| Team: | New Orleans Saints |
| Year: | 1981 |
| Record: | 4–12 |
| Division Place: | 4th NFC West |
| Coach: | Bum Phillips |
| Owner: | John Mecom, Jr. |
| Stadium: | Louisiana Superdome |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers: | RB George Rogers |
| Shortnavlink: | Saints seasons |
The 1981 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' fifteenth season in the National Football League. Hoping past success would bring a bright future to New Orleans the Saints hired Bum Phillips to be their new head coach. With the first pick overall the Saints draft Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers out of South Carolina. Phillips banked on Rogers giving the Saints the same boost that Earl Campbell did when Phillips drafted him out of Texas three years earlier.
Rogers won the Offensive Rookie of the Year, as he rushed all-time rookie record of 1,674 yards, a record which was eclipsed just two years later when Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams rushed for 1,808. However, the Saints would continue to struggle finishing with a 4–12 record. It was the Saints’ thirteenth of fifteen seasons with five or fewer wins, and eighth with double-digit defeats.
Despite finishing with a poor record, they did have a couple bright moments, such as defeating the eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals in the Superdome and defeating the Houston Oilers, Bum Phillips' old team, on the road.
New Orleans swept the NFC West division rival Los Angeles Rams for the first time since they were placed in the same division for the 1970 season.
See main article: article and 1981 NFL draft. [1]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 0–27 | 0–1 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 57,406 | |
| 2 | September 13 | Los Angeles Rams | W 23–17 | 1–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 62,063 | |
| 3 | September 20 | at New York Giants | L 7–20 | 1–2 | Giants Stadium | 69,814 | |
| 4 | September 27 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 14–21 | 1–3 | Candlestick Park | 44,433 | |
| 5 | October 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 6–20 | 1–4 | Louisiana Superdome | 64,578 | |
| 6 | October 11 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 14–31 | 1–5 | Louisiana Superdome | 52,728 | |
| 7 | October 18 | at Cleveland Browns | L 17–20 | 1–6 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 76,059 | |
| 8 | October 25 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 17–7 | 2–6 | Louisiana Superdome | 46,336 | |
| 9 | November 1 | Atlanta Falcons | L 10–41 | 2–7 | Louisiana Superdome | 63,637 | |
| 10 | November 8 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 21–13 | 3–7 | Anaheim Stadium | 61,068 | |
| 11 | November 15 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 10–20 | 3–8 | Metropolitan Stadium | 45,215 | |
| 12 | November 22 | at Houston Oilers | W 27–24 | 4–8 | Houston Astrodome | 49,581 | |
| 13 | November 29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 14–31 | 4–9 | Louisiana Superdome | 62,209 | |
| 14 | December 6 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 3–30 | 4–10 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 46,923 | |
| 15 | December 13 | Green Bay Packers | L 7–35 | 4–11 | Louisiana Superdome | 45,518 | |
| 16 | December 20 | San Francisco 49ers | L 17–21 | 4–12 | Louisiana Superdome | 43,639 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||