1981 NFL season

1981 NFL season

Regular season
Duration	September 6 – December 21, 1981
Playoffs
Start date	December 27, 1981
AFC Champions	Cincinnati Bengals
NFC Champions	San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XVI
Date	January 24, 1982
Site	Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
Champions	San Francisco 49ers
Pro Bowl
Date	January 31, 1982
Site	Aloha Stadium
← 1980 NFL seasons 1982 →

The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 26–21 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan.

The 1981 NFL draft was held from April 28 to 29, 1981, at New York City's Sheraton Hotel. With the first pick, the New Orleans Saints selected running back George Rogers from the University of South Carolina.

Cal Lepore, the line judge for Super Bowl III and referee for the Miracle at the Meadowlands, retired after the 1980 season. He would later become supervisor of officials in the United States Football League and a replay official in the NFL when it was adopted in 1986. Tom Dooley, who was assigned Super Bowl XV as line judge at the end of the 1981 season, was promoted to referee to replace Lepore.

• It is illegal for any player to put adhesive or slippery substances such as the product "Stickum" on his body, equipment or uniform. This rule is known as both the "Lester Hayes Rule" and the "Fred Biletnikoff Rule" since both players were notorious for using sticky substances to make it easier for them to intercept/catch passes.
• An offensive player who comes into the game wearing an illegal number for the position he takes must report to the referee before the start of the next play.
• The penalty for an ineligible receiver who touches a forward pass is a loss of down.
• The penalty for illegal use of hands, arms, or body (including holding) is reduced from 15 yards to 10 yards.
• The penalty for intentional grounding is modified: loss of down and 10 yards penalty from the previous spot, or if the foul occurs more than 10 yards from the line of scrimmage, loss of down at the spot of the foul.
• Officials began wearing numbers 21 through 25 within their position groups after going no higher than number 20 in 1979 and 1980.

• July 1, 1981: Linebacker Rusty Chambers, the Miami Dolphins leading tackler in 1978 and 1979, died in an automobile accident. ^[1]

Inter-conference AFC East vs NFC East AFC Central vs NFC West AFC West vs NFC Central

From 1970 to 2001, there were three divisions (Eastern, Central and Western) in each conference. The winners of each division, and a fourth "wild card" team based on the best non-division winner, qualified for the playoffs. The tiebreaker rules were changed to start with head-to-head competition, followed by division records, records against common opponents, and records in conference play.

Week[2]	Eastern		Central		Western		Wild Card (Home)		Wild Card (Road)
1	Philadelphia, Dallas	1–0–0	Det, GB, TB	1–0–0	Atlanta	1–0–0	6 teams	1–0–0	6 teams	1–0–0
2	Philadelphia, Dallas	2–0–0	Det, GB, TB	1–1–0	Atlanta	2–0–0	Six teams	1–1–0	Six teams	1–1–0
3	Philadelphia, Dallas	3–0–0	All Five Teams	1–2–0	Atlanta	3–0–0	NY Giants	2–1–0	8 Other Teams	1-2-0
4	Philadelphia, Dallas	4–0–0	Det, Min, TB	2–2–0	Atlanta	3–1–0	6 Teams	2–2–0	6 Teams	2–2–0
5	Philadelphia	5–0–0	Minnesota, Tampa Bay	3–2–0	Atlanta, LA, SF	3–2–0	Dallas	4–1–0	5 Other Teams	3-2-0
6	Philadelphia	6–0–0	Minnesota, Tampa Bay	4–2–0	LA, San Fran	4–2–0	Dallas, Minnesota	4–2–0	San Fran, LA	4–2–0
7	Philadelphia	6–1–0	Minnesota	5–2–0	San Fran	5–2–0	Dallas	5–2–0	3 Other Teams	4-3-0
8	Philadelphia	7–1–0	Minnesota	5–3–0	San Fran	6–2–0	Dallas	6–2–0	NY Giants	5-3-0
9	Philadelphia, Dallas	7–2–0	Minnesota, Tampa Bay	5–4–0	San Fran	7–2–0	Philadelphia, Dallas	6–3–0	Atl, LA, Min, NYG, TB	5-4-0
10	Philadelphia, Dallas	8–2–0	Minnesota	6–4–0	San Fran	8–2–0	Philadelphia, Dallas	7–3–0	Atl, LA, NYG, TB	5–5–0
11	Philadelphia	9–2–0	Minnesota	7–4–0	San Fran	8–3–0	Dallas	8–3–0	7 teams	5-6-0
12	Philadelphia, Dallas	9–3–0	Minnesota	7–5–0	San Fran	9–3–0	Philadelphia, Dallas	9–3–0	Atl, Det, NYG, TB	6-6-0
13	Dallas	10–3–0	Det, Min, TB	7–6–0	San Fran	9–4–0	Philadelphia	9–4–0	Atl, Det, Min, TB	7–6–0
14	Dallas	11–3–0	Tampa Bay	8–6–0	San Fran	10–4–0	Philadelphia	9–5–0	Atl, Det, GB, Min, NYG, StL	7–7–0
15	Dallas	12–3–0	Det, Min, TB	8–7–0	San Fran	12–3–0	Philadelphia	9–6–0	Det, GB, NYG, TB	8–7–0
16	Dallas	12–4–0	Tampa Bay	9–7–0	San Fran	13–3–0	Philadelphia	10–6–0	NY Giants	9–7–0

Week[3]	Eastern		Central		Western		Wild Card (Home)		Wild Card (Road)
1	Baltimore, Buffalo, Miami	1–0–0	Cincinnati, Houston	1–0–0	Denver, KC, SD	1–0–0	7 teams	1–0–0	7 teams	1–0–0
2	Miami	2–0–0	Cincinnati, Houston	2–0–0	KC, SD	2–0–0	6 teams	2–0–0	6 teams	2–0–0
3	Miami	3–0–0	Cincinnati, Houston	2–1–0	San Diego	3–0–0	6 teams	2–1–0	6 teams	2–1–0
4	Miami	4–0–0	Cincinnati	3–1–0	Denver, KC, SD	3–1–0	Denver, KC, SD	3–1–0	Buf, Cle, Pit, Hou, Oak	2–2–0
5	Miami	4–0–1	Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh	3–2–0	Denver, SD	4–1–0	Denver, SD	4–1–0	Buf, Cin, Hou, KC, Pit	3-2-0
6	Miami	4–1–1	Cincinnati, Pittsburgh	4–2–0	Denver	5–1–0	Buffalo	4–2–0	Hou, Pit, SD, KC	4-2-0
7	Miami	5–1–1	Cincinnati	5–2–0	Denver, KC, SD	5–2–0	Denver, KC, SD	5–2–0	Buf, Hou, KC, Pit	4-3-0
8	Miami	5–2–1	Cincinnati, Pittsburgh	5–3–0	Kansas City	6–2–0	Buffalo	5–3–0	Cin, Den, Pit	5-3-0
9	Miami	6–2–1	Cincinnati	6–3–0	Denver, KC, SD	6–3–0	Buffalo	6–3–0	Denver, KC, SD	6-3-0
10	Miami	7–2–1	Cincinnati	7–3–0	Denver	7–3–0	San Diego	6–4–0	Buffalo, KC	6–4–0
11	Miami	7–3–1	Cincinnati	8–3–0	Denver, KC	7–4–0	Denver, KC	7–4–0	NY Jets	6–4–1
12	Miami, NY Jets	7–4–1	Cincinnati	9–3–0	Denver, KC	8–4–0	Denver, KC	8–4–0	Miami, NY Jets	7–4–1
13	Miami, NY Jets	8–4–1	Cincinnati	10–3–0	Denver, KC, SD	8–5–0	Miami, NY Jets	8–4–1	Buf, Den, KC, Pit, SD	8–5–0
14	Miami	9–4–1	Cincinnati	10–4–0	Denver	9–5–0	Buffalo	9–5–0	NY Jets	8–5–1
15	Miami	10–4–1	Cincinnati	11–4–0	Denver	10–5–0	Buffalo	10–5–0	NY Jets	9–5–1
16	Miami	11–4–1	Cincinnati	12–4–0	San Diego	10–6–0	NY Jets	10–5–1	Buffalo	10–6–0

• Baltimore finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
• San Diego finished ahead of Denver in the AFC West based on better division record (6–2 to Broncos' 5–3).
• Buffalo was the second AFC Wild Card based on head-to-head victory over Denver (1–0).
• Detroit finished ahead of Green Bay in the NFC Central based on better record against common opponents (4–4 to Packers' 3–5).

						Jan 2 – Texas Stadium
						3	Tampa Bay	0
	Dec 27 – Veterans Stadium										Jan 10 – Candlestick Park
						2	Dallas	38
						NFC
	5	NY Giants	27								2	Dallas	27
						Jan 3 – Candlestick Park
	4	Philadelphia	21								1	San Francisco	28
											NFC Championship
						5	NY Giants	24
																Jan 24 – Pontiac Silverdome
						1	San Francisco	38
						Divisional playoffs
	Wild Card playoffs															N1	San Francisco	26
						Jan 2 – Miami Orange Bowl
																A1	Cincinnati	21
																Super Bowl XVI
						3	San Diego	41*
	Dec 27 – Shea Stadium										Jan 10 – Riverfront Stadium
						2	Miami	38
						AFC
	5	Buffalo	31								3	San Diego	7
						Jan 3 – Riverfront Stadium
	4	NY Jets	27								1	Cincinnati	27
											AFC Championship
						5	Buffalo	21
						1	Cincinnati	28

* Indicates OT victory

• Most Passes Attempted, Season, 709

Minnesota Vikings

• Most Punts, Season, 114

Chicago Bears

• Most Yards, Punt Returns, Both Teams, Game, 282

Los Angeles Rams (219) vs Atlanta Falcons (63), Oct 11, 1981

• Most Touchdowns, Passing, Single Team, Game, 7

San Diego Chargers (vs Oakland Raiders) Nov 22, 1981

• Most Touchdowns, Punt Returns, Single Team, Game, 2

Los Angeles Rams (vs Atlanta Falcons) Oct 11, 1981

The 1981 Baltimore Colts were one of the worst defenses in NFL history; they set five dubious defensive records:

• Most Points Allowed, Season, 533
• Most Touchdowns Allowed, Season, 68
• Most First Downs Allowed Season, 406
• Most Yards Allowed, Season, 6,793
• Fewest Punt Returns, Season, 12

Points scored	San Diego Chargers (478)
Total yards gained	San Diego Chargers (6,744)
Yards rushing	Detroit Lions (2,795)
Yards passing	San Diego Chargers (4,739)
Fewest points allowed	Philadelphia Eagles (221)
Fewest total yards allowed	Philadelphia Eagles (4,447)
Fewest rushing yards allowed	Detroit Lions (1,623)
Fewest passing yards allowed	Philadelphia Eagles (2,696)

Most Valuable Player	Ken Anderson, quarterback, Cincinnati
Coach of the Year	Bill Walsh, San Francisco
Offensive Player of the Year	Ken Anderson, quarterback, Cincinnati
Defensive Player of the Year	Lawrence Taylor, linebacker, NY Giants
Offensive Rookie of the Year	George Rogers, running back, New Orleans
Defensive Rookie of the Year	Lawrence Taylor, linebacker, NY Giants
Man of the Year	Lynn Swann, wide receiver, Pittsburgh
Comeback Player of the Year	Ken Anderson, quarterback, Cincinnati
Super Bowl Most Valuable Player	Joe Montana, quarterback, San Francisco

• Denver Broncos: Dan Reeves replaced the fired Red Miller.
• Houston Oilers: Bum Phillips was fired and replaced by Ed Biles.
• New Orleans Saints: Bum Phillips joined the Saints after being fired by the Oilers. Dick Nolan was fired after a 0–12 start in 1980, and Dick Stanfel took over as interim.
• Washington Redskins: Joe Gibbs replaced Jack Pardee.

The home of the San Diego Chargers, San Diego Stadium, was renamed Jack Murphy Stadium in memory of local sportswriter Jack Murphy

• The Cincinnati Bengals made significant modifications to their uniforms for the first time since the team's debut in 1968, discontinuing the design similar to the Cleveland Browns' jerseys. Orange and black tiger stripes adorned the shoulder stripes of the jersey and the side striping of the pants. Black tiger stripes were also added to the orange helmets, replacing the Bengals wordmark.
• The Dallas Cowboys darkened the shade of their blue jerseys from royal to navy blue, with the numerals becoming silver. The Cowboys wore this blue jersey through 1994.
• The Houston Oilers resumed wearing blue pants with their white jerseys after a one-season hiatus; in addition, the team also changed their face masks from gray to red.
• The Los Angeles Rams switched from gray to navy blue face masks.

This was the fourth and final year under the league's broadcast contracts with ABC, CBS, and NBC to televise Monday Night Football, the NFC package, and the AFC package, respectively. The league then negotiated to have all three networks renew their deals for another five years.^[4]

John Madden became the lead color commentator for CBS, replacing Tom Brookshier who moved into a play-by-play role. However CBS Sports executives debated on whether Madden should be paired with incumbent lead play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall or should #2 announcer Vin Scully be promoted to the role. To resolve the situation, both Scully and Summerall were paired with Madden in four-week stretches. Scully was paired with Madden during the first four weeks of the season while Summerall was primarily covering the US Open Tennis Championships. Then Summerall called games with Madden while Scully covered the Major League Baseball playoffs for CBS Radio. After the eighth week of the NFL season, CBS Sports executives decided that Summerall had better chemistry with Madden than Scully did. Scully was later assigned as a consolation prize the NFC Championship Game. After the season, he would move to NBC to cover Major League Baseball and golf, but he decided to never call NFL games again.^[5]

Date	Time	Teams	Local TV	Announcers
September 5, 1981	8:00 PM EDT	Minnesota @ Tampa Bay	KSTP-TV (Minnesota) WTOG-TV (Tampa Bay)

^[1]

• NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
• NFL History 1981–1990 Archived October 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)