2002 New York Giants season

2002 New York Giants season
Owner	Wellington Mara Robert Tisch
General manager	Ernie Accorsi
Head coach	Jim Fassel
Home field	Giants Stadium
Results
Record	10–6
Division place	2nd NFC East
Playoff finish	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at 49ers) 38–39
Pro Bowlers	TE Jeremy Shockey DE Michael Strahan
Uniform

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. 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.

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

Main article: 2002 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 President and co-chief executive officer – Wellington Mara Chairman and co-chief executive officer – Preston Robert Tisch Executive vice president and general counsel – John Mara Vice president and general manager – Ernie Accorsi Assistant general manager – Kevin Abrams Director of player personnel – Jerry Reese Director of pro personnel – David Gettleman Director of college scouting – Jerry Shay Assistant director of pro personnel – Ken Sternfeld Head coaches Head coach – Jim Fassel Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Sean Payton Running backs – Eric Studesville Wide receivers – Jimmy Robinson Tight ends – Mike Pope Offensive line – Jim McNally Offensive quality control – Jay Robertson

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Johnnie Lynn Defensive line – Denny Marcin Linebackers – Tom Olivadotti Defensive backs – DeWayne Walker Senior defensive analyst – Dave Brazil Defensive quality control – Rod Rust 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 roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  5 Kerry Collins 17 Jason Garrett  3 Jesse Palmer Running backs (RB) 21 Tiki Barber 27 Ron Dayne 33 Delvin Joyce 45 Charles Stackhouse FB Wide receivers (WR) 86 Ron Dixon 85 Derek Dorris 87 Daryl Jones 15 Tony Simmons 81 Amani Toomer Tight ends (TE) 89 Dan Campbell 83 Marcellus Rivers 80 Jeremy Shockey

Offensive linemen (OL) 74 Ian Allen T 67 Chris Bober C 72 Barrett Brooks T 65 Tam Hopkins G 77 Luke Petitgout T 78 Mike Rosenthal T 69 Rich Seubert G 68 Omar Smith C 66 Jason Whittle G Defensive linemen (DL) 95 Frank Ferrara DE 99 Byron Frisch DE 97 Cornelius Griffin DT 90 Kenny Holmes DE 94 Dwight Johnson DT 96 Ross Kolodziej DT 70 Lance Legree DT 98 Matt Mitrione DT 92 Michael Strahan DE

Linebackers (LB) 58 Micheal Barrow MLB 54 Nick Greisen OLB 55 Dhani Jones OLB 59 Kevin Lewis MLB 51 Wesly Mallard OLB 93 Quincy Monk OLB 53 Brandon Short OLB Defensive backs (DB) 25 Will Allen CB 22 Ralph Brown CB 37 Johnnie Harris SS 28 DeWayne Patmon FS 24 Will Peterson CB 31 Jason Sehorn CB 26 Kato Serwanga CB 34 Reggie Stephens CB 23 Omar Stoutmire FS 36 Shaun Williams SS Special teams 12 Matt Allen P  8 Matt Bryant K 44 Dan O'Leary LS

Practice squad 49 Taman Bryant TE 39 Ryan Clark S 60 Pat Crummey G 64 Sean O'Connor G 18 Chris Taylor WR Reserve 84 Tim Carter WR (IR) 41 Darnell Dinkins S (IR) 71 Sean Guthrie DE (IR) 75 Keith Hamilton DT (IR) 76 Jeff Hatch T (IR) 88 Ike Hilliard WR (IR) 35 Clarence LeBlanc S (IR)  9 Owen Pochman K (IR) 29 Damon Washington RB (IR) 57 Clayton White LB (PUP) 52 Dusty Zeigler G (IR) 38 Adam Wright RB (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 12 reserve, 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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	3	0	7	6	16
Giants	3	3	0	7	13

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 5
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear, 72 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 78,748
• Referee: Gerry Austin
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire and Suzy Kolber

Game information

First quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 5:52. Giants 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:59. SF – José Cortez 23-yard field goal, 1:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:52. Second quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Giants 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 1:03. Third quarter SF – Garrison Hearst 9-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (José Cortez kick), 1:51. 49ers 10–6. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:26. Fourth quarter SF – José Cortez 33-yard field goal, 8:08. 49ers 13–6. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:54. NYG – Tiki Barber 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:55. Tied 13–13. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 6:13. SF – José Cortez 36-yard field goal, 0:06. 49ers 16–13. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 1:49. Top passers SF – Jeff Garcia – 16/26, 166 yards, TD, INT NYG – Kerry Collins – 28/45, 342 yards, 3 INT Top rushers SF – Garrison Hearst – 12 rushes, 40 yards NYG – Tiki Barber – 15 rushes, 29 yards, TD Top receivers SF – Eric Johnson – 3 receptions, 44 yards NYG – Amani Toomer – 9 receptions, 134 yards

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.

Week 2: at St. Louis Rams

Week 2: New York Giants at St. Louis Rams – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	3	14	3	6	26
Rams	0	7	7	7	21

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

• Date: September 15
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/3:05 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 65,932
• Referee: Dick Hantak
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Cris Collinsworth, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver

Game information

First quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 9:54. Giants 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 5:06. Second quarter NYG – Jeremy Shockey 28-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 10:29. Giants 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:43. NYG – Jason Sehorn 31-yard interception return (Matt Bryant kick), 9:44. Giants 17–0. STL – Ricky Proehl 6-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Jeff Wilkins kick), 4:38. Giants 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:06. Third quarter STL – Marshall Faulk 1-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 11:44. Giants 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 3:16. NYG – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 6:08. Giants 20–14. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:36. Fourth quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 34-yard field goal, 11:47. Giants 23–14. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:34. STL – Marshall Faulk 8-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 8:24. Giants 23–21. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:23. NYG – Matt Bryant 25-yard field goal, 4:19. Giants 26–21. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:05. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 22/26, 307 yards, TD, INT STL – Kurt Warner – 26/39, 266 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers NYG – Tiki Barber – 19 rushes, 80 yards STL – Marshall Faulk – 14 rushes, 87 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NYG – Ike Hilliard – 4 receptions, 97 yards STL – Torry Holt – 6 receptions, 88 yards

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.

Week 3: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 3: Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	3	3	0	0	6
Giants	0	0	3	6	9

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 22
• Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear, 82 °F (28 °C)
• Game attendance: 78,551
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas, and Brent Ringenbach

Game information

First quarter SEA – Rian Lindell 42-yard field goal, 6:24. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 4:55. Second quarter SEA – Rian Lindell 27-yard field goal, 4:05. Seahawks 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 3:21. Third quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 8:06. Seahawks 6–3. Drive: 16 plays, 69 yards, 6:54. Fourth quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 12:05. Tied 6–6. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:55. NYG – Matt Bryant 47-yard field goal, 2:04. Giants 9–6. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:00. Top passers SEA – Trent Dilfer – 16/25, 118 yards, INT NYG – Kerry Collins – 23/38, 282 yards Top rushers SEA – Shaun Alexander – 14 rushes, 37 yards NYG – Tiki Barber – 21 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers SEA – Darrell Jackson – 7 receptions, 54 yards NYG – Amani Toomer – 4 receptions, 100 yards

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.

Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals

Week 4: New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	0	0	0	7
Cardinals	0	7	0	14	21

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: September 29
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/2:05 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: Scattered clouds, 90 °F (32 °C)
• Game attendance: 30,014
• Referee: Mike Carey
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Ron Pitts

Game information

First quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 6-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 8:38. Giants 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:21. Second quarter ARI – Justin Lucas 38-yard interception return (Bill Gramatica kick), 0:04. Tied 7–7. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter ARI – Marcel Shipp 7-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramatica kick), 10:36. Cardinals 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:28. ARI – Marcel Shipp 10-yard run (Bill Gramatica kick), 2:13. Cardinals 21–7. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:18. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 19/36, 199 yards, 2 INT ARI – Jake Plummer – 23/32, 168 yards, TD Top rushers NYG – Tiki Barber – 13 rushes, 55 yards, TD ARI – Marcel Shipp – 17 rushes, 92 yards, TD Top receivers NYG – Jeremy Shockey – 4 receptions, 56 yards ARI – Marcel Shipp – 5 receptions, 39 yards, TD

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.

Week 5: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 5: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	14	0	7	21
Cowboys	0	10	0	7	17

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

• Date: October 6
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 86 °F (30 °C)
• Game attendance: 63,447
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (Fox): Pat Summerall, Brian Baldinger, and Mike Doocy

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NYG – Ike Hilliard 12-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 14:55. Giants 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 6:41. DAL – Emmitt Smith 30-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 5:40. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 52 yards, 1:22. NYG – Amani Toomer 56-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 4:11. Giants 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 1:29. DAL – Billy Cundiff 32-yard field goal, 0:24. Giants 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 3:47. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DAL – Antonio Bryant 5-yard pass from Quincy Carter (Billy Cundiff kick), 10:52. Cowboys 17–14. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 5:56. NYG – Marcellus Rivers 17-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 6:51. Giants 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:01. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 18/27, 228 yards, 3 TD, INT DAL – Quincy Carter – 23/42, 262 yards, TD Top rushers NYG – Tiki Barber – 17 rushes, 94 yards DAL – Emmitt Smith – 13 rushes, 70 yards, TD Top receivers NYG – Amani Toomer – 5 receptions, 98 yards, TD DAL – Joey Galloway – 8 receptions, 109 yards

Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 6: Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	10	0	7	17
Giants	0	3	7	0	10

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

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter ATL – Doug Johnson 15-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 14:49. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 17 plays, 88 yards, 9:34. NYG – Matt Bryant 38-yard field goal, 4:31. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 5:41. ATL – Jay Feely 31-yard field goal, 0:30. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 4:01. Third quarter NYG – Ike Hilliard 18-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 8:10. Tied 10–10. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 6:50. Fourth quarter ATL – Brian Finneran 14-yard pass from Doug Johnson (Jay Feely kick), 8:06. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 94 yards, 3:33. Top passers ATL – Doug Johnson – 19/25, 257 yards, TD NYG – Kerry Collins – 20/31, 204 yards, TD, INT Top rushers ATL – T. J. Duckett – 16 rushes, 36 yards NYG – Tiki Barber – 14 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers ATL – Shawn Jefferson – 3 receptions, 84 yards NYG – Ike Hilliard – 7 receptions, 76 yards, TD

Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 8: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	3	0	0	3
Eagles	3	6	0	8	17

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 28
• Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Scattered clouds, 47 °F (8 °C)
• Game attendance: 65,791
• Referee: Bill Carollo
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark

Game information

First quarter PHI – David Akers 27-yard field goal, 2:08. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 5:15. Second quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 26-yard field goal, 12:55. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:13. PHI – David Akers 36-yard field goal, 5:23. Eagles 6–3. Drive: 16 plays, 70 yards, 7:32. PHI – David Akers 35-yard field goal, 0:43. Eagles 9–3. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 2:26. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter PHI – Donovan McNabb 40-yard run (Donovan McNabb–Chad Lewis pass), 10:30. Eagles 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 99 yards, 3:33. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 20/34, 251 yards PHI – Donovan McNabb – 14/30, 157 yards Top rushers NYG – Tiki Barber – 15 rushes, 79 yards PHI – Duce Staley – 24 rushes, 126 yards Top receivers NYG – Tiki Barber – 5 receptions, 92 yards PHI – James Thrash – 7 receptions, 69 yards

Week 9: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 9: Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	0	3	14	17
Giants	7	7	10	0	24

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

First quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 10:54. Giants 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:39. Second quarter NYG – Ron Dixon 8-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 0:09. Giants 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 4:12. Third quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 27-yard field goal, 11:54. Giants 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:06. NYG – Tiki Barber 44-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 7:18. Giants 24–0. Drive: 2 plays, 53 yards, 0:46. JAC – Tim Seder 24-yard field goal, 3:16. Giants 24–3. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:02. Fourth quarter JAC – Bobby Shaw 14-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Tim Seder kick), 5:20. Giants 24–10. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 7:41. JAC – Jimmy Smith 9-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Tim Seder kick), 1:47. Giants 24–17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:24. Top passers JAC – Mark Brunell – 23/38, 230 yards, 2 TD NYG – Kerry Collins – 20/28, 228 yards, TD Top rushers JAC – Mark Brunell – 5 rushes, 63 yards, TD NYG – Tiki Barber – 19 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD Top receivers JAC – Jimmy Smith – 10 receptions, 123 yards, TD NYG – Tiki Barber – 4 receptions, 62 yards

Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 10: New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	6	6	8	27
Vikings	0	3	3	14	20

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

First quarter NYG – Charles Stackhouse 1-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 6:10. Giants 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 23 yards, 1:35. Second quarter MIN – Gary Anderson 20-yard field goal, 12:36. Giants 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:07. NYG – Ron Dayne 30-yard run (run failed), 8:48. Giants 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:48. Third quarter MIN – Gary Anderson 27-yard field goal, 9:11. Giants 13–6. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:02. NYG – Amani Toomer 11-yard pass from Kerry Collins (kick failed), 0:22. Giants 19–6. Drive: 6 plays, 91 yards, 3:04. Fourth quarter MIN – Moe Williams 1-yard run (Gary Anderson kick), 12:06. Giants 19–13. Drive: 3 plays, 81 yards, 1:11. MIN – Michael Bennett 78-yard run (Gary Anderson kick), 8:36. Vikings 20–19. Drive: 2 plays, 78 yards, 0:16. NYG – Tiki Barber 8-yard run (Kerry Collins–Marcellus Rivers pass), 2:43. Giants 27–20. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:53. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 25/35, 300 yards, 2 TD, INT MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 9/20, 91 yards Top rushers NYG – Tiki Barber – 24 rushes, 127 yards, TD MIN – Michael Bennett – 15 rushes, 167 yards, TD Top receivers NYG – Ron Dixon – 4 receptions, 107 yards MIN – Randy Moss – 3 receptions, 85 yards

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.

Week 11: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 11: Washington Redskins at New York Giants – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	10	7	0	17
Giants	3	7	6	3	19

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

First quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 43-yard field goal, 6:39. Giants 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 54 yards, 6:17. Second quarter WAS – Willie Jackson 6-yard pass from Shane Matthews (James Tuthill kick), 14:10. Redskins 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:14. WAS – James Tuthill 31-yard field goal, 5:01. Redskins 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, −1 yards, 0:50. NYG – Amani Toomer 35-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 1:47. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 3:14. Third quarter WAS – Rod Gardner 11-yard pass from Shane Matthews (James Tuthill kick), 11:53. Redskins 17–10. Drive: 1 play, 11 yards, 0:08. NYG – Matt Bryant 34-yard field goal, 2:56. Redskins 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 15 yards, 2:16. NYG – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 1:32. Redskins 17–16. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 1:17. Fourth quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 19-yard field goal, 11:56. Giants 19–17. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:11. Top passers WAS – Shane Matthews – 15/35, 113 yards, 2 TD, INT NYG – Kerry Collins – 22/46, 211 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers WAS – Stephen Davis – 19 rushes, 59 yards NYG – Tiki Barber – 24 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers WAS – Rod Gardner – 5 receptions, 47 yards NYG – Jeremy Shockey – 11 receptions, 111 yards

Week 12: at Houston Texans

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

• 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

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter HOU – Kris Brown 40-yard field goal, 12:29. Texans 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 5:49. NYG – Tiki Barber 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:40. Giants 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 86 yards, 2:27. HOU – Bob Jones fumble out of bounds in end zone for a safety, 0:19. Giants 7–5. Third quarter HOU – Jonathan Wells 1-yard run (David Carr–James Allen pass), 6:41. Texans 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:51. Fourth quarter NYG – Amani Toomer 31-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 13:10. Giants 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:15. HOU – Kris Brown 50-yard field goal, 6:57. Texans 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 6:13. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 18/41, 214 yards, TD, 2 INT HOU – David Carr – 10/23, 103 yards Top rushers NYG – Tiki Barber – 20 rushes, 147 yards, TD HOU – Jonathan Wells – 24 rushes, 68 yards, TD Top receivers NYG – Amani Toomer – 8 receptions, 113 yards, TD HOU – Billy Miller – 4 receptions, 70 yards

Week 13: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 13: Tennessee Titans at New York Giants – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Titans	0	14	0	15	3	32
Giants	3	7	10	9	0	29

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: December 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 36 °F (2 °C)
• Game attendance: 78,640
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross and Beasley Reece

Game information

First quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 38-yard field goal, 11:07. Giants 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 2:20. Second quarter TEN – Derrick Mason 6-yard pass from Steve McNair (Joe Nedney kick), 12:02. Titans 7–3. Drive: 18 plays, 86 yards, 9:29. NYG – Dan Campbell 1-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 1:14. Giants 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:52. TEN – Drew Bennett 26-yard pass from Steve McNair (Joe Nedney kick), 0:23. Titans 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 0:51. Third quarter NYG – Ron Dixon 24-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 14:03. Giants 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 62 yards, 0:57. NYG – Matt Bryant 36-yard field goal, 8:44. Giants 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:00. Fourth quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 1-yard run (pass failed), 14:15. Giants 26–14. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:47. TEN – Eddie George 1-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 7:34. Giants 26–21. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 6:41. NYG – Matt Bryant 19-yard field goal, 2:21. Giants 29–21. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 5:13. TEN – Frank Wycheck 9-yard pass from Steve McNair (McNair run), 0:09. Tied 29–29. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 2:12. Overtime TEN – Joe Nedney 38-yard field goal, 10:00. Titans 32–29. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:48. Top passers TEN – Steve McNair – 30/43, 334 yards, 3 TD NYG – Kerry Collins – 22/36, 283 yards, 2 TD Top rushers TEN – Eddie George – 20 rushes, 64 yards, TD NYG – Tiki Barber – 22 rushes, 64 yards, TD Top receivers TEN – Derrick Mason – 12 receptions, 116 yards, TD NYG – Amani Toomer – 5 receptions, 104 yards

Week 14: at Washington Redskins

Week 14: New York Giants at Washington Redskins – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	3	14	7	3	27
Redskins	0	3	11	7	21

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

First quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 42-yard field goal, 2:10. Giants 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 3:53. Second quarter NYG – Charles Stackhouse 2-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 8:47. Giants 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:10. NYG – Amani Toomer 29-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 1:53. Giants 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 34 yards, 0:34. WAS – José Cortez 24-yard field goal, 0:00. Giants 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 1:53. Third quarter WAS – José Cortez 44-yard field goal, 5:52. Giants 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 3:29. WAS – Rod Gardner 13-yard pass from Patrick Ramsey (Patrick Ramsey–Chris Doering pass), 3:17. Giants 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 1:13. NYG – Tiki Barber 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:25. Giants 24–14. Drive: 2 plays, 21 yards, 0:44. Fourth quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 35-yard field goal, 10:57. Giants 27–14. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:07. WAS – Stephen Davis 1-yard run (José Cortez kick), 8:42. Giants 27–21. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 2:15. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 17/31, 212 yards, 2 TD WAS – Patrick Ramsey – 12/27, 204 yards, TD Top rushers NYG – Tiki Barber – 20 rushes, 96 yards, TD WAS – Stephen Davis – 12 rushes, 70 yards, TD Top receivers NYG – Jeremy Shockey – 5 receptions, 89 yards WAS – Derrius Thompson – 6 receptions, 122 yards

Week 15: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 15: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	0	0	7	7
Giants	21	3	3	10	37

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

First quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 8:36. Giants 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:48. NYG – Kenny Holmes 50-yard fumble return (Matt Bryant kick), 5:36. Giants 14–0. NYG – Ron Dayne 4-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:34. Giants 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:32. Second quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 38-yard field goal, 12:37. Giants 24–0. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:12. Third quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 35-yard field goal, 12:44. Giants 27–0. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 2:16. Fourth quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 31-yard field goal, 14:46. Giants 30–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:49. NYG – Ron Dayne 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 5:58. Giants 37–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 7:04. DAL – Antonio Bryant 9-yard pass from Chad Hutchinson (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:56. Giants 37–7. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:02. Top passers DAL – Chad Hutchinson – 16/40, 161 yards, TD, 2 INT NYG – Kerry Collins – 13/27, 190 yards Top rushers DAL – Troy Hambrick – 10 rushes, 42 yards NYG – Tiki Barber – 11 rushes, 81 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Michael Wiley – 4 receptions, 31 yards NYG – Amani Toomer – 6 receptions, 99 yards

Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts

Week 16: New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	3	7	20	14	44
Colts	0	3	3	21	27

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

First quarter NYG – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 9:24. Giants 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:45. Second quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 4-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 12:42. Giants 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:23. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 20-yard field goal, 0:05. Giants 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:13. Third quarter NYG – Amani Toomer 82-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 14:41. Giants 17–3. Drive: 1 play, 82 yards, 0:19. NYG – Charles Stackhouse 18-yard pass from Kerry Collins (kick failed), 10:23. Giants 23–3. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 1:54. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 27-yard field goal, 5:18. Giants 23–6. Drive: 14 plays, 49 yards, 5:05. NYG – Tiki Barber 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 0:11. Giants 30–6. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:07. Fourth quarter IND – Reggie Wayne 21-yard pass from Peyton Manning (run failed), 13:34. Giants 30–12. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 1:37. NYG – Amani Toomer 21-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 6:45. Giants 37–12. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 6:49. IND – Marvin Harrison 25-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Peyton Manning–Marcus Pollard pass), 4:51. Giants 37–20. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:54. IND – Reggie Wayne 40-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 4:44. Giants 37–27. Drive: 1 play, 40 yards, 0:07. NYG – Amani Toomer 27-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 4:00. Giants 44–27. Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 0:44. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 23/29, 366 yards, 4 TD IND – Peyton Manning – 30/46, 365 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NYG – Tiki Barber – 18 rushes, 60 yards, 2 TD IND – James Mungro – 8 rushes, 21 yards Top receivers NYG – Amani Toomer – 10 receptions, 204 yards, 3 TD IND – Marvin Harrison – 10 receptions, 128 yards, TD

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.

Week 17: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 17: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants – game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Eagles	7	0	0	0	0	7
Giants	0	0	0	7	3	10

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

First quarter PHI – James Thrash 20-yard run (David Akers kick), 12:36. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 2:24. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter NYG – Jeremy Shockey 7-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 8:08. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:59. Overtime NYG – Matt Bryant 39-yard field goal, 9:50. Giants 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:46. Top passers PHI – A. J. Feeley – 13/25, 150 yards, INT NYG – Kerry Collins – 25/35, 256 yards, TD, INT Top rushers PHI – Duce Staley – 17 rushes, 28 yards NYG – Tiki Barber – 32 rushes, 203 yards Top receivers PHI – Duce Staley – 3 receptions, 39 yards NYG – Jeremy Shockey – 10 receptions, 98 yards, TD

Standings

Division

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

Conference

NFC
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV
Division leaders
1	Philadelphia Eagles	East	12	4	0	.750	5–1	11–1	.469	.432
2	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	.482	.432
3	Green Bay Packers	North	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	.451	.414
4	San Francisco 49ers	West	10	6	0	.625	5–1	8–4	.504	.450
Wild Cards
5	New York Giants	East	10	6	0	.625	5–1	8–4	.482	.450
6	Atlanta Falcons	South	9	6	1	.594	4–2	7–5	.494	.429
Did not qualify for the postseason
7	New Orleans Saints	South	9	7	0	.563	3–3	7–5	.498	.566
8	St. Louis Rams	West	7	9	0	.438	4–2	5–7	.508	.446
9	Seattle Seahawks	West	7	9	0	.438	2–4	5–7	.506	.433
10	Washington Redskins	East	7	9	0	.438	1–5	4–8	.527	.438
11	Carolina Panthers	South	7	9	0	.438	1–5	4–8	.486	.357
12	Minnesota Vikings	North	6	10	0	.375	4–2	5–7	.498	.417
13	Arizona Cardinals	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	5–7	.500	.400
14	Dallas Cowboys	East	5	11	0	.313	1–5	3–9	.500	.475
15	Chicago Bears	North	4	12	0	.250	2–4	3–9	.521	.430
16	Detroit Lions	North	3	13	0	.188	1–5	3–9	.494	.375
Tiebreakers

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.

Schedule

See also: 2002-03 NFL playoffs

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	21	10	0	38
49ers	7	7	8	17	39

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

First quarter SF – Terrell Owens 76-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (Jeff Chandler kick), 9:59. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 1 plays, 76 yards, 0:11. NYG – Amani Toomer 12-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 0:18. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 4:15. Second quarter NYG – Jeremy Shockey 2-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 12:19. Giants 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:24. SF – Kevan Barlow 1-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 6:05. Tied 14–14. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 6:14. NYG – Amani Toomer 8-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 2:40. Giants 21–14. Drive: 1 play, 8 yards, 0:05. NYG – Amani Toomer 24-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 0:10. Giants 28–14. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 1:43. Third quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 6-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 9:53. Giants 35–14. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:16. NYG – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 4:27. Giants 38–14. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:20. SF – Terrell Owens 26-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (Garcia-Owens pass), 2:03. Giants 38–22. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 2:24. Fourth quarter SF – Jeff Garcia 14-yard run (Garcia-Owens pass), 14:55. Giants 38–30. Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 0:41. SF – Jeff Chandler 25-yard field goal, 7:49. Giants 38–33. Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 5:26. SF – Tai Streets 13-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (pass failed), 1:00. 49ers 39–38. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 2:01. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 29/43, 342 yards, 4 TD, INT SF – Jeff Garcia – 27/44, 331 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers NYG – Tiki Barber – 26 rushes, 115 yards, TD SF – Jeff Garcia – 7 rushes, 60 yards, TD Top receivers NYG – Amani Toomer – 8 receptions, 136 yards, 3 TD SF – Terrell Owens – 9 receptions, 177 yards, 2 TD

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.