Visitor:  Kansas City Chiefs

Home:  New England Patriots

Date:  September 22, 2002

 

Scoring:

Team                1          2          3          4          OT       Final

KC                  3          7          7          21        0           38

NE                   0          9          8          21        3           41

 

Visitor playmakers:

WR Eddie Kennison, RB Priest Holmes, DE Eric Hicks, LB Mike Maslowski, CB Corey Harris

 

Home playmakers:

RB Kevin Faulk, WR Troy Brown, TE Daniel Graham, WR David Patten, RB Antowain Smith, DB Tebucky Jones, LB Mike Vrabel, CB Otis Smith, DT Richard Seymour, CB Ty Law

 

Network:  CBS (KCTV Kansas City)

Announcers:  Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf

 

Pregame:  No

Halftime:  No

Postgame:  Yes

Commercials:  No

 

Grade:  9.0

 

Notes:  With the typical G-Rob defense on full display, this game turns into a shootout.  Both teams struggle in the beginning, but it’s the Chiefs that score first with a Morten Andersen field goal.  After Maz’s interception the Chiefs score again, this time with a 14-yard touchdown pass to WR Eddie Kennison.  Despite a few more penalties against his team (60 yards lost in the first quarter alone), QB Tom Brady is finally able to move his team downfield.  His eighth consecutive pass results in a touchdown by RB Kevin Faulk.  The Patriots fail on the two-point conversion attempt, however, and they trail by 4.

 

As soon as KC gets the ball back, QB Trent Green throws to Kennison on a deep route and it’s picked off by CB Otis Smith.  The Chiefs get the ball back with 1:49 left, but they go three-and-out and give the Patriots great field position on a short punt.  New England kicks a field goal and go into the locker room trailing by a point.

 

Kansas City starts the second half with a bang when WR Dante Hall returns the kickoff 57 yards, then RB Priest Holmes shreds the Patriots defense and practically walks the ball into the end zone.  Brady then picks apart the Chiefs’ pass defense, despite being hurried and sacked, and finds WR Troy Brown for a 9-yard touchdown pass.  This time the two-point conversion succeeds when RB Antowain Smith punches it in to tie the game.  KC’s next drive stalls, as does New England’s.  CB Ty Law intercepts another deep pass by Green, and New England turns in into a touchdown by TE Daniel Graham to take the lead.

 

On the next Kansas City possession, Holmes fumbles and DB Tebucky Jones recovers it on the KC 39.  The Patriots find the end zone again on a 38-yard pass to WR David Patten.  On the next drive Green finds Kennison in the end zone to cut New England’s lead to 7.  The Patriots strike right back with a 42-yard touchdown run by Antowain Smith.  The Chiefs answer with Priest Holmes from 10 yards out to pull the Chiefs within 7 points again.  Trent Green then leads his team on a masterful drive that culminates in another Holmes touchdown with no time remaining on the clock, sending the game to overtime.

 

New England wins the coin toss and wins the game on an Adam Vinatieri field goal.

 

QB Tom Brady threw for 410 yards and KC RB Priest Holmes rushed for 180.  NE WR Troy Brown sets a team record with 16 receptions.

 

Thanks Gil!

 

Running time:  3:08 (2 discs)