1981 Cincinnati Bengals season
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.
1981 Cincinnati Bengals season | |
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Owner | Paul Brown |
General manager | Paul Brown |
Head coach | Forrest Gregg |
Home field | Riverfront Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 12–4 |
Division place | 1st AFC Central |
Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Bills) 28–21 Won AFC Championship (vs. Chargers) 27–7 Lost Super Bowl XVI (vs. 49ers) 21–26 |
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, the Bengals defeated San Diego, 27–7, at Riverfront Stadium in a temperature of nine degrees below zero with a wind-chill factor of minus-59. 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
1981 Cincinnati Bengals draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
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1 | 10 | David Verser | Wide receiver | Kansas | |
2 | 37 | Cris Collinsworth * | Wide receiver | Florida | |
3 | 64 | John Simmons | Defensive back | SMU | |
4 | 93 | Guy Frazier | Linebacker | Wyoming | |
5 | 120 | Benjie Pryor | Tight end | Pittsburgh | |
6 | 146 | Rex Robinson | Placekicker | Georgia | |
7 | 176 | Jeff Schuh | Linebacker | Minnesota | |
8 | 202 | Bobby Kemp | Defensive back | Cal State Fullerton | |
9 | 229 | Jim Hannula | Offensive tackle | Northern Illinois | |
9 | 230 | Samoa Samoa | Running back | Washington State | |
10 | 258 | Hubert Simpson | Running back | Tennessee | |
11 | 285 | Robert Jackson | Defensive back | Central Michigan | |
12 | 312 | Mark O'Connell | Quarterback | Ball State | |
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Roster
Regular season
Schedule
Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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Week 12
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Week 13
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- Pete Johnson 21 Rush, 105 Yds
Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Playoffs
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Location | TV Time(EST) | TV Announcers | Attendance |
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Divisional | January 3, 1982 | Buffalo Bills | W 28–21 | Riverfront Stadium | NBC 1:00pm | Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen | 55,420 |
Conference Championship | January 10, 1982 | San Diego Chargers | W 27–7 | Riverfront Stadium | NBC 1:00pm | Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen | 46,302 |
Super Bowl | January 24, 1982 | N San Francisco 49ers | L 26–21 | Pontiac Silverdome | CBS 4:00pm | Pat Summerall & John Madden | 81,270 |
Divisional
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Conference Championship
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Super Bowl
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Standings
AFC Central | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Cincinnati Bengals(1) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 10–2 | 421 | 304 | W2 |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 356 | 297 | L3 |
Houston Oilers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 281 | 355 | W1 |
Cleveland Browns | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 276 | 375 | L5 |
Awards and records
References
- "1981 Cincinnati Bengals draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- "1981 Cincinnati Bengals starters, roster, and players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
- "Team rosters". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). January 23, 1982. p. 12.
- "Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals - September 6th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- "Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns - November 29th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 400
- "The Bert Bell Award". Maxwell Football Club. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 37
- NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 447
- NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 442
- NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 437