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2002 Chicago Bears season

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2002 Chicago Bears season
OwnerThe McCaskey Family
General managerJerry Angelo
Head coachDick Jauron
Home fieldMemorial Stadium
(Champaign, Illinois)
Results
Record4–12
Division place3rd NFC North
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersMarty Booker
Olin Kreutz
Brian Urlacher[1]
AP All-ProsLB Brian Urlacher (1st team)

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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]

Offseason

[edit]
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

[edit]
Chicago Bears selected during the Expansion Draft
Round Overall Name Position Expansion Team
17 Danny Wuerffel Quarterback Houston Texans

Draft

[edit]
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

[5]

Undrafted free agents

[edit]
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

[edit]

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.[6]

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.[7]

Staff

[edit]
2002 Chicago Bears staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Physical development coordinator – Russ Riederer
  • Assistant physical development coordinator – Steve Little


Roster

[edit]
2002 Chicago Bears roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 14 reserve, 5 practice squad

Preseason

[edit]
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

[edit]

Schedule

[edit]
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
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

[edit]

Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings

[edit]
Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Vikings 3 17 0323
Bears 7 3 31427

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

Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons

[edit]
Week 2: Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 7 7014
Falcons 0 10 3013

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints

[edit]
Week 3: New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Saints 0 14 7829
Bears 10 10 0323

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

Week 4: at Buffalo Bills

[edit]
Week 4: Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Bears 7 7 310027
Bills 7 10 37633

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers

[edit]
Week 5: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Packers 14 10 7334
Bears 7 7 0721

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

Game information

Week 7: at Detroit Lions

[edit]
Week 7: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Bears 0 10 100020
Lions 0 14 33323

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

Week 8: at Minnesota Vikings

[edit]
Week 8: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 0 077
Vikings 0 13 12025

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

Week 9: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

[edit]
Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Eagles 0 7 6619
Bears 0 13 0013

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

Week 10: vs. New England Patriots

[edit]
Week 10: New England Patriots at Chicago Bears
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 0 6 101733
Bears 0 6 21330

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

Week 11: at St. Louis Rams

[edit]
Week 11: Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 6 7316
Rams 7 7 0721

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

Week 12: vs. Detroit Lions

[edit]
Week 12: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Lions 0 3 140017
Bears 0 7 010320

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

Game information

Week 13: at Green Bay Packers

[edit]
Week 13: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 7 7 0620
Packers 3 3 101430

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

Week 14: at Miami Dolphins

[edit]
Week 14: Chicago Bears at Miami Dolphins
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 3 0 3612
Dolphins 7 7 7627

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Week 15: vs. New York Jets

[edit]
Week 15: New York Jets at Chicago Bears
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 0 0 10313
Bears 0 10 7320

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

Week 16: at Carolina Panthers

[edit]
Week 16: Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 7 0 0714
Panthers 0 21 0324

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

Week 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[edit]
Week 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 0 6 0915
Bears 0 0 000

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

Game information

Standings

[edit]

Division

[edit]
NFC North
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

[edit]
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV
Division leaders
1[a] Philadelphia Eagles East 12 4 0 .750 5–1 11–1 .469 .432
2[a][b] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 .482 .432
3[a][b] 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[c] St. Louis Rams West 7 9 0 .438 4–2 5–7 .508 .446
9[c] Seattle Seahawks West 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 .506 .433
10[d] Washington Redskins East 7 9 0 .438 1–5 4–8 .527 .438
11[d] 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[e] Arizona Cardinals West 5 11 0 .313 1–5 5–7 .500 .400
14[e] 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[f]
  1. ^ a b c Philadelphia finished ahead of Tampa Bay and Green Bay based on conference record (11–1 vs 9–3/9–3).
  2. ^ a b Tampa Bay finished ahead of Green Bay based on head-to-head victory.
  3. ^ a b St. Louis finished ahead of Seattle based on division record (4–2 to 2–4).
  4. ^ a b Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on common games (2–3 to 1–4)
  5. ^ a b Arizona finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory.
  6. ^ 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.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "2002 Chicago Bears Statistics and Players". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  2. ^ "2002 Chicago Bears". Chicago Bears History. Archived from the original on March 26, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  3. ^ "Packers capitalize on turnovers to stop Bears". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  4. ^ "Bears snap eight-game slide with OT victory". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  5. ^ "2002 NFL Draft". NFL.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
  6. ^ Isaacson, Melissa (May 4, 2001). "The state of camp-site wooing". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 20, 2018. Free access icon
  7. ^ "Bears choose Olivet Nazarene in Bourbonnais as new training camp location". The Pantagraph. Associated Press. July 17, 2001. Retrieved August 20, 2018. Free access icon
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