The Eighties Club
The Politics and Pop Culture of the 1980s
NFL 1981
W-L-T: Win-Loss-Tie.....PF: Points For.....PA: Points Against.....Conf: Conference record.....Div: Division record.....
x: division champ.....y: wildcard.....FG: Field Goals.....PAT: Points After Touchdown.....TP: Total Points
The Standings
Team
W-L-T
PF
PA
Home
Away
Conf
Div
x/y
AFC East
Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
Buffalo Bills
Indianapolis Colts
New England Patriots
11-4-1
10-5-1
10-6-0
2-14-0
2-14-0
345
355
311
259
322
275
287
276
533
370
5-3-0
4-3-1
3-5-0
1-7-0
0-8-0
6-1-1
6-2-0
7-1-0
1-7-0
2-6-0
8-3-1
8-5-1
9-3-0
2-10-0
2-10-0
5-2-1
6-1-1
6-2-0
2-6-0
0-8-0
x
y
y
AFC Central
Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers
Houston Oilers
Cleveland Browns
12-4-0
8-8-0
7-9-0
5-11-0
421
356
281
276
304
297
355
375
6-2-0
3-5-0
2-6-0
2-6-0
6-2-0
5-3-0
5-3-0
3-5-0
10-2-0
5-7-0
6-6-0
2-10-0
4-2-0
3-3-0
4-2-0
1-5-0
x
AFC West
San Diego Chargers
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
10-6-0
10-6-0
9-7-0
7-9-0
6-10-0
478
321
343
273
322
390
289
290
343
388
5-3-0
2-6-0
4-4-0
3-5-0
1-7-0
5-3-0
8-0-0
5-3-0
4-4-0
5-3-0
8-4-0
7-5-0
7-5-0
5-7-0
6-8-0
6-2-0
5-3-0
5-3-0
2-6-0
2-6-0
x
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants
Washington Redskins
St. Louis Cardinals
12-4-0
10-6-0
9-7-0
8-8-0
7-9-0
367
368
295
347
315
277
221
257
349
408
4-4-0
4-4-0
5-3-0
3-5-0
2-6-0
8-0-0
6-2-0
4-4-0
5-3-0
5-3-0
8-4-0
7-5-0
8-6-0
6-6-0
4-8-0
6-2-0
4-4-0
5-3-0
3-5-0
2-6-0
x
y
y
NFC Central
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Chicago Bears
9-7-0
8-8-0
8-8-0
7-9-0
6-10-0
315
397
324
325
253
268
322
361
369
324
3-5-0
1-7-0
4-4-0
2-6-0
2-6-0
6-2-0
7-1-0
4-4-0
5-3-0
4-4-0
9-3-0
6-6-0
7-7-0
6-6-0
2-10-0
6-2-0
4-4-0
4-4-0
4-4-0
2-6-0
x
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers
Atlanta Falcons
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
13-3-0
7-9-0
6-10-0
4-12-0
357
426
303
207
250
355
351
378
6-2-0
3-5-0
2-6-0
2-6-0
7-1-0
4-4-0
4-4-0
2-6-0
10-2-0
6-6-0
5-7-0
2-10-0
5-1-0
3-3-0
2-4-0
2-4-0
x

The Playoffs

1st Round
Buffalo 31, NY Jets 27
Divisional
San Diego 41, Miami 38
Cincinnati 28, Buffalo 21
Championship
Cincinnati 27, San Diego 7

1st Round
NY Giants 27, Philadelphia 21
Divisional
Dallas 38, Tampa Bay 0
San Francisco 38, NY Giants 24
Championship
San Francisco 28, Dallas 27

XVI - Pontiac, Michigan 1/24/82
San Francisco 49ers 26 - Cincinnati Bengals 21
Attendance: 81,270
MVP: Joe Montana
Winning Coach: Bill Walsh
In this, the first NFL championship for the 49ers, QB Joe Montana led an almost flawless San Francisco attack in the first half, including a 92-yard scoring drive, the longest in Super Bowl history. The 49ers led 20-0 at the half, but Cincinnati made a game of it in the second half, scoring 14 unanswered points. Cincinnati gained 356 yards to San Francisco's 275 -- the first time the losing team gained more yards than the victor.


Individual Statistical Leaders for 1981

Rushing
AFC: Earl Campbell, Houston
(361 Carries, 1376 Yards, 3.8 Av., 10 TDs)
NFC: George Rogers, New Orleans
(378 Carries, 1674 Yards, 4.4 Av., 13 TDs)

Scoring
AFC: Jim Breech, Cincinnati
(22 FG, 49 PAT, 115 TP)
Nick Lowery, Kansas City
(26 FG, 37 PAT, 115 TP)
NFC: Ed Murray, Detroit
(25 FG, 46 PAT, 121 TP)
Rafael Septien, Dallas
(27 FG, 40 PAT, 121 TP)

Passing
AFC: Ken Anderson, Cincinnati
(479 Att., 300 Comp., 3754 Yards, 29 TDs, 10 Int.)
NFC: Joe Montana, San Francisco
(488 Att., 311 Comp., 3565 Yards, 19 TDs, 12 Int.)

Pass Receiving
AFC: Kellen Winslow, San Diego
(88 Rec., 1075 Yards, 12.2 Av. 10 TDs)
NFC: Dwight Clark, San Francisco
(85 Rec., 1105 Yards, 13.0 Av., 4 TDs)