# 2002 Indianapolis Colts season

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

| Signings | Departures |
| CB Walt Harris (Bears) | TE Ken Dilger (Buccaneers) |
| WR Troy Walters (Vikings) | SS Chad Cota (Rams) |
| QB Brock Huard (Seahawks) | WR Tony Simmons (Texans) |
| WR Qadry Ismail (Ravens) | WR Terrence Wilkins (Rams) |
| FB Detron Smith (Broncos) | CB Jeff Burris (Bengals) |
| | WR Jerome Pathon (Saints) |
| | DT Ellis Johnson (Falcons) |
| | G Steve McKinney (Texans) |
| | G Larry Moore (Redskins) |

### NFL draft

2002 Indianapolis Colts draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 11 | Dwight Freeney * $^†$ | Defensive end | Syracuse |
| 2 | 42 | Larry Tripplett | Defensive tackle | Washington |
| 3 | 74 | Joseph Jefferson | Defensive back | Western Kentucky |
| 4 | 106 | David Thornton | Linebacker | North Carolina |
| 6 | 182 | David Pugh | Defensive tackle | Virginia Tech |
| 6 | 183 | James Lewis | Defensive back | Miami (FL) |
| 6 | 204 | Brian Allen | Running back | Stanford |
| 7 | 220 | Josh Mallard | Defensive end | Georgia |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

### Undrafted free agents

2002 Undrafted Free Agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| David Collett | Kicker | Tennessee Tech |
| Todd Delamielleure | Linebacker | Boise State |
| Ricky Williams | Running Back | Texas Tech |
| Mike Souza | Center | Northwestern |
| Kurt Vollers | Tackle | Notre Dame |

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 10 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 28–10 | 1–0 | Qwest Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 10–22 | 1–1 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 3 | August 24 | Buffalo Bills | W 19–7 | 2–1 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at New Orleans Saints | L 21–25 | 2–2 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 8 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 28–25 | 1–0 | Alltel Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 15 | Miami Dolphins | L 13–21 | 1–1 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 3 | September 22 | at Houston Texans | W 23–3 | 2–1 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 5 | October 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 28–21 | 3–1 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 6 | October 13 | Baltimore Ravens | W 22–20 | 4–1 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 10–28 | 4–2 | Heinz Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 27 | at Washington Redskins | L 21–26 | 4–3 | FedExField | Recap |
| 9 | November 3 | Tennessee Titans | L 15–23 | 4–4 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 10 | November 10 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 35–13 | 5–4 | Veterans Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 17 | Dallas Cowboys | W 20–3 | 6–4 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 12 | November 24 | at Denver Broncos | W 23–20 | 7–4 | Invesco Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 13 | December 1 | Houston Texans | W 19–3 | 8–4 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 14 | December 8 | at Tennessee Titans | L 17–27 | 8–5 | Adelphia Coliseum | Recap |
| 15 | December 15 | at Cleveland Browns | W 28–23 | 9–5 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 22 | New York Giants | L 27–44 | 9–6 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 17 | December 29 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 20–13 | 10–6 | RCA Dome | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 25 |
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: September 8
* Game time: 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST
* Game weather: 85°, Sunny
* Game attendance: 56,595
* Referee: Bernie Kukar
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross, and Beasley Reece
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.

#### Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: September 15, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 pm
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 56,650
* Referee: Walt Coleman (65)
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
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
No scoring plays.
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.
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 :

#### Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Colts | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: December 29
* Game time: 4:05 pm EST/3:05 pm CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 56,755
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson, Brent Jones
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
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
No scoring plays.
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.
Top passers
JAX – David Garrard – 13/26, 135 yards
IND – Peyton Manning – 20/28, 146 yards, TD
Top rushers
JAX – Fred Taylor – 15 rushes, 73 yards, TD
IND – Edgerrin James – 15 rushes, 86 yards
Top receivers
JAX – Jimmy Smith – 3 receptions, 35 yards
IND – Marcus Pollard – 5 receptions, 39 yards, TD :
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. 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.

### Standings
#### Division

AFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Tennessee Titans | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–0 | 9–3 | 367 | 324 | W5 |
| $^{(5)}$ Indianapolis Colts | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 349 | 313 | W1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 328 | 315 | L2 |
| Houston Texans | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 213 | 356 | L3 |

#### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV |
| Division leaders |||||||||||
| 1 | Oakland Raiders | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .529 | .531 |
| 2 | Tennessee Titans | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–0 | 9–3 | .479 | .474 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 6–0 | 8–4 | .486 | .451 |
| 4 | New York Jets | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .500 | .500 |
| Wild Cards |||||||||||
| 5 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .479 | .400 |
| 6 | Cleveland Browns | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .486 | .413 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason |||||||||||
| 7 | Denver Broncos | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .527 | .486 |
| 8 | New England Patriots | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .525 | .455 |
| 9 | Miami Dolphins | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .508 | .486 |
| 10 | Buffalo Bills | East | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .473 | .352 |
| 11 | San Diego Chargers | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .492 | .453 |
| 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .527 | .516 |
| 13 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .506 | .384 |
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .506 | .438 |
| 15 | Houston Texans | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | .518 | .492 |
| 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .537 | .406 |
| Tiebreakers |||||||||||
| 1 2 Oakland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 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). 1 2 3 Cleveland finished ahead of Denver and New England based on conference record (7–5 vs 5–7/6–6) 1 2 Denver finished ahead of New England based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 New England finished ahead of Miami based on division record (4–2 to 2–4). 1 2 Buffalo finished ahead of San Diego based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 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. |||||||||||

## Postseason

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | NFL Recap |
| Wild Card | January 4, 2003 | at New York Jets (4) | L 0–41 | 0–1 | Giants Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoff Game: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jets | 7 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 41 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: January 4, 2003
* Game time: 4:30 pm
* Game weather: 35 °F or 1.7 °C (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 78,524
* Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
* TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger and Gary Danielson
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Richie Anderson 56-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 10:50. Jets 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:27.
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.
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 :