2002 San Francisco 49ers

The first season following divisional realignment, the Niners won the new-look NFC West title with a 10–6 record; they swept new division rivals Seattle and Arizona while splitting with the Rams; the Niners lost to former division rival New Orleans. In the playoffs the Niners fell behind the New York Giants 38–14 but erupted with 25 unanswered points and survived a chaotic last-second field goal attempt by the Giants; the 39–38 win was the 26th playoff win in the team's history. The Niners lost the next week at Tampa Bay and coach Steve Mariucci was fired the next day. As of 2011, this is the last season the 49ers have reached the playoffs, or even had a winning record.

Week 1: at New York Giants
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
 * Game Date: Thursday, September 5
 * Game Leaders

Passing: K. Collins (NYG)- 28/45, 342 yards, 0 TD, 3 Int

Rushing: G. Hearst (SF)- 12 att, 40 yards, 0 TD

Receiving: A. Toomer (NYG)- 9 rec, 134 yards, 0 TD


 * Scoring Summary

First Quarter-
 * New York Giants- M. Bryant 29 yard Field Goal (11 plays, 69 yards; 5:59)
 * San Francisco 49ers- J. Cortez 23 yard Field Goal (9 plays, 63 yards; 4:52)

Second Quarter-
 * New York Giants- M. Bryant 33 yard Field Goal (8 palys, 47 yards; 1:03)

Third Quarter-
 * San Francisco 49ers- G. Hearst 9 yeard pass from J. Garcia (J. Cortez kick) (8 plays, 52 yards; 4:26)

Fourth Quarter-
 * San Francisco 49ers- J. Cortez 33 yard Field goal (9 plays, 49 yards; 4:54)
 * New York Giants- T. Barber 1 yard run (M. Bryant Kick) (14 plays, 77 yards; 6:13)
 * San Francisco 49ers- J. Cortez 36 yard Field Goal (6 Plays, 52 Yards; 1:49)


 * Scoring Leader: J. Cortez (SF) 10 PTS

Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
 * Game Date: Sunday, September 15
 * Game Leaders

Passing: J. Garcia (SF)- 27/36, 205 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: M. Anderson (DEN)- 10 att, 95 yards, 0 TD

Receiving: E. Johnson (SF)- 7 rec, 69 yards, 0 TD
 * Scoring Summary

First Quarter-
 * No Scoring

Second Quarter-
 * San Francisco 49ers- T. Owens 8 yard pass from J. Garcia (J. Cortez Kick) (6 Plays, 56 Yards; 2:37)
 * Denver Broncos- J. Elam 28 yard Field goal (5 plays, 17 yards; 1:19)

Third Quarter-
 * Denver Broncos- M. Anderson 1 yard pass from B. Griese (J. Elam Kick) (10 plays, 74 yards; 5:59)

Fourth Quarter-
 * Denver Broncos- O. Gary 1 yard run (J. Elam Kick) (4 plays, 46 yards; 1:59)
 * Denver Broncos- S. Montgomery 11 yard pass from B. Griese (J. Elam Kick) (13 plays, 99 yards; 6:37)

San Francisco 49ers- J. Garcia 1 yard run (J. Cortez kick) (8 Plays, 67 Yards; 1:35)
 * Scoring Leader: B. Griese (DEN) 12 PTS

Week 3: vs. Washington Redskins
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
 * Game Date: Sunday, September 22
 * Game Leaders

Week 5: vs. St. Louis Rams
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
 * Game Date: Sunday, October 6
 * Game Leaders

Week 6: at Seattle Seahawks
at Seahawks Stadium, Seattle, Washington
 * Game Date: Monday, October 14
 * Game Leaders

Week 7: at New Orleans Saints
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
 * Game Date: Sunday, October 20
 * Game Leaders

Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
 * Game Date: Sunday, October 27
 * Game Leaders

Week 9: at Oakland Raiders
at Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
 * Game Date: Sunday, November 3
 * Game Leaders

Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
 * Game Date: Sunday, November 10
 * Game Leaders

Week 11: at San Diego Chargers
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
 * Game Date: Sunday, November 17
 * Game Leaders

Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
 * Game Date: Monday, November 25
 * Game Leaders

Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
 * Game Date: Sunday, December 1
 * Game Leaders

Week 14: at Dallas Cowboys
at Texas Stadium, Dallas, Texas
 * Game Date: Sunday, December 8
 * Game Leaders

Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
 * Game Date: Sunday, December 15
 * Game Leaders

Week 16: at Arizona Cardinals
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
 * Game Date: Saturday, December 21
 * Game Leaders

Week 17: at St. Louis Rams
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
 * Game Date: Monday, December 30
 * Game Leaders

NFC Wild Card – January 5

 * San Francisco 49ers 39, New York Giants 38

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
 * Game time: 1:30 p.m. PST
 * Game weather: 53°F, sunny
 * TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman and Cris Collinsworth (color commentators)
 * Referee: Ron Winter
 * Game attendance: 66,318

The Steelers' comeback earlier in the day was matched by San Francisco's similar late drive, overcoming a 38-14 deficit by scoring 25 unanswered points in the second half.

In the first quarter, 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson intercepted a pass from Kerry Collins at the San Francisco 24-yard line after it bounced off the hands of running back Ron Dayne. On the next play, 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia threw a moderate pass to Terrell Owens, who broke two tackles and took it 76 yards to the end zone. New York responded with an 11-play, 65 yard drive, that ended with Collins' 12-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer, tying the game at 7.

In the second quarter, the Giants stormed 61 yards in five plays, featuring 29-yard run by Tiki Barber. After that, Collins completed a 27-yard pass to tight end Jeremy Shockey, and capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to him one play later. But the 49ers responded with an unconventional 69-yard drive that featured two runs by Garcia for over 10 yards and a 25-yard completion from Owens to receiver Tai Streets on a reverse-pass play. Running back Kevan Barlow completed the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game. However, two key 49ers turnovers allowed the Giants to go into their locker room at halftime with a 28-14 lead. First, the Giants were forced to punt on their ensuing possession, but returner Cedrick Wilson muffed the kick and New York's Johnnie Harris recovered the ball on the 49ers 8-yard line. Collins then threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Toomer on the next play. After the ensuing kickoff, defensive back Jason Sehorn picked off a pass from Garcia at New York's 44-yard line. Two plays later on third down and 8, Collins completed a 30-yard pass to Barber, and followed it up with a 24-yard touchdown completion to Toomer with just 10 seconds left in the half.

The Giants continued to build their lead in the second half. Five minutes into the third quarter, San Francisco turned the ball over on downs at the Giants 46-yard line, but at a cost, as defensive end Kenny Holmes suffered a game-ending injury while making the tackle on fourth down. New York subsequently moved the ball 54 yards in six plays. Barber rushed for 37 yards on the drive and finished it with a 6-yard touchdown run, increasing the Giants lead to 35-14. Later in the quarter, Collins' 46-yard completion to Toomer set up a 21-yard field goal from kicker Matt Bryant, making the score 38-14 with 4:27 left in the third period. However, the field goal came after Shockey dropped a potential touchdown catch in the end zone.

San Francisco stormed back, driving 70 yards in 7 plays on a drive that consumed only 2:24 and ended with Garcia's 26-yard touchdown pass to Owens. Owens added a 2-point conversion catch on the next play, cutting the 49ers deficit to 38-22. After the play, an iconic scene of defensive lineman Michael Strahan walking over to Owens and pointing to the scoreboard to remind him of the deficit they still faced would be a highlight of the game.

New York was forced to punt after three plays on their next drive. Matt Allen's short kick and a 15-yard personal foul against Dhani Jones for hitting the returner after a fair catch gave San Francisco the ball on the Giants 27-yard line. Two plays later, Garcia scored on a 14-yard touchdown run, and then completed another two point conversion pass to Owens, cutting the score to 38-30 five seconds into the fourth quarter.

After forcing New York to punt once again, the 49ers drove 74 yards in 15 plays, including a 3-yard reception by Streets on fourth down and 1, and scored with a 25-yard field goal by Jeff Chandler. The Giants responded with a drive to the San Francisco 20-yard line, but with 3:01 left in the game, a poor snap from 41-year old Trey Junkin, who had been signed back out of retirement less than a week before the game, threw off the timing on Bryant's 42-yard field goal attempt and it went wide left. Garcia then took over, converting two third downs, one of them a 25-yard completion to tight end Eric Johnson, and rushing for 12 yards on the way to a 13-yard touchdown pass to Streets. This time, the two point conversion failed when Will Allen intercepted Garcia's pass intended for Owens, but the 49ers took the lead, 39-38, with 1 minute left in regulation.

The touchdown and 2-point conversion plays resulted offsetting personal fouls on both teams after they ended. After the touchdown, Ownes was flagged for taunting safety Shaun Williams, while Williams was flagged shoving him to the ground in response. Then after the two point conversion, Owens was penalized for a late hit on Allen, which started a brawl between both teams. During the altercation, Williams was penalized and ejected from the game for throwing a punch at 49ers center Jeremy Newberry.

However, the Giants did have a chance to win. Delvin Joyce returned Chandler's short kickoff 32 yards to the 47-yard line. Collins then led them to the 49ers 23-yard line with 6 seconds left. But Junkin botched a snap for a 41-yard field goal attempt, resulting in a feeble pass play that fell incomplete. The Giants were also called for having an illegal man downfield on the play, and the game ended. The following day, it was revealed that the penalized player (guard Rich Seubert) had in fact checked in as an eligible receiver before the field goal attempt, although a different Giant lineman actually was illegally downfield.

Garcia threw for 331 yards and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception, while also leading the 49ers on the ground with 60 rushing yards and another score. Owens caught 9 passes for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also scored two 2-point conversions and completed a 25-yard pass. Collins threw for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns with 1 interception. Toomer caught 8 passes for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns. Barber rushed for 115 yards, caught 5 passes for 62 yards, and scored a touchdown.

This was featured on NFL's Greatest Games as One Wild Finish

NFC Divisional Round - January 12

 * Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, San Francisco 49ers 6

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
 * Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
 * Game weather: 54°F, partly cloudy
 * TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth (color commentators), and Pam Oliver (sideline reporter)
 * Referee: Gerald Austin
 * Game attendance: 65,599

The Buccaneers, with the league's top ranked defense during the 2002 regular season, forced five turnovers, sacked quarterback Jeff Garcia four times, and limited the 49ers to only two field goals. Tampa Bay quarterback Brad Johnson, who had been sidelined for a month, returned to throw for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Fullback Mike Alstott scored two touchdowns, while the Buccaneers held onto the ball for 36:46 and held the 49ers to a season low 228 yards. This was San Francisco's first playoff game without a touchdown since 1986.

Despite San Francisco's 10-6 record and their wildcard playoff win against New York, coach Steve Mariucci was fired three days after this game.