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2002 New York Giants season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2002 New York Giants season
OwnerWellington Mara
Robert Tisch
General managerErnie Accorsi
Head coachJim Fassel
Home fieldGiants Stadium
Results
Record10–6
Division place2nd NFC East
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(at 49ers) 38–39
Pro BowlersTE Jeremy Shockey
DE Michael Strahan

The 2002 season was the New York Giants' 78th in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Jim Fassel. The team improved upon their 7–9 record from the previous season by three games and returned to the playoffs for the second time in three years, ending the season on a four-game winning streak.[1] After a midseason slump, head coach Jim Fassel stripped offensive coordinator Sean Payton of playcalling duties, and the Giants went on to a winning streak that would carry them to the playoffs.

Leading 35–14 in the third quarter of the NFC wild-card came at San Francisco, Jeremy Shockey dropped a touchdown pass forcing a field goal to make the score 38–14. The 49ers gained momentum after that, scoring 25 straight points, and the Giants did not score again, losing the game 39–38. Following the season, Payton was not retained; he won the Super Bowl seven years later as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

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Transcription

Offseason

Additions Subtractions
DE Byron Frisch (Cowboys) K Morten Andersen (Chiefs)
LB Jessie Armstead (Redskins)
T Lomas Brown (Buccaneers)
G Ron Stone (49ers)
FS Sam Garnes (Jets)
WR Joe Jurevicius (Buccaneers)

NFL Draft

2002 New York Giants draft
Draft order Player name Position College Notes
Round Overall
1 14 Jeremy Shockey TE Miami (FL) from Titans
15 Traded to the Tennessee Titans
2 46 Tim Carter WR Auburn
3 78 Jeff Hatch T Pennsylvania
4 110 Traded to the Tennessee Titans
5 152 Nick Greisen LB Wisconsin
6 188 Wesly Mallard LB Oregon
7 226 Daryl Jones WR Miami (FL)
245 Quincy Monk LB North Carolina Compensatory pick

Undrafted free agents

2002 undrafted free agents of note
Player Position College
Matt Bryant K Baylor
Ryan Clark S LSU
Bob Jones LS Penn State
Matt Mitrione DT Purdue
Delvin Joyce RB James Madison
Charles Stackhouse FB Ole Miss

Staff

2002 New York Giants staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams – Bruce Read

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – John Dunn
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Craig Stoddard

Roster

2002 New York Giants final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad

  • 49 Taman Bryant TE
  • 39 Ryan Clark S
  • 60 Pat Crummey G
  • 64 Sean O'Connor G
  • -- Chris Taylor WR


Rookies in italics
53 active, 13 inactive, 5 practice squad

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
HOF August 5 Houston Texans W 34–17 1–0 Fawcett Stadium (Canton) Recap
1 August 10 New England Patriots W 22–19 2–0 Giants Stadium Recap
2 August 17 at Atlanta Falcons L 24–36 2–1 Georgia Dome Recap
3 August 24 at New York Jets L 7–28 2–2 Giants Stadium Recap
4 August 29 Baltimore Ravens W 13–0 3–2 Giants Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 5 San Francisco 49ers L 13–16 0–1 Giants Stadium Recap
2 September 15 at St. Louis Rams W 26–21 1–1 Edward Jones Dome Recap
3 September 22 Seattle Seahawks W 9–6 2–1 Giants Stadium Recap
4 September 29 at Arizona Cardinals L 7–21 2–2 Sun Devil Stadium Recap
5 October 6 at Dallas Cowboys W 21–17 3–2 Texas Stadium Recap
6 October 13 Atlanta Falcons L 10–17 3–3 Giants Stadium Recap
7 Bye
8 October 28 at Philadelphia Eagles L 3–17 3–4 Veterans Stadium Recap
9 November 3 Jacksonville Jaguars W 24–17 4–4 Giants Stadium Recap
10 November 10 at Minnesota Vikings W 27–20 5–4 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Recap
11 November 17 Washington Redskins W 19–17 6–4 Giants Stadium Recap
12 November 24 at Houston Texans L 14–16 6–5 Reliant Stadium Recap
13 December 1 Tennessee Titans L 29–32 (OT) 6–6 Giants Stadium Recap
14 December 8 at Washington Redskins W 27–21 7–6 FedExField Recap
15 December 15 Dallas Cowboys W 37–7 8–6 Giants Stadium Recap
16 December 22 at Indianapolis Colts W 44–27 9–6 RCA Dome Recap
17 December 28 Philadelphia Eagles W 10–7 (OT) 10–6 Giants Stadium Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 1: San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
49ers 3 0 7616
Giants 3 3 0713

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

The Giants opened their 2002 season at home against the 49ers, in a preview of their infamous Wild Card game later that season. This was the first-ever Thursday night NFL season opener.

The Giants led 6–3 at halftime, with new kicker Matt Bryant kicking field goals of 29 and 33 yards. In the third quarter, 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia found running back Garrison Hearst for a 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 10–6. After a Jose Cortez field goal made it 13-6 49ers with 8 minutes to go, Tiki Barber ran in for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 13–13 with 1:55 to go. However, the Giants defense failed to hold at the end of the game. A 33-yard pass from Garcia to Terrell Owens set up a 36-yard field goal by Cortez with 6 seconds left to win the game for the 49ers.

For the Giants, Amani Toomer caught nine passes for 134 yards.[2]

Week 2: at St. Louis Rams

Week 2: New York Giants at St. Louis Rams – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 3 14 3626
Rams 0 7 7721

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

Game information

The Giants next traveled to St. Louis to take on the defending NFC champion Rams, who were favored by 12 to defeat the Giants. However, the Giants jumped out to a 17–0 lead in the first half. In the second quarter, Kerry Collins found rookie tight end Jeremy Shockey for his first career touchdown on a 28-yard pass. Later in the quarter, Jason Sehorn picked off Kurt Warner and returned his errant pass 31 yards for a touchdown. The Rams finally got on the board with Warner finding receiver Ricky Proehl for a 6-yard touchdown to make the score 17–7 Giants at the half.

In the third quarter, Marshall Faulk scored a touchdown to narrow the score to 17–14. After two Matt Bryant field goals, Faulk scored another touchdown from 8 yards out to make the score 23–21 with 8:24 to go. The Giants finally clinched the game when cornerback Will Allen intercepted a Kurt Warner pass with 1:43 remaining.

Kerry Collins was 22 of 26 for 307 yards and a touchdown with an interception. Ike Hilliard was the leading receiver with 4 receptions for 97 yards, while Amani Toomer added 4 catches for 92 yards. The defense forced 4 Rams turnovers against just one by the Giants.[3]

Week 3: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 3: Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Seahawks 3 3 006
Giants 0 0 369

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

Next came a contest against the Seahawks that did not feature a touchdown. The Giants trailed 6–0 at halftime after two Rian Lindell field goals, but Matt Bryant kicked three field goals in the second half, the last one a 47 yarder coming with 2:04 remaining. As he had the previous week, Will Allen clinched the game by intercepting a Trent Dilfer pass with 1:35 remaining.

The Giants held the Seahawks to just 145 yards of total offense. Amani Toomer caught four passes for 100 yards.[4]

Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals

Week 4: New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 7 0 007
Cardinals 0 7 01421

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Game information

The Giants completed their NFC West cycle with a poor performance against the Cardinals. The Giants struck first with Tiki Barber running in for a 6-yard touchdown in the first quarter. However, in the second quarter, Kerry Collins was intercepted by Justin Lucas, who returned the pick 38 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7–7 at the half. In the fourth quarter, Cardinals running back Marcel Shipp scored two touchdowns. The first one was on a 7-yard pass from quarterback Jake Plummer to give the Cardinals a 14–7 lead with 10:36 to go, and the second touchdown was a 10-yard run to clinch the game with 2:13 left.

Both teams gained 263 yards in this contest. However, the Cardinals won the turnover battle 3–1 and time of possession 36:05 to 23:55.[5]

Week 5: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 5: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 0 14 0721
Cowboys 0 10 0717

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Game information

Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 6: Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 10 0717
Giants 0 3 7010

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: October 13
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Drizzle, 61 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 78,728
  • Referee: Bob McElwee
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Ron Pitts
Game information

Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 8: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 0 3 003
Eagles 3 6 0817

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game information

Week 9: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 9: Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 0 31417
Giants 7 7 10024

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 3
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 43 °F (6 °C)
  • Game attendance: 78,337
  • Referee: Johnny Grier
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire and Suzy Kolber
Game information

Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 10: New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 7 6 6827
Vikings 0 3 31420

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: November 10
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 64,005
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Ron Pitts
Game information

The Giants took on the Vikings in a midseason contest at the Metrodome. The Giants took charge early, with Kerry Collins finding Charles Stackhouse for a 1-yard touchdown to make the score 7–0. In the second quarter Ron Dayne ran in for a 30-yard touchdown, with a failed two-point conversion making the score 13–3 at the half. Late in the third quarter, Collins found Amani Toomer for an 11-yard touchdown, and the Giants led 19–6 at the start of the fourth quarter. While the Giants flourished offensively, Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper struggled mightily. He completed just 9 of 20 passes, with many of his passes not even close to reaching his receivers. Due to his inability to perform and lack of confidence in this contest, Vikings coach Mike Tice decided to have him take the rest of the day off.

To replace Culpepper, Tice put in Todd Bouman, a local product from St. Cloud State University. Immediately after he went in, the Vikings' fortunes changed. Early in the fourth quarter, Bouman threw a 48-yard bomb to Randy Moss, which set up a 1-yard touchdown by running back Moe Williams. The lead was now 19–13 Giants. On the next Vikings possession, the Vikings ran a draw play where the fastest man in the NFL, Michael Bennett, took off for a 78-yard touchdown. With 8:36 to go, the Vikings were now leading 20–19 in a contest the Giants had dominated. The Giants recovered, however, and Tiki Barber ran in for an 8-yard touchdown with 2:43 to go. On the two-point conversion, the Giants were thrown a life preserver when a Vikings player dropped an interception, with rookie tight end Marcellus Rivers catching the loose ball to make the score 27–20 Giants. The Giants forced a punt on the next Vikings possession when Kenny Holmes sacked Bouman on a third down play to essentially clinch the game.

Kerry Collins was 25 of 35 for 300 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Tiki Barber added 127 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown, and Ron Dixon caught four passes for 107 yards.[6]

Week 11: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 11: Washington Redskins at New York Giants – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Redskins 0 10 7017
Giants 3 7 6319

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 17
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 43 °F (6 °C)
  • Game attendance: 78,727
  • Referee: Tom White
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Tim Green, and John DiScepolo
Game information

Week 12: at Houston Texans

Week 12: New York Giants at Houston Texans – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 0 7 0714
Texans 0 5 8316

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: November 24
  • Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST/3:15 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 74 °F (23 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,054
  • Referee: Terry McAulay
  • TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas and Matt Sampsell
Game information

Week 13: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 13: Tennessee Titans at New York Giants – game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Titans 0 14 015332
Giants 3 7 109029

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

Week 14: at Washington Redskins

Week 14: New York Giants at Washington Redskins – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 3 14 7327
Redskins 0 3 11721

at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: December 8
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 78,635
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Dave Feldman
Game information

Week 15: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 15: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 0 077
Giants 21 3 31037

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: December 15
  • Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 78,698
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Pat Summerall, Brian Baldinger and John DiScepolo
Game information

Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts

Week 16: New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts – game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 3 7 201444
Colts 0 3 32127

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: December 22
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 56,579
  • Referee: Dick Hantak
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth and Pam Oliver
Game information

After two games against teams with losing records, the Giants' schedule got tougher with a road game at Indianapolis. However, the Giants would be up to the challenge in a shootout.

The Giants took a 3–0 lead in the first quarter with a 20-yard Matt Bryant field goal. The first play of the second quarter was when this game took off. Kerry Collins threw a screen pass to Jeremy Shockey, who ran over and flattened Colts safety David Gibson before finally being brought down at the Colts' 14-yard line after a 24-yard gain. Shockey's takedown of Gibson was all the more embarrassing for the Colt as he declared before the game that Shockey was "just another player." Three plays later, Tiki Barber ran in for a 4-yard touchdown. The score was 10–3 Giants at the half, but some noted that the Giants should have been up by more as two lost fumbles hindered their offense.

On the first play of the second half came the play of the game. The Giants ran a flea flicker where Tiki Barber took a handoff before throwing the ball back to Kerry Collins, who then launched a rocket (starting from his own 5-yard line, Collins' pass landed inside the Colts' 40) to Amani Toomer, who outran the already embarrassed David Gibson for an 82-yard touchdown. On the next Giants drive, they extended their lead with Collins finding Charles Stackhouse for an 18-yard touchdown to make the score 24–3. With 11 seconds to go in the third quarter, Tiki Barber ran in for a 1-yard touchdown. The score was 30–6 Giants heading into the fourth quarter.

With 13:34 to go in the fourth quarter, the Colts finally got into the end zone with Peyton Manning finding Reggie Wayne for a 21-yard touchdown to make it 31–12 Giants. The Giants answered with Kerry Collins finding Amani Toomer for a 21-yard touchdown to make the score 37–12. However, after this touchdown the Giants defense and special teams began to blow their seemingly insurmountable lead. The Colts needed just six plays to drive 77 yards for a touchdown, with Manning finding Marvin Harrison for a 25-yard touchdown. The ensuing two-point conversion made the score 37–20 with 4:51 to go. The Colts needed an onside kick, and Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt lofted a kick up and over the Giants frontlines with the Colts recovering the ball. On the very next play, Manning found Reggie Wayne for another Colts touchdown. Suddenly with 4:44 to go, the Giants led by just 10, 37–27. However the Giants recovered the ensuing onside kick before facing a 3rd and 11. Rather than play it safe and run the ball to kill the clock, Jim Fassel called for another pass play. The gamble paid off with Collins hitting Toomer for his third touchdown of the day, a 27-yard touchdown that finally put the game away with 4:00 to go.

Kerry Collins achieved a perfect passer rating of 158.3, going 23 of 29 for 366 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Amani Toomer caught 10 passes for 204 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, with Jeremy Shockey adding 7 receptions for 116 yards. Kenny Holmes registered two sacks for the Giants defense.

Not only did the Giants remain in playoff contention with their win over the Colts, but they gained help from an unlikely source. While this game was taking place, the lowly 1–13 Cincinnati Bengals came from behind and stunned the New Orleans Saints. As a result of this game, the Giants were now ahead of the Saints in playoff standings.[7]

Week 17: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 17: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants – game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Eagles 7 0 0007
Giants 0 0 07310

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: December 28
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly sunny, 36 °F (2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 78,782
  • Referee: Ron Blum
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth and Pam Oliver
Game information

Standings

NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Philadelphia Eagles 12 4 0 .750 5–1 11–1 415 241 L1
(5) New York Giants 10 6 0 .625 5–1 8–4 320 279 W4
Washington Redskins 7 9 0 .438 1–5 4–8 307 365 W2
Dallas Cowboys 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 217 329 L4

Postseason

Prelude: Giants sign Trey Junkin

While the Giants made the postseason in 2002 after a one-year absence, throughout the season they had struggled on special teams, particularly with stability at the long snapper position. The Giants began the season with Bob Jones as their long snapper, but after he struggled in games against the Vikings and Texans, the Giants signed Dan O'Leary, who split time as the long snapper with center Chris Bober for the final five games of the regular season until he was put on Injured Reserve with torn thumb ligaments. With guard Jason Whittle also long snapping for a game, the Giants had used four separate long snappers on the season, along with three separate kick holders in punters Matt Allen and Tom Rouen, and backup quarterback Jesse Palmer. Before the Giants' Wild Card playoff game with the 49ers, Jim Fassel made the decision to sign Trey Junkin, who had played 19 seasons with Buffalo, Washington, the Raiders, Seattle, and Arizona, where Fassel had coached in 1996 before his tenure with the Giants. Junkin had been cut before the beginning of the season by the Cowboys and had retired before the Giants signed him. Of particular note was an NFL Films video featuring a segment on him and his job as a long snapper late in his career; he stated in the interview that he had made only "two bad snaps" in his career.[8]

Schedule

Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
Wild Card January 5 at San Francisco 49ers (4) L 38–39 0–1 3Com Park Recap

Game summary

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) San Francisco 49ers

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) New York Giants at (4) Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 7 21 10038
49ers 7 7 81739

at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California

  • Date: January 5
  • Game time: 4:45 p.m. EST/1:45 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Scattered clouds, 54 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,318
  • Referee: Ron Winter
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Cris Collinsworth, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information

The 2002 Giants season ended in one of the most humiliating losses in franchise history, featuring a blown 24-point lead and a catastrophic finish featuring both an epic special teams blunder and a controversial officiating call.

The game essentially unfolded in three phases: an evenly matched beginning, the Giants turning the game into a rout, and the 49ers' comeback.

The Giants won the toss and drove on their opening possession to the 49ers' 33-yard line, but Kerry Collins threw a pass that deflected off running back Ron Dayne's hands and was intercepted by 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson to end the drive. On the 49ers' first play from scrimmage, Jeff Garcia found Terrell Owens, who broke away from the Giants' secondary and took off for a 76-yard touchdown. The Giants got on the board with 18 seconds left in the quarter, with Collins finding Amani Toomer for a 12-yard touchdown to tie the score 7–7. The Giants scored another touchdown early in the second quarter with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Collins to Jeremy Shockey for their first lead of the game, 14–7. After a 25-yard pass from Owens to wide receiver Tai Streets on a gadget play, the 49ers tied the game up with 6:05 left to go in the first half, with running back Kevan Barlow scoring a rushing touchdown.

It was during the final minutes of the first half when the Giants began to build their big lead. A muffed punt by Cedrick Wilson led to Collins finding Toomer for an 8-yard touchdown with 2:49 to go in the first half. After a Garcia interception to Jason Sehorn, Collins found running back Tiki Barber for a 30-yard pass, and threw yet another touchdown to Toomer for his third touchdown reception of the game, and the Giants led 28–14 at the half. On the opening possession of the second half, the 49ers faced a 4th-and-1 when linebacker Dhani Jones stopped 49ers fullback Fred Beasley for no gain. The Giants scored again, with Barber running in for a 6-yard touchdown. On their next possession, the Giants advanced to the 49ers' 3-yard line for a goal-to-go situation. On 2nd-and-goal, Collins threw a pass directly to Shockey, but Shockey dropped the pass and the Giants were forced to settle for a 21-yard Matt Bryant field goal. The Giants were up 38–14 with 4:27 to go in the third quarter, but their momentum had been stopped with Shockey's dropped pass. This play is widely considered to be the turning point in the game.

Switching to a no-huddle tempo, the 49ers began their comeback with 2:10 to go in the third quarter, when Garcia found Owens for a 26-yard touchdown pass. A two-point conversion from Garcia to Owens made it 38–22 heading into the final quarter. After a terrible punt by Matt Allen and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Jones, the 49ers had great field position at the Giants' 27 to start their next drive, and they cashed in with Garcia running in for a 14-yard touchdown, followed by another two-point conversion from Garcia to Owens. Suddenly, with 14:55 to go in the game, the Giants were only leading 38–30. After another three-and-out by the Giants, the 49ers drove into the Giants' red zone again with a chance to tie the game, when the Giants finally held and the 49ers settled for Jeff Chandler's 25-yard field goal with 7:52 to go. The Giants finally got a drive going again, getting into field goal range with 3:06 to go when their special teams began to unravel. Long snapper Trey Junkin, signed only a few days before the game, sent a low snap into the dirt, resulting in Matt Bryant shanking the 42-yard field goal attempt wide left. The 49ers then drove 68 yards, with Garcia finding Streets for a 13-yard touchdown with 1:00 to go. The Giants were now losing a game they had been winning by 24 points, 39–38. As if blowing a seemingly insurmountable lead was not enough, the Giants were losing composure on the field as well, with safety Shaun Williams getting into a confrontation with Owens, resulting in offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties following both the touchdown and the failed two-point conversion.

Although the Giants had blown their huge lead, they had one more chance to save their season. Kick returner Delvin Joyce returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to give the Giants good field position at their own 48-yard line. Collins found Ron Dixon for 10 yards, then after his next pass was nearly intercepted by cornerback Ahmed Plummer, he found Dixon for 19 yards. With 9 seconds left, the Giants ran a quick out to Toomer for 5 more yards, setting up a 41-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the game. What instead ensued was one of the worst plays in Giants history. Junkin launched a poor snap into the dirt, to the point that holder Allen could not get the ball down. Realizing that Bryant could not kick the field goal, Allen rolled out and threw a Hail Mary towards Rich Seubert, an offensive lineman who checked in as an eligible receiver for the play. As the ball neared, 49ers defensive end Chike Okeafor dragged down Seubert, which should have resulted in a pass interference against the 49ers and one more attempt for Bryant, since the game cannot end on a defensive penalty. However, the refs not only did not call pass interference on Okeafor, but instead called ineligible receiver downfield on Seubert, even though he in fact was an eligible receiver. As a result, the game was over.

The blown lead and ending ruined several outstanding individual performances by the Giants. Collins went 29 of 43 for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns with an interception, while Toomer caught 8 passes for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns and Barber added 177 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown. The most notable stat from the game, however, related to total yards: Both the Giants and the 49ers were dead even with 446 yards of total offense.

The day after the game, the NFL admitted that the penalty on the final play was incorrectly called. Their statement declared that although the Giants had ineligible receivers downfield, Seubert was eligible, and Okeafor should have been called for pass interference, meaning that offsetting penalties should have given the Giants one more chance to win the game. However, when a reporter revealed this to 49ers coach Steve Mariucci after the game, he simply replied, "Bummer," as there was no way the final outcome could be changed.

Junkin, the long snapper who botched the snap on the final play, promptly retired for good immediately after the game. He was deeply distraught about his role in the team's loss and solely blamed himself for the outcome, though many did note that he was hardly the only factor.

The 2002 Wild Card against the 49ers is among the most devastating losses in Giants history not only for its comeback and ending, but also because of the impact on the team. The following season, the Giants fell to 4–12 and tied for the worst record in the NFL. After the season, head coach Jim Fassel was fired and replaced with Tom Coughlin. Following their trade for rookie Eli Manning in the 2004 NFL Draft, Collins was released, than signed with the Oakland Raiders, while many key defensive starters left. As a result, the Wild Card against the 49ers would retrospectively be seen by Giants fans as the beginning of the end of the Fassel era.

References

  1. ^ 2002 New York Giants
  2. ^ "San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants - September 5, 2002". September 5, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  3. ^ "New York Giants at St. Louis Rams - September 15, 2002". September 15, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  4. ^ "Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants - September 22, 2002". September 22, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  5. ^ "New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals - September 29, 2002". September 29, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  6. ^ "New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings - November 10, 2002". November 10, 2002. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  7. ^ "New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings - November 10, 2002". November 10, 2002. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  8. ^ "Giants Sign Long Snapper Trey Junkin". December 31, 2002.
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