field goal, 4:03. Dolphins 14–3. Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 8:18.
- MIA – Ricky Williams 10-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:53. Dolphins 21–3. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:10.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- IND – Marvin Harrison 16-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 9:11. Dolphins 21–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:29.
- IND – Mike Vanderjagt 23-yard field goal, 2:54. Dolphins 21–13. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 3:19.
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Top passers
- MIA – Jay Fiedler – 13/18, 187 yards, 2 TD, INT
- IND – Peyton Manning – 26/45, 289 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
- MIA – Ricky Williams – 24 rushes, 132 yards
- IND – Edgerrin James – 30 rushes, 138 yards
Top receivers
- MIA – Ricky Williams – 2 receptions, 62 yards, TD
- IND – Marvin Harrison – 11 receptions, 144 yards, TD
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Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Game information
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First quarter
- JAX – Danny Boyd 32-yard field goal, 1:58. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:11.
Second quarter
- IND – Mike Vanderjagt 19-yard field goal, 11:11. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:47.
- JAX – Fred Taylor 9-yard run (Danny Boyd kick), 4:53. Jaguars 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 6:18.
- IND – James Mungro 1-yard run (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 0:18. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 0:43.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- JAX – Danny Boyd 23-yard field goal, 13:55. Jaguars 13–10. Drive: 16 plays, 67 yards, 7:51.
- IND – Mike Vanderjagt 27-yard field goal, 5:46. Tied 13–13. Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 8:09.
- IND – Marcus Pollard 11-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 2:26. Colts 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 2:11.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Although the Colts had lost the inaugural AFC South title to the Titans the week prior, they still have the opportunity to secure a playoff berth with a victory against the eliminated Jaguars.[6] The Colts began the game sluggishly, but a fumble by the Jaguars at their 23–yard line enabled the Colts to score a quick touchdown, leveling the score by halftime. In the third quarter, as the Colts advanced into Jacksonville territory, James fumbled the ball, allowing the Jaguars to convert it into a field goal and take a 13–10 lead heading into the fourth quarter. On the subsequent drive, the Jaguars appeared to force a three–and–out, but a penalty for running into the kicker granted the Colts a fresh set of downs. Capitalizing on this opportunity, the Colts tied the game with a field goal. After forcing another three–and–out, a strong punt return positioned the Colts at Jacksonville's 47–yard line. Manning then connected with Pollard for an 11–yard touchdown, putting the Colts ahead. In the closing moments, the Colts' defense held firm, securing a 20–13 victory over the Jaguars, completing a sweep in their initial matchups as divisional rivals and earning a wild card spot in the playoffs.[7]
Standings
Division
Conference
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#
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Team
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Division
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W
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L
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T
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PCT
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DIV
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CONF
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SOS
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SOV
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Division leaders
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1[a]
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Oakland Raiders
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West
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11 |
5 |
0 |
.688
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4–2 |
9–3 |
.529 |
.531
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2[a]
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Tennessee Titans
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South
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11 |
5 |
0 |
.688
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6–0 |
9–3 |
.479 |
.474
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3
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Pittsburgh Steelers
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North
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10 |
5 |
1 |
.656
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6–0 |
8–4 |
.486 |
.451
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4[b]
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New York Jets
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East
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9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
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4–2 |
6–6 |
.500 |
.500
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Wild Cards
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5
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South
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10 |
6 |
0 |
.625
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4–2 |
8–4 |
.479 |
.400
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6[c]
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Cleveland Browns
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North
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9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
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3–3 |
7–5 |
.486 |
.413
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Did not qualify for the postseason
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7[c][d]
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Denver Broncos
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West
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9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
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3–3 |
5–7 |
.527 |
.486
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8[b][c][d][e]
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New England Patriots
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East
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9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
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4–2 |
6–6 |
.525 |
.455
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9[b][e]
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Miami Dolphins
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East
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9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
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2–4 |
7–5 |
.508 |
.486
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10[f]
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Buffalo Bills
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East
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8 |
8 |
0 |
.500
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2–4 |
5–7 |
.473 |
.352
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11[f][g]
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San Diego Chargers
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West
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8 |
8 |
0 |
.500
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3–3 |
6–6 |
.492 |
.453
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12[g]
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Kansas City Chiefs
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West
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8 |
8 |
0 |
.500
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2–4 |
6–6 |
.527 |
.516
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13
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Baltimore Ravens
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North
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7 |
9 |
0 |
.438
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3–3 |
7–5 |
.506 |
.384
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14
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Jacksonville Jaguars
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South
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6 |
10 |
0 |
.375
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1–5 |
4–8 |
.506 |
.438
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15
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Houston Texans
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South
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4 |
12 |
0 |
.250
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1–5 |
2–10 |
.518 |
.492
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16
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Cincinnati Bengals
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North
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2 |
14 |
0 |
.125
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0–6 |
1–11 |
.537 |
.406
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Tiebreakers[h]
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- ^ 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.
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Postseason
Game summaries
AFC Wild Card Playoff Game: vs. New York Jets
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
- NYJ – John Hall 41-yard field goal, 14:08. Jets 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 5:34.
- NYJ – LaMont Jordan 1-yard run (John Hall kick), 9:41. Jets 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 4:18.
- NYJ – Santana Moss 4-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 0:37. Jets 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 1:02.
Third quarter
- NYJ – John Hall 39-yard field goal, 13:28. Jets 27–0. Drive: 4 plays, −1 yard, 1:32.
- NYJ – Chris Baker 3-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 1:44. Jets 34–0. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 6:30.
Fourth quarter
- NYJ – LaMont Jordan 1-yard run (John Hall kick), 4:59. Jets 41–0. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 9:17.
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Top passers
- IND – Peyton Manning – 14/31, 137 yards, 2 INT
- NYJ – Chad Pennington – 19/25, 222 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
- IND – James Mungro – 4 rushes, 36 yards
- NYJ – LaMont Jordan – 20 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
- IND – Marvin Harrison – 4 receptions, 47 yards
- NYJ – Richie Anderson – 2 receptions, 66 yards, TD
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References
- ^ "2002 Indianapolis Colts draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ "Administration, coaching staff and football operations". 2002 Indianapolis Colts Media Guide. pp. 2–24.
- ^ "2002 Indianapolis Colts starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars - September 8th, 2002". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ Sullivan, Tim (September 9, 2002). "Jaguars pay for mistakes". The Gainesville Sun. Rynni Henderson. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ Penner, Mike (December 23, 2002). "Playoff Picture Still Out of Focus". Los Angeles times. Patrick Soon-Shiong. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ Marot, Michael (December 28, 2002). "Colts Kick Jaguars 20-13". Midland Daily News. Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
External links
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