# 2002 Chicago Bears season

The 2002 season was the Chicago Bears' 83rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Dick Jauron.
The team had hopes of returning to the playoffs after an unexpected 13–3 season the previous year, However, the team failed to improve on that record and finished with a 4–12 record and missed the postseason for the second time in three years. The Bears had problems on both sides of the ball, finishing 27th in the league in points scored and 23rd in points allowed. The Bears began the season 2–0, but things quickly fell apart as the team fell into an eight-game losing streak, including a loss at home to the New England Patriots where, despite having a 27–6 lead at some point, the Patriots came back and won the game late in the fourth quarter. After this, the Bears never recovered, finishing 4–12 and in third place in their division, the newly aligned NFC North.
With Soldier Field being rebuilt, the Bears opted to play all of their home games Downstate in Champaign, at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois. The arrangement was similar to the one made by the newly-relocated Tennessee Oilers five years earlier, in that the Bears continued to be based in Chicago and travelled to Champaign (a two-hour drive to the southwest) only for games, essentially consigning themselves to playing sixteen games on the road.
While (unlike the 1997 Oilers) the venture was reasonably successful at the box office, with the Bears drawing more than 50,000 fans to every game in Champaign and more than 60,000 to all but two games, the Bears never seemed to get used to their "new" home field. Injuries piled up as the season went on for both offense and defense. Starting quarterback Jim Miller was injured throughout the year, leaving the team no choice but to use backup Chris Chandler and rookie third-string quarterback Henry Burris for both spot relief and as starters. 2001 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Anthony Thomas suffered a broken right index finger in Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers. These injuries and the league's 23rd worst turnover differential contributed to the team's franchise record-tying eight-game losing streak and their poor record.

## Offseason

| Signings | Departures |
| QB Chris Chandler (Falcons) | QB Shane Matthews (Redskins) |
| DB Damon Moore (Eagles) | RB James Allen (Texans) |
| LB Mike Caldwell (Eagles) | WR D'Wayne Bates (Vikings) |
| DT Christian Peter (Colts) | T Blake Brockermeyer (Broncos) |
| | CB Walt Harris (Colts) |
| | FS Tony Parrish (49ers) |

### 2002 Expansion Draft

Chicago Bears selected during the Expansion Draft :
| Round | Overall | Name | Position | Expansion Team |
| — | 17 | Danny Wuerffel | Quarterback | Houston Texans |

### Draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 29 | Marc Colombo | Offensive tackle | Boston College |
| 3 | 72 | Roosevelt Williams | Cornerback | Tuskegee |
| 3 | 93 | Terrence Metcalf | Guard | Ole Miss |
| 4 | 104 | Alex Brown | Defensive end | Florida |
| 5 | 140 | Bobby Gray | Safety | Louisiana Tech |
| 5 | 165 | Bryan Knight | Linebacker | Pittsburgh |
| 6 | 199 | Adrian Peterson | Running back | Georgia Southern |
| 6 | 203 | Jamin Elliott | Wide receiver | Delaware |
| 6 | 210 | Bryan Fletcher | Tight end | UCLA |

### Undrafted free agents

2002 Undrafted Free Agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| Luke Butkus | Center | Illinois |
| Travis Coleman | Defensive back | Hampton |
| Eric McCoo | Running back | Penn State |
| Edell Shepherd | Wide receiver | San Jose State |

### Training camp

2002 marked the first Bears Training Camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, after practicing at University of Wisconsin–Platteville from 1984 to 2001. Other candidates in the selection process included universities like Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Illinois State in Normal, Millikin in Decatur, Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Southern Illinois Carbondale and Edwardsville, and Urbana–Champaign; smaller schools like Knox College in Galesburg, Monmouth College in Monmouth, and Rockford College in Rockford; and the Chanute Air Force Base near Rantoul, where the Illinois Fighting Illini held their offseason camps.
The list was eventually narrowed to Eastern Illinois, Millikin, Northern Illinois, and Olivet Nazarene. On July 17, 2001, the Bears announced Olivet Nazarene as the new Training Camp site on a two-year deal.

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 10 | Denver Broncos | L 3–27 | 0–1 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |
| 2 | August 16 | St. Louis Rams | W 19–17 | 1–1 | Edward Jones Dome | Summary |
| 3 | August 23 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 16–24 | 1–2 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |
| 4 | August 29 | Miami Dolphins | L 22–24 | 1–3 | Pro Player Stadium | Summary |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 8 | Minnesota Vikings | W 27–23 | 1–0 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |
| 2 | September 15 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 14–13 | 2–0 | Georgia Dome | Summary |
| 3 | September 22 | New Orleans Saints | L 23–29 | 2–1 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |
| 4 | September 29 | at Buffalo Bills | L 27–33 (OT) | 2–2 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Summary |
| 5 | October 7 | Green Bay Packers | L 21–34 | 2–3 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |
| 6 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 7 | October 20 | at Detroit Lions | L 20–23 (OT) | 2–4 | Ford Field | Summary |
| 8 | October 27 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 7–25 | 2–5 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Summary |
| 9 | November 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 13–19 | 2–6 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |
| 10 | November 10 | New England Patriots | L 30–33 | 2–7 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |
| 11 | November 18 | at St. Louis Rams | L 16–21 | 2–8 | Edward Jones Dome | Summary |
| 12 | November 24 | Detroit Lions | W 20–17 (OT) | 3–8 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |
| 13 | December 1 | at Green Bay Packers | L 20–30 | 3–9 | Lambeau Field | Summary |
| 14 | December 9 | at Miami Dolphins | L 9–27 | 3–10 | Pro Player Stadium | Summary |
| 15 | December 15 | New York Jets | W 20–13 | 4–10 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |
| 16 | December 22 | at Carolina Panthers | L 14–24 | 4–11 | Ericsson Stadium | Summary |
| 17 | December 29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 0–15 | 4–12 | Memorial Stadium | Summary |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 3 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| Bears | 7 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: September 8, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 85 °F (29 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,226
* Referee: Mike Carey (94)
* TV: FOX
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Doug Brien 30-yard field goal, 6:15. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:18.
CHI – Marty Booker 29-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 1:03. Bears 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 29 yards, 1:31.
Second quarter
MIN – Daunte Culpepper 2-yard run (Doug Brien kick), 13:32. Vikings 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:31.
CHI – Paul Edinger 49-yard field goal, 9:19. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:13.
MIN – Doug Brien 22-yard field goal, 3:30. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:49.
MIN – Randy Moss 33-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Doug Brien kick), 0:55. Vikings 20–10. Drive: 1 play, 33 yards, 0:06.
Third quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 49-yard field goal, 10:28. Vikings 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 4:32.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Doug Brien 42-yard field goal, 9:07. Vikings 23–13. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:24.
CHI – Anthony Thomas 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 6:13. Vikings 23–20. Drive: 5 plays, 78 yards, 2:54.
CHI – David Terrell 9-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 0:28. Bears 27–23. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 2:06.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 16/28, 234 yards, TD, 2 INT
CHI – Jim Miller – 20/33, 297 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Michael Bennett – 16 rushes, 53 yards
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 19 rushes, 45 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Randy Moss – 6 receptions, 58 yards, TD
CHI – Marty Booker – 8 receptions, 198 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: September 15, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 pm
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 68,081
* Referee: Jeff Triplette (42)
* TV: FOX
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
ATL – Warrick Dunn 10-yard pass from Michael Vick (Jay Feely kick), 11:33. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 4:00.
CHI – Anthony Thomas 3-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 1:10. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 5:04.
ATL – Jay Feely 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 1:10.
Third quarter
CHI – David Terrell 14-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 9:27. Bears 14–10. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 0:55.
ATL – Jay Feely 27-yard field goal, 6:08. Bears 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 3:19.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
CHI – Jim Miller – 12/24, 143 yards, TD, INT
ATL – Michael Vick – 17/28, 166 yards, TD
Top rushers
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 26 rushes, 84 yards, TD
ATL – Michael Vick – 10 rushes, 56 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Marty Booker – 5 receptions, 48 yards
ATL – Brian Finneran – 6 receptions, 76 yards :

#### Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 29 |
| Bears | 10 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: September 22, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,216
* Referee: Ron Blum (7)
* TV: FOX
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 31-yard field goal, 7:36. Bears 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 4:01.
CHI – Dez White 10-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 2:47. Bears 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 3:10.
Second quarter
CHI – Marty Booker 22-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 13:35. Bears 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:05.
CHI – Paul Edinger 25-yard field goal, 11:47. Bears 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:30.
NO – Jerome Pathon 16-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick), 7:21. Bears 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 4:26.
NO – Aaron Brooks 7-yard run (John Carney kick), 6:23. Bears 20–14. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:58.
Third quarter
NO – Joe Horn 5-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick), 8:15. Saints 21–20. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:45.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 25-yard field goal, 8:43. Bears 23–21. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:59.
NO – Donte Stallworth 29-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (Aaron Brooks run), 1:11. Saints 29–23. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:01.
Top passers
NO – Aaron Brooks – 22/34, 233 yards, 3 TD, INT
CHI – Jim Miller – 26/40, 236 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Deuce McAllister – 17 rushes, 45 yards
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 27 rushes, 111 yards
Top receivers
NO – Jerome Pathon – 5 receptions, 71 yards, TD
CHI – Marty Booker – 8 receptions, 97 yards, TD :

#### Week 4: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
| Bills | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 33 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: September 29, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 pm
* Game weather: Sunny, 66 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,780
* Referee: Tom White (123)
* TV announcers (FOX): Kenny Albert, Tim Green and Bob Trimble
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Peerless Price 2-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 10:55. Bills 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:12.
CHI – Mike Brown 62-yard fumble return (Paul Edinger kick), 3:00. Tied 7–7.
Second quarter
BUF – Mike Hollis 48-yard field goal, 13:05. Bills 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 4:24.
BUF – Eric Moulds 4-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 5:55. Bills 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:59.
CHI – David Terrell 5-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 0:34. Bills 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:08.
Third quarter
BUF – Mike Hollis 49-yard field goal, 11:30. Bills 20–14. Drive: 5 plays, 13 yards, 2:13.
CHI – Paul Edinger 46-yard field goal, 6:55. Bills 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:45.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 24-yard field goal, 12:51. Tied 20–20. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 2:42.
BUF – Dave Moore 1-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 9:30. Bills 27–20. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:44.
CHI – John Davis 4-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 3:39. Tied 27–27. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 6:09.
Overtime
BUF – Travis Henry 26-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe, 13:15. Bills 33–27. Drive: 2 plays, 56 yards, 0:53.
Top passers
CHI – Jim Miller – 19/31, 188 yards, 2 TD
BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 28/36, 328 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 23 rushes, 48 yards
BUF – Travis Henry – 12 rushes, 68 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Marty Booker – 4 receptions, 82 yards
BUF – Eric Moulds – 8 receptions, 124 yards, TD :

#### Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: October 7, 2002
* Game time: 9:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear, 46 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,226
* Referee: Ed Hochuli (85)
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Donald Driver 85-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:56. Packers 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 85 yards, 0:12.
GB – Tyrone Davis 19-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 3:32. Packers 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:14.
CHI – Marty Booker 4-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 1:53. Packers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 37 yards, 1:39.
Second quarter
GB – Bubba Franks 5-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:02. Packers 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:51.
CHI – John Davis 1-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 2:50. Packers 21–14. Drive: 3 plays, 4 yards, 0:56.
GB – Ryan Longwell 49-yard field goal, 0:00. Packers 24–14. Drive: 6 plays, 32 yards, 0:38.
Third quarter
GB – Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila 72-yard interception return (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:53. Packers 31–14.
Fourth quarter
GB – Ryan Longwell 35-yard field goal, 13:21. Packers 34–14. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 2:44.
CHI – John Davis 21-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 6:50. Packers 34–21. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 2:12.
Top passers
GB – Brett Favre – 22/33, 359 yards, 3 TD
CHI – Jim Miller – 27/49, 353 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
GB – Ahman Green – 27 rushes, 107 yards
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 15 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
GB – Terry Glenn – 8 receptions, 154 yards
CHI – Marty Booker – 12 receptions, 141 yards, TD :

#### Week 7: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Lions | 0 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 20, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: none (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 60,421
* Referee: Bernie Kukar (86)
* TV: FOX
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 53-yard field goal, 9:13. Bears 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 4:58.
DET – James Stewart 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 4:59. Lions 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 6 yards, 0:03.
DET – James Stewart 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 1:11. Lions 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 2:53.
CHI – Marty Booker 14-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Paul Edinger kick), 0:05. Lions 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 1:06.
Third quarter
CHI – Anthony Thomas 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 10:11. Bears 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:49.
CHI – Paul Edinger 42-yard field goal, 8:29. Bears 20–14. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:13.
DET – Jason Hanson 30-yard field goal, 0:34. Bears 20–17. Drive: 14 plays, 66 yards, 7:55.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 24-yard field goal, 0:02. Tied 20–20. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 2:19.
Overtime
DET – Jason Hanson 48-yard field goal, 10:12. Lions 23–20. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 4:48.
Top passers
CHI – Chris Chandler – 16/25, 163 yards, TD, INT
DET – Joey Harrington – 16/29, 199 yards
Top rushers
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 26 rushes, 92 yards, TD
DET – James Stewart – 32 rushes, 172 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CHI – Dez White – 3 receptions, 70 yards
DET – Aveion Cason – 3 receptions, 57 yards :

#### Week 8: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Vikings | 0 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 25 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 27, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: none (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,122
* Referee: Bill Leavy (127)
* TV: FOX
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
MIN – Gary Anderson 44-yard field goal, 8:51. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 6:09.
MIN – Moe Williams 1-yard run (Gary Anderson kick), 1:42. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:47.
MIN – Gary Anderson 24-yard field goal, 0:03. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 0:52.
Third quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 39-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 10:19. Vikings 20–0. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:38.
MIN – Anthony Thomas tackled in endzone by Fred Robbins and Nick Rogers for a safety, 7:13. Vikings 22–0.
MIN – Gary Anderson 24-yard field goal, 1:24. Vikings 25–0. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 5:49.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Marty Booker 27-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Paul Edinger kick), 14:54. Vikings 25–7. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 1:30.
Top passers
CHI – Chris Chandler – 15/25, 176 yards, TD, INT
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 22/29, 216 yards, TD
Top rushers
CHI – Henry Burris – 2 rushes, 19 yards
MIN – Michael Bennett – 29 rushes, 106 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Marty Booker – 4 receptions, 80 yards, TD
MIN – Randy Moss – 9 receptions, 119 yards, TD :

#### Week 9: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 19 |
| Bears | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: November 3, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Light rain 38 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 54,049
* Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
* TV: FOX
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 30-yard field goal, 9:28. Bears 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 5:19.
PHI – Donovan McNabb 5-yard run (David Akers kick), 4:42. Eagles 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:46.
CHI – Anthony Thomas 6-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 1:17. Bears 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:25.
CHI – Paul Edinger 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Bears 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 0:38.
Third quarter
PHI – David Akers 23-yard field goal, 10:22. Bears 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:38.
PHI – David Akers 36-yard field goal, 5:42. Tied 13–13. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:22.
Fourth quarter
PHI – David Akers 27-yard field goal, 13:29. Eagles 16–13. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:13.
PHI – David Akers 22-yard field goal, 3:42. Eagles 19–13. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:40.
Top passers
PHI – Donovan McNabb – 18/33, 209 yards, INT
CHI – Jim Miller – 19/36, 205 yards
Top rushers
PHI – Donovan McNabb – 9 rushes, 46 yards, TD
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 16 rushes, 52 yards, TD
Top receivers
PHI – Antonio Freeman – 4 receptions, 67 yards
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 4 receptions, 52 yards :

#### Week 10: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 0 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 33 |
| Bears | 0 | 6 | 21 | 3 | 30 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: November 10, 2002
* Game time: 4:15 p.m.
* Game weather: Overcast, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,105
* Referee: Bob McElwee (95)
* TV: CBS
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
Second quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 39-yard field goal, 14:51. Bears 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 46 yards, 7:14.
NE – Adam Vinatieri 57-yard field goal, 10:15. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 4:36.
CHI – Paul Edinger 40-yard field goal, 5:31. Bears 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:44.
NE – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 0:04. Tied 6–6. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 1:24.
Third quarter
CHI – Stanley Pritchett 11-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 12:21. Bears 13–6. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:40.
CHI – Marcus Robinson 44-yard pass from Marty Booker (Paul Edinger kick), 10:09. Bears 20–6. Drive: 1 play, 44 yards, 0:09.
CHI – Anthony Thomas 2-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 6:42. Bears 27–6. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 0:37.
NE – Kevin Faulk 15-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:04. Bears 27–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:38.
NE – Adam Vinatieri 42–yard field goal, 1:50. Bears 27–16. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:58.
Fourth quarter
NE – Adam Vinatieri 25-yard field goal, 11:02. Bears 27–19. Drive: 16 plays, 54 yards, 4:44.
CHI – Paul Edinger 32-yard field goal, 5:22. Bears 30–19. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 5:40.
NE – Kevin Faulk 36-yard pass from Tom Brady (run failed), 2:46. Bears 30–25. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:16.
NE – David Patten 20-yard pass from Tom Brady (Tom Brady–Troy Brown pass), 0:21. Patriots 33–30. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:29.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 36/55, 328 yards, 3 TD, INT
CHI – Jim Miller – 8/18, 72 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NE – Antowain Smith – 10 rushes, 41 yards
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 21 rushes, 99 yards, TD
Top receivers
NE – Kevin Faulk – 7 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TD
CHI – Marty Booker – 4 receptions, 65 yards :

#### Week 11: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
| Rams | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: November 18, 2002
* Game time: 9:00 p.m.
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 66,250
* Referee: Gerry Austin (34)
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Ernie Conwell 1-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 10:05. Rams 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:55.
Second quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 37-yard field goal, 14:10. Rams 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 6:59.
CHI – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 6:15. Rams 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:08.
STL – Lamar Gordon 22-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 0:42. Rams 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 0:46.
Third quarter
CHI – Anthony Thomas 13-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 9:23. Rams 14–13. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:37.
Fourth quarter
STL – Ricky Proehl 8-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 9:01. Rams 21–13. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:14.
CHI – Paul Edinger 50-yard field goal, 3:48. Rams 21–16. Drive: 6 plays, 32 yards, 3:04.
Top passers
CHI – Chris Chandler – 20/33, 157 yards
STL – Marc Bulger – 21/35, 347 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 14 rushes, 61 yards, TD
STL – Lamar Gordon – 16 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Marty Booker – 7 receptions, 65 yards
STL – Isaac Bruce – 6 receptions, 141 yards :

#### Week 12: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: November 24, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Partly cloudy 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,375
* Referee: Tony Corrente (99)
* TV announcers (FOX): Pat Summerall, Brian Baldinger and Dan Jiggetts
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CHI – Marcus Robinson 3-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Paul Edinger kick), 13:42. Bears 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 2:18.
DET – Jason Hanson 22-yard field goal, 5:46. Bears 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 5:42.
Third quarter
DET – Germane Crowell 1-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 5:09. Lions 10–7. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 8:05.
DET – James Stewart 23-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 2:38. Lions 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:35.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Dez White 23-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 2:33. Lions 17–14. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 3:46.
CHI – Paul Edinger 22-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 17–17. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 1:56.
Overtime
CHI – Paul Edinger 40-yard field goal, 8:58. Bears 20–17. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 6:02.
Top passers
DET – Joey Harrington – 21/40, 213 yards, TD, INT
CHI – Jim Miller – 21/35, 250 yards, TD
Top rushers
DET – James Stewart – 22 rushes, 85 yards, TD
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 14 rushes, 40 yards
Top receivers
DET – Scotty Anderson – 5 receptions, 70 yards
CHI – Marty Booker – 10 receptions, 157 yards :

#### Week 13: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
| Packers | 3 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 30 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: December 1, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 pm
* Game weather: Cloudy, 23 °F (−5 °C)
* Game attendance: 64,196
* Referee: Ron Winter (14)
* TV: FOX
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Dustin Lyman 12-yard pass from Brad Maynard (Paul Edinger kick), 2:31. Bears 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:14.
GB – Ryan Longwell 21-yard field goal, 2:31. Bears 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:15.
Second quarter
CHI – Dustin Lyman 8-yard pass from Jim Miller (Paul Edinger kick), 5:20. Bears 14–3. Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 6:04.
GB – Ryan Longwell 31-yard field goal, 1:03. Bears 14–6. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 4:17.
Third quarter
GB – Bubba Franks 6-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 11:43. Bears 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:17.
GB – Ryan Longwell 27-yard field goal, 1:05. Packers 16–14. Drive: 14 plays, 90 yards, 6:21.
Fourth quarter
GB – William Henderson 1-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:09. Packers 23–14. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 3:39.
GB – Tony Fisher 2-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:10. Packers 30–14. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 2:11.
CHI – Marcus Robinson 45-yard pass from Henry Burris (pass failed), 0:10. Packers 30–20. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 1:00.
Top passers
CHI – Jim Miller – 25/36, 191 yards, TD, INT
GB – Brett Favre – 24/42, 221 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
CHI – Leon Johnson – 11 rushes, 46 yards
GB – Tony Fisher – 17 rushes, 91 yards, TD
Top receivers
CHI – Dustin Lyman – 7 receptions, 58 yards, 2 TD
GB – Donald Driver – 5 receptions, 65 yards :

#### Week 14: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: December 9, 2002
* Game time: 9:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,609
* Referee: Ron Blum (7)
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Melissa Stark
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Jed Weaver 5-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 7:30. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 2:01.
Second quarter
MIA – Ricky Williams 15-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 4:12. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 3:14.
Third quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 52-yard field goal, 10:15. Dolphins 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:54.
MIA – Ricky Williams 63-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 9:16. Dolphins 21–3. Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:59.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Olindo Mare 23-yard field goal, 7:26. Dolphins 24–3. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:39.
MIA – Olindo Mare 29-yard field goal, 5:41. Dolphins 27–3. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:31.
CHI – Marty Booker 6-yard pass from Henry Burris (pass failed), 0:44. Dolphins 27–9. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 1:26.
Top passers
CHI – Chris Chandler – 7/17, 86 yards, 2 INT
MIA – Jay Fiedler – 15/29, 196 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
CHI – Henry Burris – 5 rushes, 52 yards
MIA – Ricky Williams – 31 rushes, 216 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CHI – Marty Booker – 5 receptions, 46 yards, TD
MIA – James McKnight – 4 receptions, 90 yards :

#### Week 15: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Bears | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: December 15, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 pm
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 43 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,226
* Referee: Mike Carey (94)
* TV: CBS
* Recap. Game Book
Game information :
Second quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 53-yard field goal, 8:30. Bears 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 3:23.
CHI – Adrian Peterson 5-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 1:41. Bears 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:23.
Third quarter
NYJ – Wayne Chrebet 5-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 11:11. Bears 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 4:05.
CHI – Leon Johnson 2-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 7:42. Bears 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:36.
NYJ – John Hall 42-yard field goal, 0:36. Bears 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 7:06.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – John Hall 28-yard field goal, 7:26. Bears 17–13. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 4:42.
CHI – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 2:44. Bears 20–13. Drive: 11 plays, 31 yards, 4:44.
Top passers
NYJ – Chad Pennington – 22/33, 207 yards, TD
CHI – Chris Chandler – 22/27, 177 yards
Top rushers
NYJ – Curtis Martin – 21 rushes, 127 yards
CHI – Leon Johnson – 14 rushes, 56 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 5 receptions, 71 yards
CHI – Marty Booker – 9 receptions, 62 yards :

#### Week 16: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Panthers | 0 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: December 22, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 pm
* Game weather: Sunny, 56 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,602
* Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
* TV: FOX
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Dez White 76-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Paul Edinger kick), 14:13. Bears 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:47.
Second quarter
CAR – Dee Brown 2-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 12:12. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 2:33.
CAR – Dee Brown 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 8:38. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 0:51.
CAR – Muhsin Muhammad 3-yard pass from Rodney Peete (Shayne Graham kick), 3:52. Panthers 21–7. Drive: 4 plays, 41 yards, 1:54.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Dez White 5-yard pass from Henry Burris (Paul Edinger kick), 11:48. Panthers 21–14. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 1:32.
CAR – Shayne Graham 25-yard field goal, 5:16. Panthers 24–14. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yard, 2:08.
Top passers
CHI – Chris Chandler – 7/8, 113 yards, TD
CAR – Rodney Peete – 18/35, 179 yards, TD
Top rushers
CHI – Leon Johnson – 16 rushes, 29 yards
CAR – Dee Brown – 23 rushes, 55 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CHI – Dez White – 2 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 4 receptions, 97 yards :

#### Week 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 15 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: December 29, 2002
* Game time: 8:30 pm
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 43 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 55,832
* Referee: Bernie Kukar (86)
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann and Suzy Kolber
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
TB – Martin Gramatica 30-yard field goal, 3:22. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 48 yards, 6:48.
TB – Martin Gramatica 32-yard field goal, 0:02. Buccaneers 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 0:58.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
TB – Martin Gramatica 33-yard field goal, 13:12. Buccaneers 9–0. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 8:10.
TB – Martin Gramatica 26-yard field goal, 7:01. Buccaneers 12–0. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 6:04.
TB – Martin Gramatica 33-yard field goal, 3:09. Buccaneers 15–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:25.
Top passers
TB – Rob Johnson – 16/25, 134 yards
CHI – Henry Burris – 7/19, 78 yards, 4 INT
Top rushers
TB – Michael Pittman Sr. – 21 rushes, 90 yards
CHI – Adrian Peterson – 7 rushes, 42 yards
Top receivers
TB – Keyshawn Johnson – 5 receptions, 41 yards
CHI – Marty Booker – 4 receptions, 25 yards :

## Standings
### Division

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Green Bay Packers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 398 | 328 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 5–7 | 390 | 442 | W3 |
| Chicago Bears | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 281 | 379 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 306 | 451 | L8 |

### Conference

NFCvte :
| # | 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 |||||||||||
| 1 2 3 Philadelphia finished ahead of Tampa Bay and Green Bay based on conference record (11–1 vs 9–3/9–3). 1 2 Tampa Bay finished ahead of Green Bay based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 St. Louis finished ahead of Seattle based on division record (4–2 to 2–4). 1 2 Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on common games (2–3 to 1–4) 1 2 Arizona finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory. ↑ 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. |||||||||||