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 to become the Titans in 1997. 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. They were the first to do this since the 1961 Minnesota Vikings won their inaugural game. The Texans finished their debut season with a 4–12 record.
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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.[1]
On January 19, 2000, the team hired former Washington Redskins general manager Charley Casserly to serve in the same position.[1] In the search for a head coach, Miami coach Butch Davis was involved in discussions with McNair, but elected to stay with the university.[2] 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.[3] On January 20, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Vic Fangio joined the staff in the same role,[4] followed by former Cleveland Browns head coach Chris Palmer as offensive coordinator on February 3.[5]
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.[1][6]
Expansion draft
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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.[7]
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.[8] 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.[9]
NFL draft
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[10]
Undrafted free agents
Staff
| 2002 Houston Texans staff |
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Front office
- 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 coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Roster
| 2002 Houston Texans final roster |
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Practice squad
Rookies in italics
56 Active, 1 Inactive, 0 Practice squad
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Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Note: Division games are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys
| Game information |
First quarter
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.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 2: at San Diego Chargers
| Game information |
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 36-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
Fourth quarter
- SD – Raylee Johnson fumble recovery in the end zone (Steve Christie kick), 11:49. Chargers 24–3.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 3: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 3: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Colts |
7 |
6 |
0 |
10 |
23 |
| Texans |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
| Game information |
First quarter
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 (kick failed), 4:35. 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.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 4: at Philadelphia Eagles
| Game information |
First quarter
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.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 6: Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Bills |
3 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
31 |
| Texans |
3 |
14 |
0 |
7 |
24 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: October 13, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 pm CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,120
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
| Game information |
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.
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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
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Week 7: at Cleveland Browns
Week 7: Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Texans |
0 |
7 |
10 |
0 |
17 |
| Browns |
0 |
7 |
17 |
10 |
34 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: October 20, 2002
- Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 73,248
- Referee: Gerald Austin
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
- Recap
| Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
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.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 8: at Jacksonville Jaguars
| Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
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.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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Week 9: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Bengals |
10 |
14 |
0 |
14 |
38 |
| Texans |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 3, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 69,827
- Referee: Larry Nemmers
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
Week 10: at Tennessee Titans
Week 10: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Texans |
0 |
3 |
0 |
7 |
10 |
| Titans |
7 |
3 |
7 |
0 |
17 |
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: November 10, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 68,804
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
Week 11: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 11: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Jaguars |
7 |
10 |
7 |
0 |
24 |
| Texans |
0 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
21 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 17, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 69,711
- Referee: Dick Hantak
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
Week 12: vs. New York Giants
Week 12: New York Giants at Houston Texans – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Giants |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
14 |
| Texans |
0 |
5 |
8 |
3 |
16 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Week 13: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 13: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Texans |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
| Colts |
10 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
19 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: December 1, 2002
- Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 56,820
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
Week 14: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 14: Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Texans |
14 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
24 |
| Steelers |
0 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: December 8, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 58,551
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
| Game information |
First quarter
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.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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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.[11]
Week 15: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 15: Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Ravens |
3 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
23 |
| Texans |
0 |
7 |
7 |
5 |
19 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 15, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 70,108
- Referee: Bernie Kukar
- TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Craig James
- Recap
Week 16: at Washington Redskins
Week 16: Houston Texans at Washington Redskins – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Texans |
3 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
10 |
| Redskins |
7 |
9 |
0 |
10 |
26 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
- Date: December 22, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 70,291
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
- Recap
Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 17: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Titans |
3 |
3 |
0 |
7 |
13 |
| Texans |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 29, 2002
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: 70,694
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
Standings
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.[12] FO also stated that the 2002 Texans had the worst offense and third-worst run offense they have ever tracked.[13]
References
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- ↑ −41.6 DVOA, Football Outsiders: 2002 TEAM EFFICIENCY RATINGS
- ↑ Football Outsiders – DVOA 7.0: Worst Teams Ever, from 1991–2011
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| Franchise |
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| Stadiums |
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| Culture and lore |
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| Rivalries |
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| Division championships (3) |
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| Playoff appearances (3) |
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| Key personnel |
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| Media |
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| Current league affiliations |
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| Seasons (14) |
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