NFL team season
The 2002 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 33rd season in the National Football League (NFL), the 35th overall, and the second and final full season under head coach Dick LeBeau. With a record of 2–14, however, they were the worst team in football in 2002. The team's struggles continued as they lost their first seven contests losing by an average of 19 points in each game. The Bengals would finally garner their first victory Week 8 by soundly defeating the expansion Houston Texans on the road 38–3. The winning would not last long, however, as the Bengals lost their next six games to fall to 1–13, this lethargic result was later matched by the 2019 team, which also finished at 2–14.
In their final game at home, the Bengals would stun the New Orleans Saints 20–13 to earn their second win on the season, but there would be no saving the Bengals from setting a new franchise record for losses as they finished the season with a 27–9 loss to the Buffalo Bills on the road to finish with a league-worst 2–14 record. This resulted in the Bengals owner Mike Brown firing head coach Dick LeBeau and replacing him with Washington's defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis.
By being the worst team in 2002, they earned the first pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, which they would use to draft Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Carson Palmer out of USC, and releasing embattled quarterback Akili Smith.[1]
Regular season
Schedule
Week
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Result
|
Record
|
Attendance
|
1
|
September 8, 2002
|
San Diego Chargers
|
L 6–34
|
0–1
|
53,705
|
2
|
September 15, 2002
|
at Cleveland Browns
|
L 7–20
|
0–2
|
73,358
|
3
|
September 22, 2002
|
at Atlanta Falcons
|
L 3–30
|
0–3
|
68,129
|
4
|
September 29, 2002
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
L 7–35
|
0–4
|
57,234
|
5
|
October 6, 2002
|
at Indianapolis Colts
|
L 21–28
|
0–5
|
56,570
|
6
|
October 13, 2002
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
L 7–34
|
0–6
|
63,900
|
7
|
Bye
|
8
|
October 27, 2002
|
Tennessee Titans
|
L 24–30
|
0–7
|
52,822
|
9
|
November 3, 2002
|
at Houston Texans
|
W 38–3
|
1–7
|
69,827
|
10
|
November 10, 2002
|
at Baltimore Ravens
|
L 27–38
|
1–8
|
69,024
|
11
|
November 17, 2002
|
Cleveland Browns
|
L 20–27
|
1–9
|
64,060
|
12
|
November 24, 2002
|
at Pittsburgh Steelers
|
L 21–29
|
1–10
|
60,473
|
13
|
December 1, 2002
|
Baltimore Ravens
|
L 23–27
|
1–11
|
44,878
|
14
|
December 8, 2002
|
at Carolina Panthers
|
L 31–52
|
1–12
|
66,799
|
15
|
December 15, 2002
|
Jacksonville Jaguars
|
L 15–29
|
1–13
|
42,092
|
16
|
December 22, 2002
|
New Orleans Saints
|
W 20–13
|
2–13
|
43,544
|
17
|
December 29, 2002
|
at Buffalo Bills
|
L 9–27
|
2–14
|
47,850
|
Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text
Game summaries
Week 3: at Atlanta Falcons
Game information
|
First quarter
- ATL – Jay Feely 44-yard field goal, 10:01. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 4:69.
- ATL – Jay Feely 26-yard field goal, 7:19. Falcons 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:48.
- ATL – Brian Finneran 20-yard pass from Michael Vick (Jay Feely kick), 1:57. Falcons 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:28.
Second quarter
- ATL – Brian Finneran 13-yard pass from Michael Vick (Jay Feely kick), 4:56. Falcons 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:42.
- CIN – Neil Rackers 24-yard field goal, 0:03. Falcons 20–3. Drive: 14 plays, 53 yards, 4:53.
Third quarter
- ATL – Warrick Dunn 4-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 5:07. Falcons 27–3. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 7:00.
Fourth quarter
- ATL – Jay Feely 34-yard field goal, 7:30. Falcons 30–3. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 5:39.
|
Top passers
- CIN – Jon Kitna – 18/35, 136 yards, INT
- ATL – Michael Vick – 16/26, 174 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
- CIN – Corey Dillon – 18 rushes, 66 yards
- ATL – TJ Duckett – 18 rushes, 67 yards
Top receivers
- CIN – Peter Warrick – 4 receptions, 34 yards
- ATL – Brian Finneran – 6 receptions, 77 yards, 2 TD
|
|
Week 17: at Buffalo Bills
Game information
|
First quarter
- BUF – Mike Hollis 32-yard field goal, 8:36. Bills 3-0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:15.
- BUF – Mike Hollis 25-yard field goal, 1:12. Bills 6-0. Drive: 4 plays, 4, yards, 1:32.
Second quarter
- BUF – Drew Bledsoe 7-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 10:25. Bills 13-0. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:15.
- BUF – Eric Moulds 2-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Mike Hollis kick), 2:41. Bills 20-0. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:12.
- CIN – Neil Rackers 19-yard field goal, 0:24. Bills 20-3. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 2:17.
Third quarter
- BUF – Larry Centers 4-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 1:37. Bills 27-3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:11.
Fourth quarter
- CIN – Jon Kitna 6-yard run (run failed), 8:05. Bills 27-9. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 2:49.
|
Top passers
- CIN – Jon Kitna – 19/35, 241 yards, 2 INT
- BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 23/31, 231 yards, TD
Top rushers
- CIN – Corey Dillon – 13 rushes, 53 yards
- BUF – Travis Henry – 30 rushes, 80 yards
Top receivers
- CIN – Chad Johnson – 6 receptions, 123 yards
- BUF – Eric Moulds – 9 receptions, 75 yards, TD
|
|
Standings
Division
Conference
|
#
|
Team
|
Division
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
PCT
|
DIV
|
CONF
|
SOS
|
SOV
|
Division leaders
|
1[a]
|
Oakland Raiders
|
West
|
11 |
5 |
0 |
.688
|
4–2 |
9–3 |
.529 |
.531
|
2[a]
|
Tennessee Titans
|
South
|
11 |
5 |
0 |
.688
|
6–0 |
9–3 |
.479 |
.474
|
3
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
North
|
10 |
5 |
1 |
.656
|
6–0 |
8–4 |
.486 |
.451
|
4[b]
|
New York Jets
|
East
|
9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
|
4–2 |
6–6 |
.500 |
.500
|
Wild Cards
|
5
|
Indianapolis Colts
|
South
|
10 |
6 |
0 |
.625
|
4–2 |
8–4 |
.479 |
.400
|
6[c]
|
Cleveland Browns
|
North
|
9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
|
3–3 |
7–5 |
.486 |
.413
|
Did not qualify for the postseason
|
7[c][d]
|
Denver Broncos
|
West
|
9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
|
3–3 |
5–7 |
.527 |
.486
|
8[b][c][d][e]
|
New England Patriots
|
East
|
9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
|
4–2 |
6–6 |
.525 |
.455
|
9[b][e]
|
Miami Dolphins
|
East
|
9 |
7 |
0 |
.563
|
2–4 |
7–5 |
.508 |
.486
|
10[f]
|
Buffalo Bills
|
East
|
8 |
8 |
0 |
.500
|
2–4 |
5–7 |
.473 |
.352
|
11[f][g]
|
San Diego Chargers
|
West
|
8 |
8 |
0 |
.500
|
3–3 |
6–6 |
.492 |
.453
|
12[g]
|
Kansas City Chiefs
|
West
|
8 |
8 |
0 |
.500
|
2–4 |
6–6 |
.527 |
.516
|
13
|
Baltimore Ravens
|
North
|
7 |
9 |
0 |
.438
|
3–3 |
7–5 |
.506 |
.384
|
14
|
Jacksonville Jaguars
|
South
|
6 |
10 |
0 |
.375
|
1–5 |
4–8 |
.506 |
.438
|
15
|
Houston Texans
|
South
|
4 |
12 |
0 |
.250
|
1–5 |
2–10 |
.518 |
.492
|
16
|
Cincinnati Bengals
|
North
|
2 |
14 |
0 |
.125
|
0–6 |
1–11 |
.537 |
.406
|
Tiebreakers[h]
|
- ^ a b Oakland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory.
- ^ a b c N.Y. Jets finished ahead of New England based on win percentage in common games (8–4 to 7–5) and Miami based on division record (4–2 to 2–4).
- ^ a b c Cleveland finished ahead of Denver and New England based on conference record (7–5 vs 5–7/6–6)
- ^ a b Denver finished ahead of New England based on head-to-head victory.
- ^ a b New England finished ahead of Miami based on division record (4–2 to 2–4).
- ^ a b Buffalo finished ahead of San Diego based on head-to-head victory.
- ^ a b San Diego finished ahead of Kansas City based on division record (3–3 to 2–4).
- ^ 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.
|