AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (Pro-Football-Reference)
2002 Week 15 Classic: Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints at Louisiana Superdome. Kickoff: Sunday Dec 15, 2002 at 1:04pm.[1]
49ers Chronological Rewatch
Classic NFL game · Week 15
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Sunday Dec 15, 2002 · Louisiana Superdome, kickoff 1:04pm
Pregame
AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (Pro-Football-Reference)
2002 Week 15 Classic: Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints at Louisiana Superdome. This is a regular-season game that earned its place on a curated list, which means the matchup itself carried some weight beyond a generic Sunday. Some regular-season games stick in the memory more than the playoff games of the same era. The names attached to Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints in 2002, the implications for division standing, or just the moment one play crystallized the season, made this one of those. Watch the early possessions for the read. Coaches treat curated-list games as their best stretches of preparation; the answers come quickly when the stakes are tangible.
AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (Pro-Football-Reference)
2002 Week 15 Classic: Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints meet at a midpoint in the season, with the rest of the 2002 field watching to see how the result reshapes the conference standings. Around the league, the scouting departments take careful notes on regular-season games featuring contenders. The film here will be reviewed long after the final whistle by staffs who plan to face one or both of these teams later in the year.
AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (Pro-Football-Reference)
2002 Week 15 Classic: Minnesota Vikings versus New Orleans Saints. Midseason analytics shift around what matters most on any given Sunday: takeaway differential and red-zone conversion lead the indicator list for both contenders and the teams hunting them. The on-screen scoreboard tells one story; the underlying drive efficiency tells the more durable one. Both staffs know which numbers travel through December and which evaporate after a hot start.
League standings entering Week 15
Standings as of kickoff, Week 15 (no future-game spoilers)
Around the league
- Tied atop the league at 10-3: Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
AFC
AFC East
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 8-5 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 8-5 | W3 |
| New York Jets | 7-6 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6-7 | L1 |
AFC North
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-5-1 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-6 | W1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 6-7 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-12 | L5 |
AFC South
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 8-5 | L1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 8-5 | W2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5-8 | L3 |
| Houston Texans | 4-9 | W1 |
AFC West
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 9-4 | W5 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8-5 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 7-6 | L3 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7-6 | W2 |
NFC
NFC West
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 9-4 | W2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5-8 | -- |
| St. Louis Rams | 5-8 | L3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-9 | L2 |
NFC East
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10-3 | W4 |
| New York Giants | 7-6 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-8 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 5-8 | L2 |
NFC North
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 10-3 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-10 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-10 | L5 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3-10 | L3 |
NFC South
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10-3 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 9-4 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8-4-1 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 5-8 | W2 |
Game video
More of this game (1):
Score
Reveal through:
Minnesota Vikings 14, New Orleans Saints 10Minnesota Vikings 24, New Orleans Saints 20Minnesota Vikings 24, New Orleans Saints 23Minnesota Vikings 32, New Orleans Saints 31Minnesota Vikings 32, New Orleans Saints 31[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 14 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 1424243232 |
| New Orleans Saints | 10 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 1020233131 |
Scoring plays
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
Q1
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | John Carney 40 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Vikings | Daunte Culpepper 4 yard rush ( Gary Anderson kick) | 7-3 |
| Vikings | Daunte Culpepper 6 yard rush ( Gary Anderson kick) | 14-3 |
| Saints | Michael Lewis 97 yard kickoff return ( John Carney kick) | 14-10 |
Q2
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Vikings | Gary Anderson 41 yard field goal | 17-10 |
| Saints | John Carney 34 yard field goal | 17-13 |
| Saints | Jake Reed 35 yard pass from Aaron Brooks ( John Carney kick) | 17-20 |
| Vikings | Randy Moss 33 yard pass from Daunte Culpepper ( Gary Anderson kick) | 24-20 |
Q3
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | John Carney 27 yard field goal | 24-23 |
Q4
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | Deuce McAllister 17 yard pass from Aaron Brooks ( Joe Horn pass from Aaron Brooks ) | 24-31 |
| Vikings | Randy Moss 13 yard pass from Daunte Culpepper ( Daunte Culpepper run) | 32-31 |
Recap
AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (Pro-Football-Reference)
Minnesota Vikings defeated New Orleans Saints 32-31 at Louisiana Superdome in Week 15 Classic. The final scoring play was Vikings: Randy Moss 13 yard pass from Daunte Culpepper ( Daunte Culpepper run). The result came down to the final possession; Minnesota Vikings won by 1. Top line of the day: Daunte Culpepper: 312 pass yards on 26-of-36, 2 TD, 0 INT.[1]
AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (Pro-Football-Reference)
Minnesota Vikings walked out of Louisiana Superdome with a 32-31 Week 15 Classic result New Orleans Saints will replay all the way to the offseason. The game stayed within 1 points throughout, the kind of contest where every drive felt like a referendum and every defensive stop carried twice its usual weight. The final scoring play came from Vikings: Randy Moss 13 yard pass from Daunte Culpepper ( Daunte Culpepper run). Whether it was the game-decider or just the period at the end of the sentence depends on what the camera caught earlier.
AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (Pro-Football-Reference)
Minnesota Vikings 32, New Orleans Saints 31. Game: 2002 Week 15 Classic. Attendance: 67851. Q1: 4 scoring plays. Q2: 4 scoring plays. Q3: 1 scoring play. Q4: 2 scoring plays. Top performers:
- Daunte Culpepper: 312 pass yards on 26-of-36, 2 TD, 0 INT
- Daunte Culpepper: 73 rush yards on 7 carries
- Randy Moss: 11 catches for 113 yards
AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (Pro-Football-Reference)
Week 15 Classic, played at Louisiana Superdome. Final: Minnesota Vikings 32, New Orleans Saints 31, with Minnesota Vikings taking the result by 1. **First quarter**
- Saints: John Carney 40 yard field goal
- Vikings: Daunte Culpepper 4 yard rush ( Gary Anderson kick)
- Vikings: Daunte Culpepper 6 yard rush ( Gary Anderson kick)
- Saints: Michael Lewis 97 yard kickoff return ( John Carney kick)
Second quarter
- Vikings: Gary Anderson 41 yard field goal
- Saints: John Carney 34 yard field goal
- Saints: Jake Reed 35 yard pass from Aaron Brooks ( John Carney kick)
- Vikings: Randy Moss 33 yard pass from Daunte Culpepper ( Gary Anderson kick)
Third quarter
- Saints: John Carney 27 yard field goal
Fourth quarter
- Saints: Deuce McAllister 17 yard pass from Aaron Brooks ( Joe Horn pass from Aaron Brooks )
- Vikings: Randy Moss 13 yard pass from Daunte Culpepper ( Daunte Culpepper run)
Top performers
- Daunte Culpepper: 312 pass yards on 26-of-36, 2 TD, 0 INT
- Daunte Culpepper: 73 rush yards on 7 carries
- Randy Moss: 11 catches for 113 yards
A 1-point margin in Week 15 Classic is the kind of result that defines reputations on both sidelines.
Box score
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 22 | 18 |
| Total Yards | 439 | 299 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 26/36 | 21/33 |
| Pass yards | 312 | 255 |
| Pass TD | 2 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 3 | 4 |
| Sack yards lost | 19 | 34 |
| Net pass yards | 293 | 221 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 25 | 22 |
| Rush yards | 146 | 78 |
| Rush TD | 2 | 0 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 1 | 0 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties | 8 | 8 |
| Penalty yards | 73 | 53 |
Passing
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIN | |||||
| Daunte Culpepper | 26/36 | 312 | 2 | 0 | |
| NOR | |||||
| Aaron Brooks | 21/33 | 255 | 2 | 0 | |
Rushing
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIN | ||||
| Daunte Culpepper | 7 | 73 | 2 | 19 |
| Michael Bennett | 15 | 46 | 0 | 19 |
| Randy Moss | 1 | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| Moe Williams | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Jim Kleinsasser | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NOR | ||||
| Deuce McAllister | 18 | 69 | 0 | 16 |
| Aaron Brooks | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| James Fenderson | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Receiving
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIN | ||||
| Randy Moss | 11 | 113 | 2 | 33 |
| Michael Bennett | 3 | 61 | 0 | 35 |
| Byron Chamberlain | 4 | 50 | 0 | 17 |
| Kelly Campbell | 2 | 42 | 0 | 32 |
| Jim Kleinsasser | 2 | 20 | 0 | 13 |
| D'Wayne Bates | 3 | 20 | 0 | 9 |
| Moe Williams | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| NOR | ||||
| Joe Horn | 5 | 60 | 0 | 18 |
| Jerome Pathon | 4 | 57 | 0 | 20 |
| Jake Reed | 3 | 53 | 1 | 35 |
| Donte' Stallworth | 4 | 42 | 0 | 17 |
| Deuce McAllister | 3 | 27 | 1 | 17 |
| Terrelle Smith | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Boo Williams | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
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