2002 Houston Texans season

Inaugural season for the Texans August 2023 March 2026 Houston Texans Texans_inaugural_season_patch.png Texans inaugural season logo 2002 4–12 4th AFC South Dom Capers Bob McNair Charley Casserly Reliant Stadium Did not qualify 2 DE Gary Walker CB Aaron Glenn none true Texans seasons The 2002 season was the Houston Texans' debut season in the National Football League and the first NFL season for the city of Houston since the Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997 and became the Titans 2 years later in 1999. Their coaching staff was headed by Dom Capers, who previously coached the expansion Carolina Panthers when they debuted in 1995. The divisional realignment also placed the Texans and Titans in the same division. The Texans won their inaugural regular season game against the Dallas Cowboys 19–10 on Sunday Night Football. The Texans finished their debut season with a 4–12 record. Due to being an expansion franchise, the Texans were given the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft. Houston used the selection on Fresno State quarterback David Carr. Carr finished the season with 2,592 passing yards, setting the franchise record for most passing yards by a rookie in a single season. Carr's record would not be broken until 2021, when Davis Mills finished that season with 2,664 passing yards (a number since surpassed by C. J. Stroud's 4,108 in 2023).Houston Texans Sidhu Deepi https://www.houstontexans.com/news/davis-mills-sets-texans-rookie-passing-record with 11 starts under his belt, Houston Texans QB Davis Mills has now solidified himself as the leading rookie passer in franchise history with 2,664 yards. January 9, 2022 January 9, 2022Wilson Aaron https://www.click2houston.com/sports/2024/02/09/texans-quarterback-cj-stroud-named-associated-press-nfl-offensive-rookie-of-the-year-after-epic-first-season/ Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud named Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after epic first season KPRC-TV February 8, 2024 September 19, 2024 NFL returns to Houston History of the Houston Texans#1997: Bringing the NFL back to Houston In June 1997, Bob McNair and Chuck Watson's plans for a National Hockey League expansion team fell apart due to the lack of an arena in the Houston area. Afterward, the Houston Oilers moved to Nashville to become the Tennessee Titans. The discussion eventually began to create a new NFL expansion team, with the 31st being awarded to the reformed Cleveland Browns. Houston and Los Angeles were the two finalists, and on October 6, 1999, the league's owners voted unanimously to award Houston the 32nd franchise. In 2000, the new team, tentatively known as "Houston NFL 2002", decided on five potential team names: Apollos, Bobcats, Stallions, Texans and Wildcatters. This shortlist was eventually reduced to Apollos, Stallions and Texans. On September 6, the team name was officially revealed as the Houston Texans.http://www.houstontexans.com/team/history.html Texans Team History Houston Texans January 19, 2016 December 21, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171221161409/http://www.houstontexans.com/team/history.html dead On January 19, 2000, the team hired former Washington Redskins general manager Charley Casserly to serve in the same position. In the search for a head coach, Miami coach Butch Davis was involved in discussions with McNair, but elected to stay with the university.Associated Press http://amarillo.com/stories/2001/01/03/spo_hirecoach.shtml#.Vp8Jv_nR8dU Owner: Texans won't hire coach until 2002 Amarillo Globe-News January 3, 2001 January 19, 2016 In January 2001, the Texans hired Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Dom Capers as head coach; Capers had previously worked with the expansion Carolina Panthers as their HC.http://www.packers.com/team/coaches/dom-capers/10eaf64f-161d-4718-bbc1-990ace793dd9 Dom Capers Green Bay Packers January 19, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20130523100512/http://www.packers.com/team/coaches/dom-capers/10eaf64f-161d-4718-bbc1-990ace793dd9 May 23, 2013 dead mdy-all On January 20, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Vic Fangio joined the staff in the same role,https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/15/sports/plus-pro-football-texans-hire-fangio.html PLUS: PRO FOOTBALL; TEXANS HIRE FANGIO The New York Times January 15, 2002 January 19, 2016 followed by former Cleveland Browns head coach Chris Palmer as offensive coordinator on February 3, 2001.Associated Press http://amarillo.com/stories/020701/020301/spo_texans.shtml#.Vp8JsvnR8dU Texans hire Palmer Amarillo Globe-News February 3, 2001 January 19, 2016 Offseason Free agency On November 5, 2001, the Texans held workouts for defensive backs at the Reliant Astrodome. On December 29, the team signed ten players: running back Michael Basnight, safety Leomont Evans, tackles Robert Hicks and Jerry Wisne, defensive tackle Jason Nikolao, quarterback Mike Quinn, fullback Matt Snider, cornerback Jason Suttle, linebacker Casey Tisdale and safety Kevin Williams. On March 6, 2002, Colts offensive lineman Steve McKinney became the first unrestricted free agent to be signed by the Texans.http://media.houstontexans.com/images/9057/Rosters/2002_Roster.pdf 2002 Roster Houston Texans January 19, 2016 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130325130222/http://media.houstontexans.com/images/9057/Rosters/2002_Roster.pdf March 25, 2013 Expansion draft 2002 NFL expansion draft To fill the Texans roster, the NFL held an expansion draft on February 18. The team was permitted to select 42 players from the other 31 teams, each of which allowed five players to be drafted. Houston were required to select 30 players or spend 38 percent ($27.24 million) of the $71.7 million salary cap.http://static.espn.go.com/nfl/news/2002/0122/1315608.html Unprotected players for expansion draft ESPN February 7, 2002 January 19, 2016 The first player that the Texans selected was Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Tony Boselli; however, the five-time Pro Bowler had been suffering from shoulder injuries during the 2001 season and never played a snap for the Texans.http://static.espn.go.com/nfl/news/2003/0715/1581163.html Five-time Pro Bowler Boselli set to retire ESPN July 15, 2003 January 19, 2016 Houston also selected 18 more players. On February 26, quarterback Danny Wuerffel was traded to the Washington Redskins for defensive tackle Jerry DeLoach. The Texans had intended to draft DeLoach, but the Redskins replaced him with Matt Campbell.Pasquarelli Len http://a.espncdn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1340816.html Texans deal Wuerffel to 'Skins in first-ever trade ESPN February 26, 2002 January 19, 2016 RoundPlayerPositionTeam1Tony Boselli^Offensive tackleJacksonville Jaguars2Ryan Young^Offensive tackleNew York Jets3Aaron Glenn^CornerbackNew York Jets4Gary Walker^Defensive tackleJacksonville Jaguars5Jamie Sharper^LinebackerBaltimore Ravens6Jermaine Lewis^Wide receiverBaltimore Ravens7Marcus Coleman^Defensive backNew York Jets8Seth Payne^Defensive tackleJacksonville Jaguars9Matt CampbellOffensive guardWashington Redskins10Matt Stevens^SafetyNew England Patriots11Jeremy McKinney^Offensive guardCleveland Browns12Ryan Schau^Offensive guardPhiladelphia Eagles13Charlie RogersRunning backSeattle Seahawks14Sean McDermott^Tight endTampa Bay Buccaneers15Jabari Issa^Defensive endArizona Cardinals16Avion Black^Wide receiverBuffalo Bills17Danny WuerffelQuarterbackChicago Bears18Brian AllenLinebackerSt. Louis Rams19Johnny HugginsTight endDallas Cowboys ^ Made roster. NFL draft 2002 NFL draft 2002 Houston Texans 1 1 David Carr QB Fresno State yes 2 33 Jabar Gaffney WR Florida yes 2 50 Chester Pitts OT San Diego State Extra selection yes 3 66 Fred Weary OG Tennessee yes 3 83 Charles Hill DT Maryland Extra selection yes 4 99 Jonathan Wells RB Ohio State yes 5 136 Jarrod Baxter FB New Mexico yes 5 153 Ramon Walker S Pittsburgh Extra selection yes 6 173 Demarcus Faggins CB Kansas State yes 6 190 Howard Green DT LSU Extra selection 7 229 Greg White DE Minnesota Extra selection 7 261 Ahmad Miller DT UNLV Extra selection no no https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/htx/2002_draft.htm 2002 Houston Texans draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com December 12, 2014 Undrafted free agents + 2002 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeLarry AustinCornerbackVirginia TechTony DonaldLinebackerWestern ColoradoDelvon FlowersRunning backArizona StateKenny HarneyLinebackerSouth CarolinaAtnaf HarrisWide receiverCal State NorthridgeJelani HawkinsTackleSan Jose StateRashod KentTight endRutgersJoey KnappTight endUTEPRobert MackeyLinebackerWinston-Salem StateJohn MillerTackleDukeJimmy McClainLinebackerTroy StateJohn MinardiWide receiverColoradoEric ParkerWide receiverTennesseeJosh PhillipsSafetyYaleEd StansburyRunning backUCLAAaron ThompsonLinebackerMarylandTerrell WashingtonLinebackerIllinois Staff 2002 Houston Texans Founder, chairman and chief executive officer – Bob McNair Senior vice president and general manager – Charley Casserly Associate director of pro scouting – Bobby Grier Associate director of pro scouting – Miller McCalmon Coordinator of college scouting – Mike Maccagnan Head coach – Dom Capers Offensive coordinator – Chris Palmer Running backs – Chick Harris Wide receivers – Kippy Brown Tight ends – Greg Roman Offensive line – Tony Marciano Assistant offensive line – Steve Marshall Defensive coordinator – Vic Fangio Defensive line – Todd Grantham Linebackers – Reggie Herring Defensive backs (secondary) – Jon Hoke Assistant defensive backs (secondary) – Brian Stewart Defensive quality control – Jedd Fisch Special teams – Joe Marciano Special teams assistant – Eric Sutulovich Strength and conditioning – Dan Riley Assistant strength and conditioning – Ray Wright Roster 2002 Houston Texans 53 12 3 12 Tony Banks American football  8 David Carr American football y 11 Mike Quinn 20 James Allen running back 47 Jarrod Baxter FB y 44 Moran Norris FB 32 Jonathan Wells American football y 88 Avion Black KR/PR 85 Corey Bradford 87 JaJuan Dawson 86 Jabar Gaffney y 81 Atnaf Harris y 84 Jermaine Lewis American football, born 1974 KR/PR 83 Frank Murphy gridiron football 89 Jabari Holloway 82 Billy Miller American football 67 Milford Brown y G 72 Barry Hall offensive lineman G/T 75 Jimmy Herndon T 76 Steve McKinney C 69 Chester Pitts T y 78 Cameron Spikes G 60 Tarlos Thomas T 61 Fred Weary offensive lineman G y 74 Ryan Young T 95 Jerry DeLoach DE 93 Erik Flowers DE 97 Howard Green American football y NT 94 Charles Hill American football NT yes 91 Seth Payne NT 92 Corey Sears DE 96 Gary Walker defensive end DE 90 Shawn Worthen NT 54 Troy Evans American football OLB 56 Jay Foreman American football ILB 51 Jimmy McClain y ILB 59 Keith Mitchell American football OLB 98 Jeff Posey OLB 55 Jamie Sharper ILB 52 Kailee Wong OLB 33 Jason Bell American football CB 24 Eric Brown safety SS 42 Marcus Coleman CB 38 DeMarcus Faggins CB y 31 Aaron Glenn CB 34 Kyries Hebert y SS 30 Jason Simmons CB/S 26 Matt Stevens safety FS 23 Kevin Williams defensive back, born 1975 FS 43 Kenny Wright CB  3 Kris Brown K 80 Sean McDermott long snapper LS  7 Chad Stanley P 71 Tony Boselli T IR 28 Pat Dennis CB IR 35 Leomont Evans S IR 70 DeMingo Graham G Susp. -- Trevor Insley WR IR 18 Dwaune Jones WR IR 58 Jason Lamar y LB IR 62 Chris Lorenti C IR -- Mike Newell American football C IR 83 Rod Rutledge TE IR 65 Ryan Schau G IR 41 Ramon Walker y S IR -- McAllister Collins C -- Jelani Hawkins y T -- Rashod Kent y TE Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap HOF August 5, 2002 vs. New York Giants L 17–34 0–1 Fawcett Stadium (Canton) Recap 1 August 10, 2002 at New Orleans Saints W 13–10 1–1 Louisiana Superdome Recap 2 August 17, 2002 at Kansas City Chiefs L 9–19 1–2 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 3 August 24, 2002 Miami Dolphins L 3–24 1–3 Reliant Stadium Recap 4 August 30, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 13–17 1–4 Reliant Stadium Recap Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 8 Dallas Cowboys W 19–10 1–0 Reliant Stadium Recap 2 September 15 at San Diego Chargers L 3–24 1–1 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 3 September 22 Indianapolis Colts L 3–23 1–2 Reliant Stadium Recap 4 September 29 at Philadelphia Eagles L 17–35 1–3 Veterans Stadium Recap 5 Bye 6 October 13 Buffalo Bills L 24–31 1–4 Reliant Stadium Recap 7 October 20 at Cleveland Browns L 17–34 1–5 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 8 October 27 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 21–19 2–5 Alltel Stadium Recap 9 November 3 Cincinnati Bengals L 3–38 2–6 Reliant Stadium Recap 10 November 10 at Tennessee Titans L 10–17 2–7 The Coliseum Recap 11 November 17 Jacksonville Jaguars L 21–24 2–8 Reliant Stadium Recap 12 November 24 New York Giants W 16–14 3–8 Reliant Stadium Recap 13 December 1 at Indianapolis Colts L 3–19 3–9 RCA Dome Recap 14 December 8 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 24–6 4–9 Heinz Field Recap 15 December 15 Baltimore Ravens L 19–23 4–10 Reliant Stadium Recap 16 December 22 at Washington Redskins L 10–26 4–11 FedExField Recap 17 December 29 Tennessee Titans L 3–13 4–12 Reliant Stadium Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans – Game summary September 8, 2002 7:30 p.m. CST Cowboys 0 3 7 0 Texans 7 3 0 9 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 69,604 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Bill Carollo ESPN Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire and Suzy Kolber Recap First quarter HOU – Billy Miller 19-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 14:43. Texans 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:13. Second quarter HOU – Kris Brown 42-yard field goal, 13:22. Texans 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards. DAL – Billy Cundiff 33-yard field goal, 1:05. Texans 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 0:32. Third quarter DAL – Michael Wiley 46-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 7:13. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 84 yards. Fourth quarter HOU – Corey Bradford 65-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 13:15. Texans 17–10. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 0:25. HOU – Quincy Carter sacked in the end zone for a safety, 2:47. Texans 19–10. Top passers DAL – Quincy Carter – 13/30, 130 yards, INT HOU – David Carr – 10/22, 145 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers DAL – Emmitt Smith – 17 rushes, 67 yards HOU – James Allen – 19 rushes, 56 yards Top receivers DAL – Joey Galloway – 6 receptions, 69 yards HOU – Corey Bradford – 4 receptions, 99 yards, TD Week 2: at San Diego Chargers Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Houston Texans (1–0) at San Diego Chargers (1–0) – Game summary September 15, 2002 3:15 p.m. CST Texans 0 3 0 0 Chargers 14 3 0 7 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 56,098 74° (Sunny) Mike Carey CBS Craig Bolerjack, Craig James and Scott Kaplan Box score, Game Book First quarter SD – Curtis Conway 35-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 11:55. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 3:37. SD – Curtis Conway 3-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 2:52. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 0:33. Second quarter HOU – Kris Brown 45-yard field goal, 9:31. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:45. SD – Steve Christie 36-yard field goal, 0:07. Chargers 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 0:28. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter SD – Raylee Johnson fumble recovery in the end zone (Steve Christie kick), 11:49. Chargers 24–3. Top passers HOU – David Carr – 6/25, 87 yards, 2 INT SD – Drew Brees – 15/28, 163 yards, TD, INT Top rushers HOU – James Allen – 13 rushes, 51 yards SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 27 rushes, 84 yards Top receivers HOU – Jabar Gaffney – 2 receptions, 37 yards SD – Curtis Conway – 5 receptions, 113 yards, TD Week 3: vs. Indianapolis Colts Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary September 22, 2002 12:00 p.m. CST Colts 7 6 0 10 Texans 0 0 3 0 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 69,204 Roof open 81° Sunny Tony Corrente CBS Gus Johnson and Brent Jones Recap First quarter IND – Qadry Ismail 42-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 2:40. Colts 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:25. Second quarter IND – Mike Vanderjagt 26-yard field goal, 12:59. Colts 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 10:59. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 39-yard field goal, 1:38. Colts 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 2:34. Third quarter HOU – Kris Brown 24-yard field goal, 4:55. Colts 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:22. Fourth quarter IND – Reggie Wayne 43-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 4:06. Colts 20–3. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:30. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 37-yard field goal, 1:15. Colts 23–3. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:03. Top passers IND – Peyton Manning – 21/28, 272 yards, 2 TD HOU – David Carr – 12/22, 99 yards, INT Top rushers IND – Edgerrin James – 25 rushes, 88 yards HOU – Jonathan Wells – 14 rushes, 93 yards Top receivers IND – Marvin Harrison – 8 receptions, 110 yards HOU – JaJuan Dawson – 3 receptions, 32 yards Week 4: at Philadelphia Eagles Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Houston Texans at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary September 29, 2002 12:00 p.m. CST Texans 7 0 10 0 Eagles 3 17 8 7 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 64,867 72° (Sunny, partly cloudy) Johnny Grier CBS Don Criqui and Steve Tasker Recap First quarter HOU – Corey Bradford 23-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 10:18. Texans 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:10. PHI – David Akers 25-yard field goal, 3:56. Texans 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 5:23. Second quarter PHI – Duce Staley 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 13:31. Eagles 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:19. PHI – Duce Staley 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 5:18. Eagles 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:08. PHI – David Akers 41-yard field goal, 2:46. Eagles 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:15. Third quarter PHI – Brian Dawkins 57-yard pass from Brian Mitchell (McNabb pass to Lewis), 11:43. Eagles 28–7. Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 3:52. HOU – Corey Bradford 29-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 9:16. Eagles 28–14. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:12. HOU – Kris Brown 48-yard field goal, 2:37. Eagles 28–17. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:33. Fourth quarter PHI – James Thrash 38-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 5:15. Eagles 35–17. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 0:53. Top passers HOU – David Carr – 16/29, 188 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT PHI – Donovan McNabb – 24/42, 259 yards, TD, INT Top rushers HOU – James Allen – 14 rushes, 41 yards PHI – Duce Staley – 12 rushes, 33 yards, 2 TD Top receivers HOU – Corey Bradford – 7 receptions, 97 yards, 2 TD PHI – Todd Pinkston – 6 receptions, 70 yards Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Buffalo Bills (2-3) at Houston Texans (1-3) – Game summary Bills 3 7 7 14 Texans 3 14 0 7 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas October 13, 2002 12:00 pm CST None (indoor stadium) CBS Don Criqui and Steve Tasker Ed Hochuli 70,120 Recap First quarter HOU – Kris Brown 26-yard field goal, 10:26. Texans 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:19. BUF – Mike Hollis 33-yard field goal, 5:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 5:26. Second quarter HOU – Jabar Gaffney 26-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 10:31. Texans 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:34. HOU – David Carr 17-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 5:04. Texans 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 4:04. BUF – Travis Henry 1-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 0:54. Texans 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 4:10. Third quarter BUF – Travis Henry 23-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 6:32. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 5:10. Fourth quarter HOU – Billy Miller 5-yard pass from James Allen (Kris Brown kick), 14:10. Texans 24–17. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:24. BUF – Eric Moulds 23-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 10:39. Tied 24–24. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:31. BUF – Peerless Price 26-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 3:55. Bills 31–24. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:30. Top passers BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 19/33, 254 yards, 2 TD HOU – David Carr – 12/23, 218 yards, TD Top rushers BUF – Travis Henry – 28 rushes, 159 yards, 2 TD HOU – Jonathan Wells – 12 rushes, 70 yards Top receivers BUF – Peerless Price – 8 receptions, 121 yards, TD HOU – Corey Bradford – 5 receptions, 126 yards Week 7: at Cleveland Browns Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns – Game summary October 20, 2002 3:05 p.m. CST Texans 0 7 10 0 Browns 0 7 17 10 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 73,248 52° Gerald Austin CBS Gus Johnson and Brent Jones Recap First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter CLE – William Green 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 14:23. Browns 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 13 yards, 3:28. HOU – Corey Bradford 37-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 12:41. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 0:37. Third quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 36-yard field goal, 10:30. Browns 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:20. HOU – Corey Bradford 39-yard pass from Jabar Gaffney (Kris Brown kick), 9:03. Texans 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 0:37. CLE – André Davis 95-yard kick return (Phil Dawson kick), 8:31. Browns 17–14. HOU – Kris Brown 47-yard field goal, 5:48. Tied 17–17. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 1:59. CLE – Quincy Morgan 25-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 3:22. Browns 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:14. Fourth quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 44-yard field goal, 5:46. Browns 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 31 yards, 3:57. CLE – Jamel White 2-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 2:00. Browns 34–17. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:35. Top passers HOU – David Carr – 22/36, 267 yards, TD CLE – Tim Couch – 21/31, 148 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – James Allen – 5 rushes, 61 yards CLE – Jamel White – 12 rushes, 65 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Billy Miller – 6 receptions, 78 yards CLE – Quincy Morgan – 7 receptions, 81 yards, TD Week 8: at Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary October 27, 2002 3:15 p.m. CST Texans 0 7 3 11 Jaguars 0 9 3 7 Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida 53,721 Ron Blum CBS Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots Recap First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter JAX – Jimmy Smith 25-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Tim Seder kick), 12:11. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 2:39. HOU – Jonathan Wells 3-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 8:31. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 2:08. JAX – Chad Stanley tackled in end zone, 5:15. Jaguars 9–7. Third quarter HOU – Kris Brown 43-yard field goal, 11:55. Texans 10–9. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 3:39. JAX – Tim Seder 34-yard field goal, 6:31. Jaguars 12–10. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:43. Fourth quarter HOU – Billy Miller 1-yard pass from David Carr (Carr pass to Gaffney), 18–12. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:12. JAX – Stacey Mack 2-yard run (Tim Seder kick), 7:58. Jaguars 19–18. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:22. HOU – Kris Brown 45-yard field goal, 2:24. Texans 21–19. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 0:28. Top passers HOU – David Carr – 11/18, 184 yards, TD JAX – Mark Brunell – 16/34, 202 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – James Allen – 10 rushes, 40 yards JAX – Fred Taylor – 25 rushes, 85 yards Top receivers HOU – Billy Miller – 3 receptions, 78 yards, TD JAX – Jimmy Smith – 4 receptions, 80 yards, TD Week 9: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans – Game summary November 3, 2002 12:00 p.m. CST Bengals 10 14 0 14 Texans 3 0 0 0 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 69,827 Larry Nemmers CBS Don Criqui and Steve Tasker Recap First quarter HOU − Kris Brown 23-yard field goal, 10:58. Texans 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 3:55. CIN – Neil Rackers 25-yard field goal, 5:51. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 4:16. CIN – Artrell Hawkins 102-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 0:00. Bengals 10–3. Second quarter CIN – Michael Westbrook 26-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Neil Rackers kick), 6:00. Bengals 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 5:29. CIN – Peter Warrick 33-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Neil Rackers kick), 0:42. Bengals 24–3. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 0:07. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter CIN – Michael Westbrook 12-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Neil Rackers kick), 11:28. Bengals 31–3. Drive: 13 plays, 98 yards, 16:59. CIN – Chad Johnson 10-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Neil Rackers kick), 6:01. Bengals 38–3. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:38. Top passers CIN – Jon Kitna – 22/27, 263 yards, 4 TD HOU – David Carr – 18/32, 199 yards, 2 INT Top rushers CIN – Corey Dillon – 22 rushes, 92 yards HOU – Jonathan Wells – 12 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers CIN – Peter Warrick – 7 receptions, 86 yards, TD HOU – Corey Bradford – 5 receptions, 53 yards Week 10: at Tennessee Titans Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary November 10, 2002 12:00 p.m. CST Texans 0 3 0 7 Titans 7 3 7 0 LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee 68,804 Bill Leavy CBS Don Criqui and Steve Tasker Recap First quarter TEN – Derrick Mason 13-yard pass from Steve McNair (Joe Nedney kick), 3:47. Titans 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 94 yards, 5:41. Second quarter TEN – Joe Nedney 24-yard field goal, 7:54. Titans 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:36. HOU – Kris Brown 51-yard field goal, 1:11. Titans 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 41 yards, 5:06. Third quarter TEN – Shad Meier 17-yard pass from Steve McNair (Joe Nedney kick), 10:52. Titans 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 4:06. Fourth quarter HOU – Jarrod Baxter 10-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 3:10. Titans 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 1:41. Top passers HOU – David Carr – 19/34, 182 yards, TD, 2 INT TEN – Steve McNair – 10/21, 109 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers HOU – Jonathan Wells – 18 rushes, 41 yards TEN – Eddie George – 25 rushes, 86 yards Top receivers HOU – JaJuan Dawson – 4 receptions, 75 yards TEN – Derrick Mason – 4 receptions, 47 yards, TD Week 11: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary November 17, 2002 12:00 p.m. CST Jaguars 7 10 7 0 Texans 0 7 7 7 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 69,711 Dick Hantak CBS Don Criqui and Steve Tasker Recap First quarter JAX – Stacey Mack 1-yard run (Tim Seder kick), 1:19. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:45. Second quarter JAX – Kyle Brady 2-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Tim Seder kick), 10:20. Jaguars 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 96 yards, 1:44. HOU – Corey Bradford 52-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 3:56. Jaguars 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:37. JAX – Tim Seder 22-yard field goal, 0:00. Jaguars 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 1:55. Third quarter JAX – Jimmy Smith 13-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Tim Seder kick), 12:50. Jaguars 24–7. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:15. HOU – David Carr 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 1:25. Jaguars 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:12. Fourth quarter HOU – David Carr 14-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 2:04. Jaguars 24–21. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 5:14. Top passers JAX – Mark Brunell – 15/25, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT HOU – David Carr – 22/30, 228 yards, TD, INT Top rushers JAX – Fred Taylor – 13 rushes, 56 yards HOU – David Carr – 7 rushes, 33 yards, 2 TD Top receivers JAX – Jimmy Smith – 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD HOU – Corey Bradford – 5 receptions, 73 yards, TD Week 12: vs. New York Giants Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: New York Giants at Houston Texans – Game summary November 24, 2002 3:15 p.m. CST Giants 0 7 0 7 Texans 0 5 8 3 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 70,054 Terry McAulay Fox Sam Rosen, Bill Maas and Matt Sampsell Recap First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter HOU – Kris Brown 40-yard field goal, 12:38. Texans 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 15:40. NYG – Tiki Barber 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:45. Giants 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 86 yards, 2:22. HOU – Matt Allen tackled in end zone, 0:26. Giants 7–5. Third quarter HOU – Jonathan Wells 1-yard run (David Carr pass to James Allen), 6:57. Texans 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:36. Fourth quarter NYG – Amani Toomer 31-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Matt Bryant kick), 13:18. Giants 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 12:02. HOU – Kris Brown 50-yard field goal, 6:57. Texans 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 5:57. 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 The Giants entered the game at 6–4 looking for an easy victory over the expansion Texans. The first quarter was scoreless with miscues from both teams. Houston received the opening kickoff, but went three-and-out, punting the ball to end the drive. On the second play of the following drive, New York running back Tiki Barber fumbled the ball at the Giants 27-yard line with the ball being recovered by Houston linebacker Jamie Sharper. On the next drive, Texans' running back James Allen fumbled the ball and it was recovered at the New York 30-yard line by linebacker Dhani Jones for the Giants. The two teams would trade punts with the first points being scored by Houston kicker Kris Brown on a 40-yard field goal in the second quarter. The Giants would respond a few drives later with Barber scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run. The game's next scoring play would come late in the second quarter. New York long snapper Bob Jones fumbled the snap with the ball being recovered by punter Matt Allen, who was tackled in his own end zone for a safety with the Texans trailing 7–5 at halftime. Houston's first touchdown of the game came in the 3rd quarter, with a 1-yard run from Jonathan Wells. The Texans went for two, with Allen catching a pass from David Carr to put Houston up 13–7 with 6:57 left in the 3rd quarter. The Giants' following drive ended with Matt Bryant missing a 33-yard field goal. New York would score on its next possession with a 31-yard pass from Kerry Collins to receiver Amani Toomer to the Giants up 14–13 with 13:18 left in the game. Houston responded on the next drive with a 50-yard field goal to take a 16–14 lead with 6:57 left. The Giants had three drives to respond, but Collins was picked off twice on back-to-back possessions with the last play of the game being a failed Hail Mary to give the Texans a 16–14 upset victory. To this day, this remains the last time the Texans defeated the Giants. Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary December 1, 2002 3:05 p.m. CST Texans 0 0 0 3 Colts 10 3 0 6 RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana 56,820 Johnny Grier CBS Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots Recap First quarter IND – Mike Vanderjagt 31-yard field goal, 10:00. Colts 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:56. IND – Marcus Pollard 16-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 8:55. Colts 10–0. Drive: 1 play, 16 yards, 0:08. Second quarter IND – Mike Vanderjagt 46-yard field goal, 12:30. Colts 13–0. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 0:50. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter IND – James Mungro 1-yard run (kick failed), 8:38. Colts 19–0. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:51. HOU – Kris Brown 34-yard field goal, 3:55. Colts 19–3. Drive: 6 plays, 4 yards, 0:53. Top passers HOU – David Carr – 20/35, 137 yards IND – Peyton Manning – 15/28, 190 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – James Allen – 16 rushes, 64 yards IND – Edgerrin James – 20 rushes, 65 yards Top receivers HOU – James Allen – 10 receptions, 49 yards IND – Marvin Harrison – 9 receptions, 101 yards Week 14: at Pittsburgh Steelers Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary December 8, 2002 12:00 p.m. CST Texans 14 0 0 10 Steelers 0 3 3 0 Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 58,551 Bob McElwee CBS Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots Recap First quarter HOU – Kenny Wright 40-yard fumble return (Kris Brown kick), 6:15. Texans 7–0. HOU – Aaron Glenn 70-yard interception return (Kris Brown kick), 2:30. Texans 14–0. Second quarter PIT – Jeff Reed 40-yard field goal, 0:25. Texans 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 2:28. Third quarter PIT – Jeff Reed 31-yard field goal, 9:45. Texans 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:08. Fourth quarter HOU – Kris Brown 43-yard field goal, 3:40. Texans 17–6. Drive: 4 plays, −5 yards, 0:17. HOU – Aaron Glenn 65-yard interception return, 2:21. Texans 24–6. Top passers HOU – David Carr – 3/10, 33 yards PIT – Tommy Maddox – 30/57, 325 yards, 2 INT Top rushers HOU – James Allen – 13 rushes, 19 yards PIT – Amos Zereoue – 11 rushes, 69 yards Top receivers HOU – Billy Miller – 3 receptions, 33 yards PIT – Antwaan Randle El – 8 receptions, 88 yards The Texans had one of the worst offensive performances ever in an NFL game, only having 47 total yards of offense while the Steelers had 422 yards. The Texans' defense forced five turnovers and scored three touchdowns. Pittsburgh quarterback Tommy Maddox threw two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns by Houston cornerback Aaron Glenn; Maddox also lost a fumble that was recovered by Texans cornerback Kenny Wright for a touchdown.ESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=221208023 https://web.archive.org/web/20180709195729/http://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=221208023 dead July 9, 2018 Texans turn to defense for all of their offense December 8, 2002 January 21, 2020 Week 15: vs. Baltimore Ravens Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans – Game summary December 15, 2002 12:00 p.m. CST Ravens 3 10 7 3 Texans 0 7 7 5 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 70,108 Bernie Kukar CBS Bill Macatee and Craig James Recap First quarter BAL – Matt Stover 22-yard field goal, 7:30. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 0:50. Second quarter HOU – Jonathan Wells 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 13:45. Texans 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 91 yards, 18:27. BAL – Matt Stover 22-yard field goal, 12:00. Texans 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 0:43. BAL – Travis Taylor 26-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Matt Stover kick), 2:00. Ravens 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 97 yards, 5:00. Third quarter BAL – Chester Taylor 11-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Matt Stover kick), 7:30. Ravens 20–7. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 4:00. HOU – Avion Black 76-yard punt return (Kris Brown kick), 0:59. Ravens 20–14. Fourth quarter BAL – Matt Stover 47-yard field goal, 9:00. Ravens 23–14. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:00. HOU – Kris Brown 41-yard field goal, 3:40. Ravens 23–17. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 2:21. HOU – Team safety, 2:28. Ravens 23–19. Top passers BAL – Jeff Blake – 18/30, 228 yards, 2 TD HOU – David Carr – 19/34, 196 yards, 2 INT Top rushers BAL – Jamal Lewis – 20 rushes, 49 yards HOU – Jonathan Wells – 14 rushes, 48 yards, TD Top receivers BAL – Travis Taylor – 5 receptions, 96 yards, TD HOU – Billy Miller – 8 receptions, 77 yards Week 16: at Washington Redskins Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: Houston Texans at Washington Redskins – Game summary December 22, 2002 12:00 p.m. CST Texans 3 0 0 7 Redskins 7 9 0 10 FedExField, Landover, Maryland 70,291 Jeff Triplette CBS Don Criqui and Steve Tasker Recap First quarter HOU – Kris Brown 47-yard field goal, 7:42. Texans 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 10 yards, 2:06. WSH – Rock Cartwright 12-yard pass from Patrick Ramsey (José Cortez kick), 3:33. Redskins 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:29. Second quarter WSH – Houston penalty in end zone, 14:05. Redskins 9–3. WSH – Derrius Thompson 13-yard pass from Patrick Ramsey (José Cortez kick), 1:15. Redskins 16–3. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:57. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter WSH – Ladell Betts 3-yard run (José Cortez kick), 14:30. Redskins 23–3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 12:19. HOU – Kevin Williams blocked punt recovery, 9:46. Redskins 23–10. WSH – José Cortez 23-yard field goal, 2:54. Redskins 26–10. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:53. Top passers HOU – David Carr – 12/31, 112 yards, INT WSH – Patrick Ramsey – 14/31, 190 yards, 2 TD Top rushers HOU – Jonathan Wells – 15 rushes, 33 yards WSH – Ladell Betts – 20 rushes, 116 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Corey Bradford – 5 receptions, 43 yards WSH – Derrius Thompson – 5 receptions, 73 yards, TD Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans Houston Texans 2002 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 17: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary December 29, 2002 12:00 p.m. CST Titans 3 3 0 7 Texans 0 0 3 0 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 70,694 Walt Coleman CBS Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots Recap First quarter TEN – Joe Nedney 28-yard field goal, 4:01. Titans 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:34. Second quarter TEN – Joe Nedney 26-yard field goal, 2:56. Titans 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:48. Third quarter HOU – Kris Brown 42-yard field goal, 1:19. Titans 6–3. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 0:13. Fourth quarter TEN – Eddie George 5-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 5:24. Titans 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:09. Top passers TEN – Steve McNair – 8/22, 148 yards HOU – David Carr – 21/40, 214 yards, INT Top rushers TEN – Eddie George – 25 rushes, 102 yards, TD HOU – Jonathan Allen – 6 rushes, 20 yards Top receivers TEN – Drew Bennett – 2 receptions, 58 yards HOU – Jabar Gaffney – 6 receptions, 73 yards This was the Titans' first game to be played in Houston since December 15, 1996 when the team was known as the Houston Oilers.ESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=221229034 Titans seal first-round bye in playoffs December 29, 2002 February 15, 2021July 2024 medicmedic Standings Division Conference Statistics Despite being in their first season, Football Outsiders calculated that the Texans were, play-for-play, the least successful team in the NFL in 2002.−41.6 DVOA, Football Outsiders: 2002 TEAM EFFICIENCY RATINGS FO also stated that the 2002 Texans had the worst offense and third-worst run offense they have ever tracked.Football Outsiders – DVOA 7.0: Worst Teams Ever https://web.archive.org/web/20130406071823/http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2012/dvoa-70-worst-teams-ever April 6, 2013 , from 1991–2011 Team CategoryTotal yardsYards per gameNFL rank(out of 32) Passing offense 2,225 139.1 32nd Rushing offense 1,347 84.2 31st Total offenseESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/season/2002/seasontype/2 2002 NFL Team Total Offense Stats April 29, 2022 3,572 223.3 32nd Passing defense 3,141 196.3 10th Rushing defense 2,089 130.6 28th Total defenseESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/defense/season/2002/seasontype/2 2002 NFL Team Total Defense Stats April 29, 2022 5,230 326.9 16th Individual CategoryPlayerTotal Offense Passing yards David Carr 2,592 Passing touchdowns David Carr 9 Rushing yards Jonathan Wells 529 Rushing touchdowns Jonathan WellsDavid Carr 3 Receiving yards Corey Bradford 697 Receiving touchdowns Corey Bradford 6 Defense Tackles (Solo) Jay Foreman 105 Sacks Jeff Posey 8 Interceptions Aaron Glenn 5 Source:Houston Texans https://www.houstontexans.com/team/stats/2002/REG 2002 Texans Statistics April 29, 2022 References Category:Houston Texans seasons Houston