NFL playoffs, 2001-02
The NFL playoffs for the 2001-02 season led up to Super Bowl XXXVI. Beginning in 2001-02 season, game times in the first two rounds were changed in an attempt to attract more television viewers, with the Saturday games starting respectively at 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time in the USA, and the Sunday games starting at 1:00 PM and 4:30 PM US EST.
Playoff seeds
Wild Card roundJanuary 12, 2002
AFC: Oakland Raiders 38, New York Jets 24
:at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California
Raiders wide reciever Jerry Rice was the hero, catching nine passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. Running back Charlie Garner ran eighty yards for a touchdown to clinch the game with 1:27 remaining.Scoring*OAK - FG Janikowski 21*OAK - FG Janikowski 41*NYJ - FG Hall 45*OAK - FG Janikowski 45*OAK - Brown 2 pass from Gannon (Janikowski kick)*NYJ - Chrebet 17 pass from Testaverde (Hall kick)*OAK - Crockett 2 run (Garner run)*NYJ - Anderson 3 pass from Testaverde (Hall kick)*OAK - Rice 21 pass from Gannon (Testaverde kick)*NYJ - Chrebet 4 pass from Testaverde (Hall kick)*OAK - Garner 80 run (Garner run)
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9
:at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
Eagles QB Donovan McNabb threw for 194 yards and a touchdown as Philadelphia dominated Tampa Bay from start to finish. Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson was intercepted four times, one of which was returned 59 yards by Damon Moore for a touchdown. Scoring*TB - FG Gramatica 36*PHI - FG Akers 26*PHI - Lewis 16 pass from McNabb (Akers kick)*TB - FG Gramatica 32*PHI - Staley 23 pass from McNabb (Akers kick)*TB - FG Gramatica 27*PHI - Buckhalter 25 run (Akers kick)*PHI - Moore 59 interception return
January 13, 2002
AFC: Baltimore Ravens 20, Miami Dolphins 3
:at Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
The Dolphins had another one of their late-season meltdowns at home, as the defending Super Bowl champions dominated every statistic. The Ravens' Terry Allen ran for 109 yards and a touchdown, with the 'Phins only tally was an Olindo Mare field goal just two minutes in the contest.Scoring*MIA - FG Mare 33*BAL - Allen 4 run (Stover kick)*BAL - Taylor 4 pass from Grbac (Stover kick)*BAL - FG Stover 35*BAL - FG Stover 40
NFC: Green Bay Packers 25, San Francisco 49ers 15
:at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay exploded in the second half with Brett Favre throwing for 226 yards in the second half. A late San Francisco comeback attempt was thwarted when a long Jeff Garcia pass was intercepted by Tyrone Williams late in the fourth quarter, and Ahman Green scored the clinching touchdown with 1:55 left. Scoring*GB - Freeman 5 pass from Favre (kick blocked)*SF - Hearst 2 run (Cortez kick)*GB - FG Longwell 26*GB - Franks 19 pass from Favre (Two-point conversion failed)*SF - Streets 19 pass from Garcia (Streets pass from Garcia)*GB - FG Longwell 45*GB - Green 9 run (Longwell kick)
First Round Byes AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots. NFC: St. Louis Rams, Chicago Bears.
Divisional roundJanuary 19, 2002
AFC: New England Patriots 16, Oakland Raiders 13 (OT)
:at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
The game, the final one in the history of Foxboro Stadium, played in a heavy snowfall, will be remembered for a controversial call near the end of the game, in which the referees initially ruled that New England quarterback Tom Brady had fumbled on a pass attempt, with Oakland protecting a three-point lead. Invoking the "tuck rule", where a ball is ruled an incomplete pass after the quarterback starts any forward throwing motion, the referee overturned the decision after reviewing the instant replay, calling the drop an incomplete pass rather than a fumble. The Patriots then tied the game on a 45-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal (a dramatic kick through heavy snowfall that barely cleared the crossbar) and subsequently won the game in overtime, again on a Vinatieri field goal.Scoring*OAK - Jett 13 pass from Gannon (Janikowski kick)*NE - FG Vinatieri 23*OAK - FG Janikowski 38*OAK - FG Janikowski 45*NE - Brady 6 run (Vinatieri kick)*NE - FG Vinatieri 45*NE - FG Vinatieri 23
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 33, Chicago Bears 19
:at Soldier Field, Chicago
The Bears surprised everyone by finishing atop the NFC Central in 2001 with a 13-3 record behind quarterback Jim Miller. But when Miller was taken out of the last game at old Soldier Field in the second quarter with a separated shoulder, Philadelphia blew the game open. Miller's replacement, Shane Matthews threw for only 66 yards and was picked off twice. Donovan McNabb threw for 262 yards and ran for a touchdown. It also didn't matter much when the disc jockey on a critical third down play began playing the theme from "Rocky" over the PA system while "Da Bears" were on defense. It fired up the Eagles' offense as they made a first down on that play, and rolled from there because the fictional character and central figure of the movie, Rocky Balboa, resided in Philadelphia. Needless to say, two days after the game, the DJ was fired. Scoring*PHI - FG Akers 34*PHI - FG Akers 23*CHI - Merritt 47 run (Edinger kick)*PHI - Martin 13 pass from McNabb (Akers kick)*CHI - Azumah 39 interception return (Edinger kick)*PHI - Staley 6 pass from McNabb (Akers kick)*CHI - FG Edinger 38*PHI - FG Akers 40*PHI - FG Akers 46*PHI - McNabb 5 run (Akers kick)*CHI - Safety, Landeta ran out of end zone
January 20, 2002
AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Baltimore Ravens 10
:at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Steelers' running back Jerome Bettis, sidelined for much of the regular season, was scheduled to make his return in the first playoff ever at their new home, Heinz Field, but the player known as "The Bus" backed out at the last minute. It didn't matter though: the "Steel Curtain" defense did all the work, causing four turnovers and three sacks and dethroning the champions. Baltimore's initial first down didn't come until there was three minutes left in the first half.Scoring*PIT - FG Brown 21*PIT - Zereoue 1 run (Brown kick)*PIT - Zereoue 1 run (Brown kick)*PIT - FG Brown 46*BAL - FG Stover 26*BAL - Je. Lewis 88 punt return (Stover kick)*PIT - Burress 32 pass from Stewart (Brown kick)
NFC: St. Louis Rams 45, Green Bay Packers 17
:at The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri
The matchup between two of the league's highly-rated quarterbacks — Green Bay's Brett Favre and St. Louis' Kurt Warner, who was named the NFL's MVP — was a walkover thanks to the Rams' improved defense. Favre threw for 281 yards, but tied a playoff record by tossing six interceptions. The visiting Packers generated most of their offense early in the contest, but the turnovers had them down 24-10 at halftime, and the third quarter wasn't any better as the Rams raised their game on both sides of the ball by scoring two touchdowns and putting the game away in the process. Scoring*STL - Williams 29 interception return (Wilkins kick)*GB - Freeman 22 pass from Favre (Longwell kick)*STL - Holt 4 pass from Warner (Wilkins kick)*STL - Hodgins 4 pass from Warner (Wilkins kick)*GB - FG Longwell 28*STL - FG Wilkins 27*STL - Faulk 7 run (Wilkins kick)*STL - Polley 34 interception return (Wilkins kick)*STL - Williams 32 interception return (Wilkins kick)*GB - Freeman 8 pass from Favre (Longwell kick)
Conference ChampionshipsJanuary 27, 2002
AFC: New England Patriots 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
:at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Patriots' storybook season continued as Drew Bledsoe came into the game in the second quarter in place of an injured Tom Brady - who replaced Bledsoe himself early in the season when he suffered a sheared blood vessel. Bledsoe threw for a touchdown to David Patten on his fifth play from scrimmage. A late Pittsburgh comeback was thwarted by two Kordell Stewart interceptions in the last three minutes.Scoring*NE - Brown 55 punt return (Vinatieri kick)*PIT - FG Brown 30*NE - Patten 11 pass from Bledsoe (Vinatieri kick)*NE - Harris 45 lateral from Brown (Vinatieri kick)*PIT - Bettis 1 run (Brown kick)*PIT - Zereoue 11 run (Brown kick)*NE - FG Vinatieri 44
NFC: St. Louis Rams 29, Philadelphia Eagles 24
:at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
The Eagles left the field at the newly-rechristened Edward Jones Dome with a 17-13 lead at halftime, and had not allowed more then 21 points per game during the season and playoffs. The Rams roared back thanks to Kurt Warner completing two-thirds of his passes for 212 yards and Marshall Faulk's 159 yards rushing and two touchdowns to earn their second trip to the Super Bowl in three years. Scoring*STL - Bruce 5 pass from Warner (Wilkins kick)*PHI - FG Akers 46*STL - FG Wilkins 27*PHI - Staley 1 run (Akers kick)*STL - FG Wilkins 39*PHI - Pinkston 12 pass from McNabb (Akers kick)*STL - FG Wilkins 41*STL - Faulk 1 run (Two-point conversion failed)*STL - Faulk 1 run (Wilkins kick)*PHI - McNabb 3 run (Akers kick)
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