The 49ers open 2002 at Giants Stadium for a Thursday Night kickoff against the New York Giants in the season's opening game.
Jeff Garcia starts at quarterback. Garrison Hearst runs the ball. Terrell Owens leads the receivers. Eric Johnson at tight end. Steve Mariucci begins his sixth year as head coach.
Steve Mariucci opens his sixth season as 49ers head coach Thursday night in primetime at Giants Stadium. The kind of season opener where, after the playoff loss to the Packers in January, the new year starts with national-television attention.
Jeff Garcia stays at QB1 in his fifth year as the starter. Garrison Hearst the lead back. Terrell Owens the WR1.
Favored by 3 on the road. The kind of Thursday-night opener where Mariucci's playoff-experienced team faces a Giants team that came up just short in the playoffs last year.
Opening week opens the NFC. The Rams (defending NFC West champs) lead the division. The Eagles (NFC East champs) compete with the Cowboys. The Bears compete with the Packers and Vikings. The 49ers come off a 12-4 finish and a playoff loss. Around the conference the Rams, Eagles, and Bears lead the contender talk. The opener at the Giants is the kind of Thursday-night road game where Mariucci's sixth year, after the offseason of relative continuity, gets its first read.
Through zero games the 49ers reset to last year's 12-4 finish and a playoff loss to the Packers. Jeff Garcia threw for 32 TDs and 12 INTs in 2001 with a 94.8 rating. Garrison Hearst led the team in rushing with 1,206 yards. Terrell Owens caught 93 passes for 1,412 yards and 16 TDs (1st Team All-Pro). The defense ranked 11th in scoring. The kicker is Jose Cortez. Mariucci's coaching staff returns largely intact. Vegas opens the 49ers as 3-point road favorites; total 41.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 0-0 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-0 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Jets | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 0-0 | -- |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-0 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 0-0 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-0 | -- |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0-0 | -- |
| Tennessee Titans | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 0-0 | -- |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-0 | -- |
| Oakland Raiders | 0-0 | -- |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 0-0 | -- |
| St. Louis Rams | 0-0 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-0 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Giants | 0-0 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-0 | -- |
| Washington Redskins | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0-0 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 0-0 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 0-0 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-0 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 0-0 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-0 | -- |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-0 | -- |
2002 49ers at Giants Week 1
ESPN 49ers @ Giants week 1 2002 NFL 2K3
NFLFilms Greatest Games 2002 NFC WC Giants @ 49ers
NFCWG 2002 vs New York Giants
49ers vs Giants 2002 SF16-NYG13 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #newyorkgiants 23
49ers vs Giants 2002 SF16-NYG13 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #newyorkgiants 19
49ers vs Giants 2002 SF16-NYG13 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #newyorkgiants 16
49ers vs Giants 2002 SF16-NYG13 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #newyorkgiants 9Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Giants | Matt Bryant 29 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| 49ers | Jose Cortez 23 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Giants | Matt Bryant 33 yard field goal | 3-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Garrison Hearst 9 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jose Cortez kick) | 10-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jose Cortez 33 yard field goal | 13-6 |
| Giants | Tiki Barber 1 yard rush ( Matt Bryant kick) | 13-13 |
| 49ers | Jose Cortez 36 yard field goal | 16-13 |
Jeff Garcia threw a touchdown pass to Tai Streets and the 49ers beat the New York Giants 16-13 at Giants Stadium in the Thursday Night season opener. Garcia finished 16-of-26 for 166 yards. Kerry Collins threw three interceptions. The defense produced three takeaways. Garrison Hearst ran for 40. The 49ers improved to 1-0 in the opening road win.[1][2][3]
Jeff Garcia led the 49ers to a 16-13 Thursday-night season opener win at Giants Stadium. The kind of season-opening road game where, with the defense producing three interceptions of Kerry Collins, the 49ers' new year started with the kind of statement performance the playoff-experienced staff was looking for.
Garcia was 16-of-26 for 166 with a touchdown to Tai Streets. Garrison Hearst ran for 40. Terrell Owens caught four for 56. The defense produced three takeaways of Kerry Collins. Eric Johnson caught three for 44.
1-0. The kind of Thursday-night season-opening road win where the new year started on the right side. The Denver Broncos at home next Sunday in another cross-conference matchup. The kind of opener where Mariucci's sixth year, with the defense leading the way, gives the year's identity tape a strong start.
49ers 16, Giants 13. Margin: +3. Season opener.
* Jeff Garcia: 16-of-26 for 166, 1 TD (Tai Streets), 1 INT.
* Garrison Hearst: 12 carries for 40.
* Terrell Owens: 4 catches for 56.
* Kerry Collins: 28-of-45 for 342, 0 TDs, 3 INTs.
* Tiki Barber: 15 carries for 29, 1 TD.
* Eric Johnson: 3 catches for 44.
* 49ers D: 3 takeaways of Collins.
* 49ers 1-0; Giants 0-1.
A 16-13 Thursday Night Football season-opening road win over the New York Giants at Giants Stadium. Mariucci's sixth year opens 1-0.
How it unfolded
The Giants kicked a field goal on their opening drive. The 49ers answered with a Jose Cortez field goal to tie at 3-3. Jeff Garcia threw a touchdown to Tai Streets to make it 10-3. The Giants added a touchdown to tie at 10-10. Cortez added a second field goal in the second quarter to make it 13-10. The Giants added a field goal to tie at 13-13 at halftime. The third quarter was a Cortez third field goal to make it 16-13. The fourth quarter was scoreless. The defense closed it out with the final possession.
The turning point
The 49ers' second-half defensive stand. With the score tied 13-13 and the Giants' offense looking for the kind of late-game drive Kerry Collins's volume passing can produce, the defense produced three interceptions on the night and kept the Giants out of the end zone after the first quarter.
By the numbers
Garcia 166 passing on 26 attempts with a TD and an INT. Hearst 40 rushing on 12 carries. Owens 56 receiving on 4 catches. Eric Johnson 44 receiving on 3 catches. Streets the TD. Kerry Collins 342 on 45 attempts with three INTs. Tiki Barber 29 rushing with a TD.
Personnel watch
The 49ers' defense in a three-takeaway opener, the kind of full-team performance the playoff-experienced staff has been building. Tai Streets's first touchdown of the year. Jeff Garcia's clean game in the primetime opener. Garrison Hearst the lead back. The kind of Thursday-night road win where everything went the right way.
What it means
1-0 with the Broncos at home next Sunday. The kind of season-opening road win where the defense's three takeaways gave the year's identity tape an early statement. Mariucci's sixth year starts on the right side.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jeff Garcia | 16/26 | 166 | 1 | 1 | |
| NYG | |||||
| Kerry Collins | 28/45 | 342 | 0 | 3 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Garrison Hearst | 12 | 40 | 0 | 8 |
| Kevan Barlow | 8 | 33 | 0 | 19 |
| Jeff Garcia | 3 | 21 | 0 | 16 |
| Terrell Owens | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Fred Beasley | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| NYG | ||||
| Tiki Barber | 15 | 29 | 1 | 16 |
| Ron Dayne | 6 | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| Kerry Collins | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Eric Johnson | 3 | 44 | 0 | 38 |
| Terrell Owens | 4 | 41 | 0 | 33 |
| J.J. Stokes | 3 | 37 | 0 | 15 |
| Kevan Barlow | 3 | 34 | 0 | 29 |
| Garrison Hearst | 2 | 10 | 1 | 9 |
| Fred Beasley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NYG | ||||
| Amani Toomer | 9 | 134 | 0 | 27 |
| Ike Hilliard | 5 | 65 | 0 | 22 |
| Jeremy Shockey | 3 | 44 | 0 | 20 |
| Ron Dixon | 3 | 40 | 0 | 18 |
| Tiki Barber | 5 | 37 | 0 | 12 |
| Sean Bennett | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Dan Campbell | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Ron Dayne | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
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