1981 Cincinnati Bengals season explained

Team:Cincinnati Bengals
Year:1981
Record:12–4
Division Place:1st AFC Central
Coach:Forrest Gregg
General Manager:Paul Brown
Owner:Paul Brown
Stadium:Riverfront Stadium
Playoffs:Won Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Bills) 28–21
Won AFC Championship
(vs. Chargers) 27–7
Lost Super Bowl XVI
(vs. 49ers) 21–26
Shortnavlink:Bengals seasons

The 1981 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 14th overall. The team won their first AFC Championship, but lost Super Bowl XVI to San Francisco.

Cincinnati had at least a share of the AFC Central lead the entire season. On December 13, quarterback Ken Anderson threw two touchdown passes as the Bengals clinched the division with a 17–10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals' only other rival for the division title by that point in the season.

Ken Anderson led the NFL in passing in 1981 with a 98.5 rating.

On January 3, 1982, the Bengals beat Buffalo, 28–21, in an AFC divisional playoff game. A week later, playing in their first AFC Championship Game in brutally cold weather, the Bengals defeated San Diego 27–7 at Riverfront Stadium. In a temperature of with a wind-chill factor of, this game is referred to as the Freezer Bowl.

In Super Bowl XVI on January 24, 1982, in Pontiac, Michigan, the Bengals trailed 20–0 at halftime and lost to San Francisco, 26–21.

Offseason

Before the season, the Bengals unveiled new uniforms with tiger-striped helmets, jerseys and pants.

NFL Draft

See main article: article and 1981 NFL Draft. [1]

Undrafted free agents

1981 Undrafted Free Agents of note!Player!Position!College
Ken BrownWide receiverNebraska
Jim DestefanoLinebackerCornell
Dennis DunnSafetyYale

Personnel

Roster

[2] [3]

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultLocationTV Time(EST)TV AnnouncersAttendance
1September 6Seattle SeahawksW 27–21Riverfront StadiumNBC 1:00 pm41,177
2September 13at New York JetsW 31–30Shea StadiumNBC 4:00pmCharlie Jones & Len Dawson49,454
3September 20Cleveland BrownsL 20–17Riverfront StadiumNBC 1:00 pm Bob Costas & Bob Trumpy52,170
4September 27Buffalo BillsW 27–24Riverfront StadiumNBC 1:00 pmJay Randolph & Mike Haffner46,418
5October 4at Houston OilersL 17–10AstrodomeNBC 1:00 pmMarv Albert & Jim Turner44,350
6October 11at Baltimore ColtsW 41–19Memorial StadiumNBC 1:00 pmBob Costas & Bob Trumpy33,060
7October 18Pittsburgh SteelersW 34–7Riverfront StadiumNBC 1:00 pmDon Criqui & John Brodie57,090
8October 25at New Orleans SaintsL 17–7Louisiana SuperdomeNBC 1:00 pmMike Adamle & Mike Haffner46,336
9November 1Houston OilersW 34–21Riverfront StadiumNBC 1:00 pmBob Costas & Bob Trumpy54,736
10November 8W 40–17Jack Murphy StadiumNBC 4:00 pmDick Enberg & Merlin Olsen51,259
11November 15Los Angeles RamsW 24–10Riverfront StadiumCBS 1:00 pmVin Scully & Hank Stram56,836
12November 22Denver BroncosW 38–21Riverfront StadiumNBC 1:00 pmBob Costas & Gene Washington57,207
13November 29at Cleveland BrownsW 41–21Cleveland StadiumNBC 1:00 pmBob Costas & Bob Trumpy75,186
14December 6L 21–3Riverfront StadiumCBS 1:00 pmTim Ryan & Fred Dryer56,796
15December 13at Pittsburgh SteelersW 17–10Three Rivers StadiumNBC 1:00 pmDon Criqui & John Brodie50,623
16December 20W 30–28Fulton County StadiumNBC 4:00 pmCharlie Jones & Len Dawson35,972

Game summaries

Week 1

[4]

Week 13

[5]

Week 16

Playoffs

WeekDateOpponentResultLocationTV Time(EST)TV AnnouncersAttendance
DivisionalJanuary 3, 1982Buffalo BillsW 28–21Riverfront StadiumNBC 1:00pmDick Enberg & Merlin Olsen55,420
Conference ChampionshipJanuary 10, 1982San Diego ChargersW 27–7Riverfront StadiumNBC 1:00pmDick Enberg & Merlin Olsen46,302
Super BowlJanuary 24, 1982N San Francisco 49ersL 26–21Pontiac SilverdomeCBS 4:00pmPat Summerall & John Madden81,270

Super Bowl

Standings

Awards and records

Milestones

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1981 Cincinnati Bengals draftees . Pro-Football-Reference.com . October 6, 2014 .
  2. Web site: 1981 Cincinnati Bengals starters, roster, and players . Pro-Football-Reference.com . October 8, 2014.
  3. News: Team rosters . Spokane Chronicle . (Washington) . January 23, 1982 . 12.
  4. Web site: Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals - September 6th, 1981 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . February 7, 2022.
  5. Web site: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns - November 29th, 1981 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . February 7, 2022.
  6. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,, p. 400
  7. Web site: The Bert Bell Award . . February 7, 2022.
  8. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,, p. 37
  9. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,, p. 447
  10. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,, p. 442
  11. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,, p. 437

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