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1981 Denver Broncos
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Record: 10-6-0, Finished 1st in AFC West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 321 points (20.1/g), 17th of 28 in the NFL.
Allowed 289 points (18.1/g), 9th.
Differential of 32 points (2.0/g), 15th.
Expected W-L: 9.0-7.0.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +7 (0.4/g), 8th.
Coached by Dan Reeves (10-6-0)
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1981 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| QB | Craig Morton | 38 | 16 | 15 | 225 for 376, 3,195 yards, 21 td, 14 int, & 8 rushes for 18 yards and 0 td | Dallas Cowboys / 1st / 5th pick / 1965 |
| RB | Dave Preston | 26 | 3 | 14 | 183 rushes for 640 yards, 3 td, & 52 catches for 507 yards and 0 td | New England Patriots / 12th / 333rd pick / 1977 |
| FB | Rick Parros | 23 | Rook | 16 | 176 rushes for 749 yards, 2 td, & 25 catches for 216 yards and 1 td | Denver Broncos / 4th / 107th pick / 1980 |
| WR | Rick Upchurch | 29 | 6 | 10 | 32 catches for 550 yards, 3 td, & 5 rushes for 56 yards and 0 td | Denver Broncos / 4th / 95th pick / 1975 |
| WR | Steve Watson* | 24 | 2 | 13 | 60 catches for 1,244 yards, 13 td, & 2 rushes for 6 yards and 0 td | |
| WR | Haven Moses | 35 | 13 | 6 | 15 catches for 246 yards, 1 td | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 9th pick / 1968 |
| TE | Riley Odoms | 31 | 9 | 15 | 38 catches for 516 yards, 5 td | Denver Broncos / 1st / 5th pick / 1972 |
| TE | Ron Egloff | 26 | 4 | 6 | 17 catches for 231 yards, 1 td | |
| LT | Claudie Minor | 30 | 7 | 13 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 68th pick / 1974 |
|
| LG | Tom Glassic | 27 | 5 | 16 | 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 1st / 15th pick / 1976 |
| C | Bill Bryan | 26 | 4 | 14 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 101st pick / 1977 |
|
| RG | Paul Howard | 31 | 8 | 15 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 54th pick / 1973 |
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| RT | Dave Studdard | 26 | 2 | 16 | Baltimore Colts / 9th / 245th pick / 1978 |
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| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Barney Chavous | 30 | 8 | 16 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 36th pick / 1973 |
| NT | Rubin Carter | 29 | 6 | 16 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 5th / 121st pick / 1975 |
| RDE | Rulon Jones | 23 | 1 | 16 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 42nd pick / 1980 |
| LOLB | Bob Swenson*+ | 28 | 6 | 16 | 3 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered | |
| LILB | Larry Evans | 28 | 5 | 16 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 14th / 390th pick / 1976 |
| RILB | Randy Gradishar* | 29 | 7 | 16 | 4 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Denver Broncos / 1st / 14th pick / 1974 |
| ROLB | Tom Jackson | 30 | 8 | 16 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 4th / 88th pick / 1973 |
| LCB | Louis Wright | 28 | 6 | 8 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 1st / 17th pick / 1975 |
| RCB | Aaron Kyle | 27 | 5 | 16 | 2 interceptions, 4 fumbles recovered | Dallas Cowboys / 1st / 27th pick / 1976 |
| SS | Bill Thompson* | 35 | 12 | 16 | 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 61st pick / 1969 |
| FS | Steve Foley | 28 | 5 | 13 | 5 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 8th / 199th pick / 1975 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Fred Steinfort | 29 | 5 | 0 | 17 of 30 field goals & 36 of 37 extra points | Oakland Raiders / 5th / 146th pick / 1976 |
| P | Luke Prestridge | 25 | 2 | 0 | 86 punts for a 40.4 average, 0 blocked | Denver Broncos / 7th / 188th pick / 1979 |
| PR | Wade Manning | 26 | 2 | 0 | 41 punt returns for a 9.2 average and 0 td | |
| KR | Wade Manning | 26 | 2 | 0 | 26 kick returns for a 19.8 average and 0 td |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Boyd | 29 | DE | 15 | 0 | 274 | 6-6 | San Diego State | 9/15/1952 | 4 | New England Patriots / 6th / 170th pick / 1976 |
| Bill Bryan | 26 | C-G | 14 | 14 | 251 | 6-2 | Duke | 6/21/1955 | 4 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 101st pick / 1977 |
| Steve Busick | 23 | LB | 16 | 0 | 227 | 6-4 | USC | 12/10/1958 | Rook | Denver Broncos / 7th / 181st pick / 1981 |
| Larry Canada | 27 | RB | 16 | 0 | 233 | 6-2 | Wisconsin | 12/16/1954 | 3 | |
| Rubin Carter | 29 | NT-DT | 16 | 16 | 256 | 6-0 | Miami (FL) | 12/12/1952 | 6 | Denver Broncos / 5th / 121st pick / 1975 |
| Barney Chavous | 30 | DE-DT | 16 | 16 | 252 | 6-3 | South Carolina State | 3/22/1951 | 8 | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 36th pick / 1973 |
| Kelvin Clark | 25 | T-G | 16 | 3 | 260 | 6-3 | Nebraska | 1/30/1956 | 2 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 22nd pick / 1979 |
| Steve DeBerg | 27 | QB | 14 | 1 | 210 | 6-3 | San Jose State | 1/19/1954 | 3 | Dallas Cowboys / 10th / 275th pick / 1977 |
| Ron Egloff | 26 | TE | 16 | 6 | 230 | 6-5 | Wisconsin | 10/3/1955 | 4 | |
| Larry Evans | 28 | LB | 16 | 16 | 216 | 6-2 | Mississippi College | 7/11/1953 | 5 | Denver Broncos / 14th / 390th pick / 1976 |
| Steve Foley | 28 | DB | 16 | 13 | 189 | 6-2 | Tulane | 11/11/1953 | 5 | Denver Broncos / 8th / 199th pick / 1975 |
| Tom Glassic | 27 | G | 16 | 16 | 254 | 6-3 | Virginia | 4/17/1954 | 5 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 15th pick / 1976 |
| Randy Gradishar* | 29 | LB | 16 | 16 | 233 | 6-3 | Ohio State | 3/3/1952 | 7 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 14th pick / 1974 |
| Mike Harden | 23 | DB | 16 | 3 | 192 | 6-1 | Michigan | 2/16/1958 | 1 | Denver Broncos / 5th / 131st pick / 1980 |
| Paul Howard | 31 | G | 16 | 15 | 260 | 6-3 | BYU | 9/12/1950 | 8 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 54th pick / 1973 |
| Glenn Hyde | 30 | T-G-C | 16 | 2 | 253 | 6-3 | Pittsburgh | 3/14/1951 | 5 | |
| Tom Jackson | 30 | LB | 16 | 16 | 220 | 5-11 | Louisville | 4/4/1951 | 8 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 88th pick / 1973 |
| Rulon Jones | 23 | DE | 16 | 16 | 260 | 6-6 | Utah State | 3/25/1958 | 1 | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 42nd pick / 1980 |
| Aaron Kyle | 27 | DB | 16 | 16 | 185 | 5-11 | Wyoming | 4/6/1954 | 5 | Dallas Cowboys / 1st / 27th pick / 1976 |
| Ken Lanier | 22 | T | 8 | 1 | 281 | 6-3 | Florida State | 7/8/1959 | Rook | Denver Broncos / 5th / 125th pick / 1981 |
| Don Latimer | 26 | NT | 16 | 0 | 259 | 6-3 | Miami (FL) | 3/1/1955 | 3 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 27th pick / 1978 |
| Rob Lytle | 27 | RB | 16 | 0 | 198 | 6-1 | Michigan | 11/12/1954 | 4 | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 45th pick / 1977 |
| Wade Manning | 26 | WR-DB | 16 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | Ohio State | 7/25/1955 | 2 | |
| Brison Manor | 29 | DE | 16 | 0 | 247 | 6-4 | Arkansas | 8/10/1952 | 4 | New York Jets / 15th / 380th pick / 1975 |
| Mark Merrill | 26 | LB | 15 | 0 | 237 | 6-4 | Minnesota | 5/5/1955 | 3 | New York Jets / 2nd / 31st pick / 1978 |
| Claudie Minor | 30 | T | 13 | 13 | 280 | 6-4 | San Diego State | 4/21/1951 | 7 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 68th pick / 1974 |
| Craig Morton | 38 | QB | 15 | 15 | 214 | 6-4 | California | 2/5/1943 | 16 | Dallas Cowboys / 1st / 5th pick / 1965 |
| Haven Moses | 35 | WR-SE | 16 | 6 | 208 | 6-2 | San Diego State | 7/27/1946 | 13 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 9th pick / 1968 |
| Riley Odoms | 31 | TE | 15 | 15 | 230 | 6-4 | Houston | 3/1/1950 | 9 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 5th pick / 1972 |
| Rick Parros | 23 | RB | 16 | 16 | 200 | 5-11 | Utah State | 6/14/1958 | Rook | Denver Broncos / 4th / 107th pick / 1980 |
| Dave Preston | 26 | RB | 16 | 14 | 195 | 5-10 | Bowling Green | 5/29/1955 | 3 | New England Patriots / 12th / 333rd pick / 1977 |
| Luke Prestridge | 25 | P | 16 | 0 | 235 | 6-4 | Baylor | 9/17/1956 | 2 | Denver Broncos / 7th / 188th pick / 1979 |
| Tony Reed | 26 | RB | 15 | 0 | 197 | 5-11 | Colorado | 3/30/1955 | 4 | Kansas City Chiefs / 2nd / 37th pick / 1977 |
| Jim Ryan | 24 | LB | 16 | 0 | 217 | 6-1 | William & Mary | 5/18/1957 | 2 | |
| Dennis Smith | 22 | DB | 16 | 4 | 200 | 6-3 | USC | 2/3/1959 | Rook | Denver Broncos / 1st / 15th pick / 1981 |
| Perry Smith | 30 | DB | 12 | 4 | 195 | 6-1 | Colorado State,Mesa | 3/29/1951 | 8 | Oakland Raiders / 4th / 92nd pick / 1973 |
| Roland Solomon | 25 | DB | 4 | 0 | 193 | 6-0 | Utah | 2/6/1956 | 1 | |
| Fred Steinfort | 29 | K | 16 | 0 | 180 | 5-11 | Boston College | 11/3/1952 | 5 | Oakland Raiders / 5th / 146th pick / 1976 |
| Dave Studdard | 26 | T-G-TE | 16 | 16 | 260 | 6-4 | Texas | 11/22/1955 | 2 | Baltimore Colts / 9th / 245th pick / 1978 |
| Bob Swenson*+ | 28 | LB | 16 | 16 | 225 | 6-3 | California | 7/1/1953 | 6 | |
| Bill Thompson* | 35 | DB | 16 | 16 | 201 | 6-1 | Md-Eastern Shore | 10/10/1946 | 12 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 61st pick / 1969 |
| Steve Trimble | 23 | DB | 3 | 0 | 181 | 5-10 | Maryland | 5/11/1958 | Rook | |
| Rick Upchurch | 29 | WR | 13 | 10 | 175 | 5-10 | Minnesota | 5/20/1952 | 6 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 95th pick / 1975 |
| Steve Watson* | 24 | WR | 16 | 13 | 195 | 6-4 | Temple | 5/28/1957 | 2 | |
| James Wright | 25 | TE | 16 | 0 | 240 | 6-3 | TCU | 9/1/1956 | 3 | Atlanta Falcons / 7th / 179th pick / 1978 |
| Louis Wright | 28 | DB | 8 | 8 | 200 | 6-2 | Arizona State,San Jose State | 1/31/1953 | 6 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 17th pick / 1975 |
| Team Total | 27.3 | 16 | 223.7 | 6-2.0 | 4.5 |