The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League. In the wake of the 9/11, the games for September 16 - September 17 were postponed and re-scheduled to the weekend of January 6- January 7. In order to retain the full playoff format, all playoff games, including the Super Bowl were re-scheduled one week later. This was the last season before the 2002 realignment when the AFC Central and the NFC Central were either renamed or divided. The regular season is a term used, primarily, in North American sports. ... Bills Dolphins Patriots Jets Ravens Bengals Browns Steelers Texans Colts Titans Broncos Chiefs Raiders Chargers Cowboys Giants Eagles Redskins Bears Lions Packers Vikings Falcons Panthers Saints Buccaneers Jaguars Cardinals Rams 49ers Seahawks The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Date February 3, 2002 Stadium Louisiana Superdome City New Orleans, Louisiana MVP Tom Brady, Quarterback (New England) Favorite Rams by 14 National anthem Mariah Carey Coin toss George H. W. Bush and Roger Staubach Referee Bernie Kukar Halftime show U2 Attendance 72,922 TV in the United States Network FOX... The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League. ... The AFC Central was a division of the National Football Leagues American Football Conference from 1970 to 2001. ... The NFC Central refers to the Central Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League. ...

As a result of rescheduling Week 2 as Week 17, the ESPN Sunday night primetime game for that week was changed. It was orignally scheduled to be Cleveland at Pittsburgh, but it was replaced with Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, which was seen as a more interesting matchup. ESPN (an acronym for the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... This article is becoming very long. ... City Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Team colors Black and Gold Head Coach Bill Cowher Owner Dan Rooney General manager Kevin Colbert League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1943; 1945-1949) Western Division (1944) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Century Division (1967-1969) American Football... City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Team colors Midnight Green, Black, White, and Silver Head Coach Andy Reid Owner Jeffrey Lurie General manager Tom Heckert Fight song Fly, Eagles Fly Mascot Swoop League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Capitol... City Tampa, Florida Other nicknames The Bucs, Pewter Pirates Team colors Buccaneer Red, Pewter, Black, and Orange Head Coach Jon Gruden Owner Malcolm Glazer General manager Bruce Allen Mascot Captain Fear League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1976–present) American Football Conference (1976) AFC West (1976) National Football Conference (1977...

The season ended with Super Bowl XXXVI when the New England Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams. Date February 3, 2002 Stadium Louisiana Superdome City New Orleans, Louisiana MVP Tom Brady, Quarterback (New England) Favorite Rams by 14 National anthem Mariah Carey Coin toss George H. W. Bush and Roger Staubach Referee Bernie Kukar Halftime show U2 Attendance 72,922 TV in the United States Network FOX... City Foxboro, Massachusetts Other nicknames The Pats Team colors Nautical Blue, New Century Silver, Red, and White Head Coach Bill Belichick Owner Robert Kraft Mascot Pat Patriot League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960–69) Eastern Division (1960–69) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC... City St. ...

Major rule changes

• Fumble recoveries will be awarded at the spot of the recovery, not where the player's momentum carries him.
• Taunting rules will be strictly enforced.
• Roughing the passer will be strictly enforced.

Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

The AFC East refers to the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference of the National Football League. ... City Foxboro, Massachusetts Other nicknames The Pats Team colors Nautical Blue, New Century Silver, Red, and White Head Coach Bill Belichick Owner Robert Kraft Mascot Pat Patriot League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960–69) Eastern Division (1960–69) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC... City Miami Gardens, Florida Other nicknames The Fins, The Fish Team colors Aqua Green, Coral Orange, Navy Blue, and White Head Coach Nick Saban Owner Wayne Huizenga General manager Randy Mueller Mascot T. D. League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1966-1969) Eastern Division (1966-1969) National Football League (1970... City East Rutherford, New Jersey Other nicknames Gang Green Team colors Green and White Head Coach Eric Mangini Owner Robert Wood Johnson IV General manager Mike Tannenbaum League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960-1969) Eastern Division (1960-1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970-present) AFC... City Indianapolis, Indiana Team colors Speed Blue and White Head Coach Tony Dungy Owner Jim Irsay General manager Bill Polian Mascot Blue League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1953–present) Western Conference (1953-1969) Coastal Division (1967-1969) American Football Conference (1970-present) AFC East (1970-2001) AFC South (2002... City Orchard Park, New York Team colors Dark Navy, Red, Royal, Nickel, and White Head Coach Dick Jauron Owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. ... The AFC Central was a division of the National Football Leagues American Football Conference from 1970 to 2001. ... City Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Team colors Black and Gold Head Coach Bill Cowher Owner Dan Rooney General manager Kevin Colbert League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1943; 1945-1949) Western Division (1944) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Century Division (1967-1969) American Football... City Baltimore, Maryland Team colors Purple, Black, and Gold Head Coach Brian Billick Owner Steve Bisciotti General manager Ozzie Newsome Mascot Edgar, Allan, and Poe League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1996–present) American Football Conference (1996-present) AFC Central (1996-2001) AFC North (2002-present) Team history Baltimore Ravens... This article is becoming very long. ... City Nashville, Tennessee Team colors Navy, Titans Blue, White, and Red Head Coach Jeff Fisher Owner Bud Adams General manager Floyd Reese Mascot T-Rac League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960-1969) Eastern Division (1960-1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970-present) AFC Central (1970... City Jacksonville, Florida Other nicknames The Jags Team colors Teal, Black, and Gold Head Coach Jack Del Rio Owner Wayne Weaver General manager James Harris Mascot Jaxson de Ville League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1995–present) American Football Conference (1995-present) AFC Central (1995-2001) AFC South (2002-present... City Cincinnati, Ohio Team colors Black, Orange and White Head Coach Marvin Lewis Owner Mike Brown Mascot Who Dey League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1968-1969) Western Division (1968-1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970-present) AFC Central (1970-2001) AFC North (2002-present) Team... The AFC West is a division of the National Football Leagues American Football Conference. ... City Oakland, California Team colors Silver and Black Head Coach Art Shell Owner Al Davis General manager Michael Lombardi League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960-1969) Western Division (1960-1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970-present) AFC West (1970-present) Team history Oakland Raiders (1960... City Seattle, Washington Team colors Pacific Blue, Navy Blue, Neon Green, White Head Coach Mike Holmgren Owner Paul Allen General manager Tim Ruskell Mascot Blitz, and Taima the augur hawk League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1976–present) American Football Conference (1977-2001) AFC West (1977-2001) National Football Conference... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... City Kansas City, Missouri Team colors Red, Yellow, and White Head Coach Herman Edwards Owner Lamar Hunt General manager Carl Peterson Mascot K.C. Wolf (1989-present) Warpaint (1963-1988) League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960-1969) Western Division (1960-1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference... City San Diego, California Other nicknames Bolts, Super Chargers Team colors Navy Blue, White, and Gold Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer Owner Alex Spanos George Pernicano (Minority owner (3%)) General manager A.J. Smith Fight song San Diego Super Chargers League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960-1969) Western Division (1960... The NFC East refers to the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League. ... City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Team colors Midnight Green, Black, White, and Silver Head Coach Andy Reid Owner Jeffrey Lurie General manager Tom Heckert Fight song Fly, Eagles Fly Mascot Swoop League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Capitol... City Landover, Maryland Other nicknames The Skins Team colors Burgundy and Gold Head Coach Joe Gibbs Owner Daniel Snyder General manager Vinny Cerrato Fight song Hail to the Redskins League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1932–present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Capitol... City East Rutherford, New Jersey Other nicknames Big Blue Wrecking Crew, Big Blue, G-Men, The Jints, The New York Football Giants, Jersey Giants Team colors Royal Blue, Red, Gray, and White Head Coach Tom Coughlin Owner The Mara and Tisch Families General manager Ernie Accorsi League/Conference affiliations National... City Glendale, Arizona Other nicknames The Cards, The Birds, Big Red Team colors Cardinal Red, Black, and White Head Coach Dennis Green Owner Bidwill Family General manager Rod Graves Mascot Big Red League/Conference affiliations Independent (1898-1919) National Football League (1920–present) Western Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950... City Irving, Texas Other nicknames The Boys, Americas Team Team colors Royal Blue, Navy Blue, Silver-Green, Silver, and White Head Coach Bill Parcells Owner Jerry Jones General manager Jerry Jones Mascot Rowdy [1] League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1960–present) Western Conference (1960) Eastern Conference (1961-1969... The NFC Central refers to the Central Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League. ... City Chicago, Illinois Other nicknames Da Bears, The Monsters of the Midway Team colors Navy Blue, Orange and White Head Coach Lovie Smith Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman Michael McCaskey General manager Jerry Angelo Fight song Bear Down, Chicago Bears Mascot Staley Da Bear League/Conference affiliations Independent (1919) National... City Green Bay, Wisconsin Team colors Dark Green, Gold, and White Head Coach Mike McCarthy Owner 111,967 stockholders Chairman Bob Harlan General manager Ted Thompson Fight song Go! You Packers! Go! League/Conference affiliations Independent (1919-1920) National Football League (1921–present) Western Division (1933-1949) National Conference (1950... City Tampa, Florida Other nicknames The Bucs, Pewter Pirates Team colors Buccaneer Red, Pewter, Black, and Orange Head Coach Jon Gruden Owner Malcolm Glazer General manager Bruce Allen Mascot Captain Fear League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1976–present) American Football Conference (1976) AFC West (1976) National Football Conference (1977... City Minneapolis, Minnesota Other nicknames The Vikes, The Purple People Eaters Team colors Purple, Gold, and White Head Coach Brad Childress Owner Zygi Wilf General manager Rob Brzezinski Mascot Ragnar League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1961–present) Western Conference (1961-1969) Central Division (1967-1969) National Football Conference (1970... City Detroit, Michigan Team colors Honolulu Blue, Silver, and Black Head Coach Rod Marinelli Owner William Clay Ford, Sr. ... The NFC West refers to the Western Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League. ... City St. ... City San Francisco, California Other nicknames Niners Team colors Cardinal Red, Metallic Gold and Black Head Coach Mike Nolan Owner Denise DeBartolo York and John York General manager none Mascot Sourdough Sam League/Conference affiliations All-America Football Conference (1946-1949) Western Division (1946-1948) National Football League (1950–present... City New Orleans, Louisiana Team colors Old Gold, Black, and White Head Coach Sean Payton Owner Tom Benson General manager Mickey Loomis Mascot Gumbo League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1967–present) Eastern Conference (1967-1969) Capitol Division (1967; 1969) Century Division (1968) National Football Conference (1970-present) NFC West... City Atlanta, Georgia Team colors Black, Red, Silver, and White Head Coach Jim L. Mora Owner Arthur Blank General manager Rich McKay Mascot Freddie Falcon League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1966–present) Eastern Conference (1966) Western Conference (1967-69) Coastal Division (1967-1969) National Football Conference (1970-present) NFC... City Charlotte, North Carolina Other nicknames The Cardiac Cats Team colors Black, Panther Blue, and Silver Head Coach John Fox Owner Jerry Richardson General manager Marty Hurney Mascot Sir Purr League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1995–present) National Football Conference (1995-present) NFC West (1995-2001) NFC South (2002...

Tiebreakers

• New England finished ahead of Miami in the AFC East based on better division record (6-2 to Dolphins' 5-3).
• Cleveland finished ahead of Tennessee in the AFC Central based on better division record (5-5 to Titans' 3-7).
• Jacksonville finished ahead of Cincinnati in the AFC Central based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
• N.Y. Giants finished ahead of Arizona in the NFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
• New Orleans finished ahead of Atlanta in the NFC West based on better division record (4-4 to Falcons' 3-5).
• Baltimore was the second AFC Wild Card based on better record against common opponents (3-2 to Jets' 2-2).
• Green Bay was the first NFC Wild Card based on better conference record (9-3 to 49ers' 8-4).

Playoffs

Main article: NFL playoffs, 2001-02

Home team in capitals

The NFL playoffs following the 2001 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXVI. For the first time, the NFL scheduled prime time playoff games for the first two rounds in an attempt to attract more television viewers. ...

AFC

• Wild-Card playoffs: OAKLAND 38, N.Y. Jets 24; Baltimore 20, MIAMI 3
• Divisional playoffs: NEW ENGLAND 16, Oakland 13 (OT); PITTSBURGH 27, Baltimore 10
• AFC Championship: New England 24, PITTSBURGH 17

NFC

• Wild-Card playoffs: PHILADELPHIA 31, Tampa Bay 9; GREEN BAY 25, San Francisco 15
• Divisional playoffs: Philadelphia 33, CHICAGO 19; ST. LOUIS 45, Green Bay 17
• NFC Championship: ST. LOUIS 29, Philadelphia 24

Super Bowl

• Super Bowl XXXVI: New England (AFC) 20, St. Louis (NFC) 17 at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Date February 3, 2002 Stadium Louisiana Superdome City New Orleans, Louisiana MVP Tom Brady, Quarterback (New England) Favorite Rams by 14 National anthem Mariah Carey Coin toss George H. W. Bush and Roger Staubach Referee Bernie Kukar Halftime show U2 Attendance 72,922 TV in the United States Network FOX... The Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, The Dome or even the New Orleans Superdome is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA (). The Superdome is the current home of the NFLs New... Nickname: The Crescent City, The Big Easy, The City That Care Forgot, NOLA (acronym for New Orleans, LA) Location in the State of Louisiana and the United States Coordinates: Country United States State Louisiana Parish Orleans Founded 1718 Mayor Ray Nagin (D) Area    - City 350. ...

Statistical leaders

Team

Individual

Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American football player in the National Football League. ... Jason Elam (born March 8, 1970 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida) is an American football player, currently a placekicker with the Denver Broncos. ... Priest Anthony Holmes (born October 7, 1973 in Fort Smith, Arkansas) is an American football running back who currently plays for the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. Holmes was raised in San Antonio, Texas. ... Kurtis (Kurt) Eugene Warner (b. ... Roderick Rod Smith (born May 15, 1970, in Texarkana, Arkansas) is an American football player who currently plays wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the NFL. Interestingly, he played quarterback and not wide receiver at Missouri Southern State University. ... David Boston (born August 19, 1978) is an American Football player who currently plays wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. Boston graduated from Humble High School in Humble, Texas. ... Troy Fitzgerald Brown (born July 2, 1971 in Barnwell, South Carolina) is a professional American football player. ... Jamael Orondé Barber (born April 7, 1975 in Roanoke, Virginia) is an American football player who currently plays as a cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. He is the identical twin brother of New York Giants running back Tiki Barber. ... Todd Sauerbrun (born January 4, 1973 in Setauket, New York) is an American football player. ... Michael Anthony Strahan (born November 21, 1971, in Houston, Texas) is an American Football player who currently plays Defensive End for the New York Giants of the National Football League. ...

Awards

The NFL Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press, to the player who has contributed the most to the success of the players team. ... Kurtis (Kurt) Eugene Warner (b. ... NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. ... The NFL Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by the Associated Press to the NFL coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. ... Dick Jauron (b. ... The NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award is given annually by the Associated Press to the offensive player who had the most outstanding season. ... Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American football player in the National Football League. ... High school running back A running back, halfback or tailback is the position of a player on an American and Canadian football team who lines up in the offensive backfield. ... The NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the leagues most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. ... Michael Anthony Strahan (born November 21, 1971, in Houston, Texas) is an American Football player who currently plays Defensive End for the New York Giants of the National Football League. ... Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American football. ... Since 1967 The Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to NFL American football players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. ... Anthony Jermaine Thomas (born November 7, 1977 in Winnfield, Louisiana) is an American football running back who plays for the Buffalo Bills (NFL). ... Since 1967 The Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to NFL American football players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. ... Kendrell Alexander Bell (born July 2, 1980 in Augusta, Georgia) is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. Previously, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. ... A linebacker is a position in American and Canadian football. ... The NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has been given out after every season since 1972, except for 1985 when no winner was selected. ... Garrison Hearst (born January 4, 1971) was a running back that last played for the NFLs Denver Broncos in 2004. ...

References

• NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
• NFL History 2001- (Last accessed October 17, 2005)
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
• Steelers Fever - History of NFL Rules (Last accessed October 17, 2005)