| 2002 New York Giants season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Wellington Mara Robert Tisch |
| General manager | Ernie Accorsi |
| Head coach | Jim Fassel |
| Home field | Giants Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC East |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at 49ers) 38–39 |
| Pro Bowlers | TE Jeremy Shockey DE Michael Strahan |
| Uniform | |
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The 2002 season was the New York Giants' 78th in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Jim Fassel. The team improved upon their 7–9 record from the previous season by three games and returned to the playoffs for the second time in three years, ending the season on a four-game winning streak.[1] After a midseason slump, head coach Jim Fassel stripped offensive coordinator Sean Payton of playcalling duties, and the Giants went on to a winning streak that would carry them to the playoffs.
Leading 35–14 in the third quarter of the NFC wild-card came at San Francisco, Jeremy Shockey dropped a touchdown pass forcing a field goal to make the score 38–14. The 49ers gained momentum after that, scoring 25 straight points, and the Giants did not score again, losing the game 39–38. Following the season, Payton was not retained; he won the Super Bowl seven years later as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.