Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| 2002 Atlanta Falcons season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Dan Reeves |
| Home field | Georgia Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–6–1 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Packers) 27–7 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Eagles) 6–20 |
| Pro Bowlers | QB Michael Vick LB Keith Brooking |
| AP All-Pros | LB Keith Brooking (2nd team) |
The 2002 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 37th in the National Football League (NFL) and their first in the newly formed NFC South. It was also the team's first season under new owner Arthur Blank, who acquired the team during the 2002 offseason. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 7–9 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998. The team was also involved in a rare tie, matching the Pittsburgh Steelers 34–34 at the end of overtime.[1] This was the last time the Atlanta Falcons ended a season with a tie.
Before the season, the Falcons acquired running back Warrick Dunn to help with the team’s running game. Their running game had suffered the past three years. Dunn finished the season with 927 rushing yards and 9 total touchdowns. With the boost of Dunn, the Falcons rushed for 2,368 yards (148 yards per game) and 23 touchdowns, both the fourth-best in the NFL.
After seeing limited action as a rookie, this was Michael Vick's first full season as starting quarterback.
In the Wild Card Game, Vick and the Falcons defeated the Brett Favre-led Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, 27–7, giving the Packers their first ever playoff loss in Lambeau. However, a 20–6 loss to Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles in the next round kept the Falcons from advancing in the playoffs.
This was Dan Reeves' last full season as head coach as he was replaced by interim Wade Phillips during the following season.
Vick and linebacker Keith Brooking were voted to play in the Pro Bowl after the season. However, neither Vick not Brooking actually participated in the game. The Pro Bowl was Vick's first and Brooking's second. It was the final season the Falcons used their traditional black falcon helmet logo.
The last remaining active member of the 2002 Atlanta Falcons was quarterback Michael Vick, who played his final NFL game in the 2015 season, although he missed the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
| Signings | Departures |
|---|---|
| RB Warrick Dunn (Buccaneers) | QB Chris Chandler (Bears) |
| DE John Thierry (Packers) | G Bob Hallen (Chargers) |
| DT Ellis Johnson (Colts) | LB Henri Crockett (Vikings) |
| LB John Holecek (Chargers) | FS Ronnie Bradford (Vikings) |
| T Todd Weiner (Seahawks) | WR Terance Mathis (Steelers) |
| CB Allen Rossum (Packers) | DE Chuck Wiley (Vikings) |
| CB Kevin Mathis (Saints) | |
| CB Fred Weary (Saints) |
|
Main article: 2002 NFL Draft |
| 2002 Atlanta Falcons draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | T. J. Duckett | Running back | Michigan State | from Washington via Oakland |
| 3 | 80 | Will Overstreet | Linebacker | Tennessee | |
| 4 | 116 | Martin Bibla | Guard | Miami | from Houston |
| 5 | 148 | Kevin McCadam | Safety | Virginia Tech | |
| 5 | 158 | Kurt Kittner | Quarterback | Illinois | from Oakland |
| 6 | 184 | Kahlil Hill | Wide receiver | Iowa | |
| 7 | 217 | Michael Coleman | Wide receiver | Widener | from Dallas |
| 7 | 244 | Kevin Shaffer | Offensive tackle | Tulsa | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Allen | Punter | Troy State |
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
In addition to their NFC South rivals, the Falcons played all teams from the NFC North and AFC North. In addition, the Falcons played the New York Giants from the NFC East, and the Seattle Seahawks from the NFC West, based on 2001 standings.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | at Green Bay Packers | L 37–34 (OT) | 0–1 | 63,127 |
| 2 | September 15 | Chicago Bears | L 14–13 | 0–2 | 68,081 |
| 3 | September 22 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 30–3 | 1–2 | 68,129 |
| 4 | Bye | ||||
| 5 | October 6 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 20–6 | 1–3 | 68,936 |
| 6 | October 13 | at New York Giants | W 17–10 | 2–3 | 78,728 |
| 7 | October 20 | Carolina Panthers | W 30–0 | 3–3 | 68,056 |
| 8 | October 27 | at New Orleans Saints | W 37–35 | 4–3 | 67,883 |
| 9 | November 3 | Baltimore Ravens | W 20–17 | 5–3 | 68,532 |
| 10 | November 10 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | T 34–34 (OT) | 5–3–1 | 62,779 |
| 11 | November 17 | New Orleans Saints | W 24–17 | 6–3–1 | 70,382 |
| 12 | November 24 | at Carolina Panthers | W 41–0 | 7–3–1 | 72,533 |
| 13 | December 1 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 30–24 (OT) | 8–3–1 | 63,947 |
| 14 | December 8 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 34–10 | 8–4–1 | 65,648 |
| 15 | December 15 | Seattle Seahawks | L 30–24 (OT) | 8–5–1 | 69,551 |
| 16 | December 22 | Detroit Lions | W 36–15 | 9–5–1 | 69,307 |
| 17 | December 29 | at Cleveland Browns | L 24–16 | 9–6–1 | 73,528 |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
| Packers | 3 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 37 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Falcons | 13 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 30 |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Falcons | 3 | 10 | 6 | 17 | 36 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 4 | at Green Bay Packers | W 27–7 | 65,358 |
| Divisional | January 11 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 6–20 | 66,452 |
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 346 | 196 | W1 |
| (6) Atlanta Falcons | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 402 | 314 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 432 | 388 | L3 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 258 | 302 | W2 |
