CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF 2002 AFC TITLE GAME
OAKLAND RAIDERS
The 2002 Oakland Raiders season was the club’s 43rd, and 33rd in the National
Football League. The Raiders, under the leadership of first-year head coach Bill
Callahan, clinched a third consecutive AFC West title with an 11–5 finish. The team is
best remembered for reaching the Super Bowl; in doing so, they became the first
Raiders squad in nineteen years to reach professional football's biggest stage, as well
as the first since their return to Oakland in 1995.
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CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF 2002 AFC TITLE GAME
RAIDERSOAKLAND
The 2002 season, due mainly to the aforementioned Super Bowl run, ranks among the
most important in franchise history. The aging Raiders' controversial elimination from
the prior year's playoffs set the stage for a concerted championship push. Owner Al
Davis traded then-head coach Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shortly after
the Raiders' 2001 playoff loss; in doing so, he received two first-round picks, two
second-round picks, and cash considerations from Tampa Bay. Davis, despite team
salary cap troubles, also managed to acquire veteran stars Sam Adams, Rod
Woodson, and Bill Romanowski during the 2002 offseason.
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CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF 2002 AFC TITLE GAME
RAIDERSOAKLAND
The Raiders entered the season with a hugely talented, albeit aging roster of players.
The offense was led by quarterback Rich Gannon, would be named MVP for the
season. The team's receiving corps of Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, and Jerry Porter ranked
among the league's best; additionally, running back Charlie Garner posted 1,903 all-
purpose yards. The offensive line, moreover, was anchored by pro-bowlers Lincoln
Kennedy and Barret Robbins. The Raiders' offense, all told, led the league in total
yardage; Gannon additionally led all NFL quarterbacks in passing with 4,689 yards.
The defense, while less vaunted, nonetheless ranked among the NFL's finest; the
contributions of Rod Woodson, Bill Romanowski, Charles Woodson, and Trace
Armstrong aided the Raiders' cause greatly.
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CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF 2002 AFC TITLE GAME
RAIDERSOAKLAND
In the third quarter of Oakland's 26–20 win on Monday Night Football over the Jets Tim Brown
became the third player in NFL history with 1,000 career catches; the game was stopped so
Brown could be honored for the achievement; a vehicle carrying his mother and family drove onto
the field for the celebration. Despite their talent, the Raiders struggled in the first half of the 2002
season. A 4–0 start was followed by four consecutive losses; the team's 4–4 record stunned many
onlookers. The team, however, redeemed itself by winning seven of its final eight contests.
Finishing 11-5 in a conference where twelve teams obtained .500 or better records and nine were
above .500, the Raiders clinched the AFC's top seed and full home-field advantage throughout
the playoffs. They routed the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans in the playoffs, by a combined
score of 71-34 and a plus-four in turnover differential; in doing so, they advanced to Super Bowl.
Ironically, their opponent would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by their former coach Jon
Gruden.
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CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF 2002 AFC TITLE GAME
RAIDERSOAKLAND
The Raiders entered Super Bowl XXXVII as slight favorites; many predicted a hard-
fought showdown between Oakland's top-ranked offense and Tampa Bay's top-
ranked defense. The resulting game, however, ended in disaster for the Raiders. An
early three-point lead (courtesy of a Sebastian Janikowski field goal) evaporated as
the Buccaneers scored thirty-four unanswered points. The Buccaneers defense,
aided by Gruden's knowledge of the Raider offense, intercepted Rich Gannon three
times during this scoring surge. A furious Raider rally cut the score to an almost-
competitive 34–21 in the fourth quarter; two more Gannon interceptions, however,
sealed the Raiders' fate in a 48–21 bludgeoning. To date, this remains the Raiders'
last season where they made the playoffs, as well as their last season with an
above .500 record.
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CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF 2002 AFC TITLE GAME
RAIDERSOAKLAND