The 2002 season
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl after the 2002 season, beating the Oakland Raiders 48-21 at Qualcomm Stadium.
They went 12-4 in the regular season and won the NFC South. The conference championships: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10; the Oakland Raiders beat the Tennessee Titans 41-24.
The Philadelphia Eagles, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers shared the best record at 12-4; the Cincinnati Bengals finished bottom at 2-14.
The Kansas City Chiefs scored the most points (467) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers conceded the fewest (196). The longest winning run: the Green Bay Packers, 7 in a row (weeks 3-10).
The biggest upset: the Houston Texans, 14-point underdogs, beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-6 in week 14, one of 16 wins by teams getting 7 or more points. The widest margin: the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Arizona Cardinals 49-0 in week 13. The most points in one game: 84, when the Buffalo Bills beat the Minnesota Vikings 45-39 in week 2.
54% of games were decided by one score (8 points or fewer). 25 games went to overtime and 1 tie ended level.
Play-offs
Wild card round
- Atlanta Falcons 27-7 Green Bay Packers · upset, 6.5-point underdog won
- Cleveland Browns 33-36 Pittsburgh Steelers
- Indianapolis Colts 0-41 New York Jets
- New York Giants 38-39 San Francisco 49ers
Divisional round
Conference championships
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-10 Philadelphia Eagles · upset, 4-point underdog won
- Tennessee Titans 24-41 Oakland Raiders
Super Bowl
- Oakland Raiders 21-48 Tampa Bay Buccaneers · upset, 3.5-point underdog won
Final standings
AFC
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Jets · Lost divisional round | 9 | 7 | .563 | +23 |
| New England Patriots | 9 | 7 | .563 | +35 |
| Miami Dolphins | 9 | 7 | .563 | +77 |
| Buffalo Bills | 8 | 8 | .500 | -18 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers · Lost divisional round | 10 | 5 | .656 | +45 |
| Cleveland Browns · Lost wild card round | 9 | 7 | .563 | +24 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 7 | 9 | .438 | -38 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2 | 14 | .125 | -177 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans · Lost conference championship | 11 | 5 | .688 | +43 |
| Indianapolis Colts · Lost wild card round | 10 | 6 | .625 | +36 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6 | 10 | .375 | +13 |
| Houston Texans | 4 | 12 | .250 | -143 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders · Lost Super Bowl | 11 | 5 | .688 | +146 |
| Denver Broncos | 9 | 7 | .563 | +48 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8 | 8 | .500 | -34 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8 | 8 | .500 | +68 |
NFC
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles · Lost conference championship | 12 | 4 | .750 | +174 |
| New York Giants · Lost wild card round | 10 | 6 | .625 | +41 |
| Washington Redskins | 7 | 9 | .438 | -58 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5 | 11 | .313 | -112 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers · Lost wild card round | 12 | 4 | .750 | +70 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6 | 10 | .375 | -52 |
| Chicago Bears | 4 | 12 | .250 | -98 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 13 | .188 | -145 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Won Super Bowl | 12 | 4 | .750 | +150 |
| Atlanta Falcons · Lost divisional round | 9 | 6 | .594 | +88 |
| New Orleans Saints | 9 | 7 | .563 | +44 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 9 | .438 | -44 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers · Lost divisional round | 10 | 6 | .625 | +16 |
| St Louis Rams | 7 | 9 | .438 | -53 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 9 | .438 | -14 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 11 | .313 | -155 |
Regular season only. Pct counts a tie as half a win. Div, Conf, Non-Conf: records against division, conference and other-conference opponents. Strk: current run of wins (W), losses (L) or ties (T). Last 5: oldest to newest. Teams level on Pct are ordered by division record, then points difference, which can differ from the official standings. Data: nflverse.
Season in numbers
| Measure | 2002 | Average since 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 43.4 | 44.6 |
| Home win rateNeutral-site games excluded; a tie counts as half. | 58% | 56% |
| One-score gamesDecided by 8 points or fewer. | 54% | 51% |
| Favourites wonAgainst the closing line; pick’ems and ties left out. | 63% | 67% |
| Overtime games | 25 (10%) | 6% |
Regular season only. Average: every completed season since 2002 except this one. Data: nflverse.