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1981 Detroit Lions

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Record: 8-8-0, Finished 2nd in NFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 397 points (24.8/g), 4th of 28 in the NFL.
 Allowed 322 points (20.1/g), 13th.
 Differential of 75 points (4.7/g), 6th.
 Expected W-L: 9.9-6.1.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -4 (-0.2/g), 19th.

Coached by Monte Clark (8-8-0)

1981 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees

Team Games & Schedule

Glossary · CSV · PRE
Score Offense Defense
Week Date Rec Opp Tm Opp 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO
1 Sun September 6 box W 1-0 San Francisco 49ers 24 17 21 295 168 127 2 19 297 176 121 3
2 Sun September 13 box L 1-1 @ San Diego Chargers 23 28 26 385 207 178 2 17 367 310 57 2
3 Sun September 20 box L 1-2 @ Minnesota Vikings 24 26 19 404 232 172 2 18 406 312 94 3
4 Sun September 27 box W 2-2 Oakland Raiders 16 0 20 260 79 181 3 14 131 45 86 2
5 Sun October 4 box L 2-3 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10 28 18 332 239 93 6 14 211 162 49 1
6 Sun October 11 box L 2-4 @ Denver Broncos 21 27 18 325 63 262 1 20 401 266 135 3
7 Mon October 19 box W 3-4 Chicago Bears 48 17 23 485 326 159 1 24 449 316 133 4
8 Sun October 25 box W 4-4 Green Bay Packers 31 27 24 409 238 171 2 23 382 307 75 3
9 Sun November 1 box L 4-5 @ Los Angeles Rams 13 20 13 293 168 125 2 17 321 143 178 3
10 Sun November 8 box L 4-6 @ Washington Redskins 31 33 24 499 277 222 6 25 464 271 193 3
11 Sun November 15 box W 5-6 Dallas Cowboys 27 24 23 429 231 198 3 19 323 225 98 2
12 Sun November 22 box W 6-6 @ Chicago Bears 23 7 20 356 127 229 3 4 24 -20 44 3
13 Thu November 26 box W 7-6 Kansas City Chiefs 27 10 21 285 114 171 1 14 245 129 116 3
14 Sun December 6 box L 7-7 @ Green Bay Packers 17 31 20 360 217 143 2 24 333 265 68
15 Sat December 12 box W 8-7 Minnesota Vikings 45 7 29 476 271 205 4 16 216 144 72 4
16 Sun December 20 box L 8-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 20 21 340 181 159 3 11 276 172 104

Team Stats and Rankings

Glossary · CSV · PRE
Passing Rushing
Pts Yds Ply Y/P 1stD Cmp Att Yds TD Int NY/A 1stD Att Yds TD Y/A 1stD TO FL 1stPy
Team Offense 397 5933 1076 5.5 340 228 436 3138 18 23 6.5 150 596 2795 26 4.7 167 43 20 23
Team Defense 322 4846 991 4.9 465 261 475 3223 22 24 6.2 158 469 1623 14 3.5 279 39 15 28
Lg Rank Offense 4 3 5 27 17 19 16 9 4 1 1 1 19 17
Lg Rank Defense 13 4 6 7 13 14 9 13 7 1 10 3 13 22

Passing

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate Sk Yds NY/A ANY/A Sk%
Eric Hipple 24 QB 16 10 140 279 50.2 2358 14 5.0 15 5.4 94 8.5 6.5 16.8 147.4 73.4 27 208 7.0 5.3 8.8
Gary Danielson 30 6 4 56 96 58.3 784 3 3.1 5 5.2 45 8.2 6.1 14.0 130.7 73.4 12 84 6.5 4.7 11.1
Jeff Komlo 25 3 2 29 57 50.9 290 1 1.8 3 5.3 46 5.1 2.9 10.0 96.7 49.6 5 45 4.0 1.9 8.1
Tom Skladany* 26 P 16 0 3 3 100.0 43 0 0.0 0 0.0 19 14.3 14.3 14.3 2.7 118.7 0 0 14.3 14.3 0.0
Freddie Scott 29 WR 16 15 0 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 39.6 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Team Total 26.3 16 228 436 52.3 3475 18 4.1 23 5.3 94 8.0 6.0 15.2 217.2 70.7 44 337 6.5 4.8 9.2
Opp Total 16 261 475 54.9 3223 22 4.6 24 5.1 6.8 5.0 12.3 201.4 70.5 47 373 6.2 3.8

Rushing & Receiving

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Rushing Receiving
Age Pos G GS Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G Rec Yds Y/R TD Lng R/G Y/G YScm RRTD Fmb
Billy Sims* 26 RB 14 14 296 1437 13 51 4.9 102.6 21.1 28 451 16.1 2 81 2.0 32.2 1888 15 9
Dexter Bussey 29 FB 16 15 105 446 0 23 4.2 27.9 6.6 18 92 5.1 0 16 1.1 5.8 538 0 3
Rick Kane 27 16 2 77 332 2 20 4.3 20.8 4.8 17 181 10.6 1 40 1.1 11.3 513 3 2
Eric Hipple 24 QB 16 10 41 168 7 18 4.1 10.5 2.6 168 7 14
Vince Thompson 24 13 1 35 211 1 30 6.0 16.2 2.7 4 40 10.0 0 17 0.3 3.1 251 1 1
Leonard Thompson 29 WR 16 16 10 75 1 21 7.5 4.7 0.6 30 550 18.3 3 94 1.9 34.4 625 4 1
Gary Danielson 30 6 4 9 23 2 11 2.6 3.8 1.5 23 2 2
Freddie Scott 29 WR 16 15 7 25 0 10 3.6 1.6 0.4 53 1022 19.3 5 48 3.3 63.9 1047 5 0
Horace King 28 16 0 7 25 0 7 3.6 1.6 0.4 21 217 10.3 1 41 1.3 13.6 242 1 0
Jeff Komlo 25 3 2 6 3 0 5 0.5 1.0 2.0 3 0 2
Mark Nichols 22 12 0 3 50 0 30 16.7 4.2 0.3 10 222 22.2 1 59 0.8 18.5 272 1 1
David Hill 27 TE 15 15 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 33 462 14.0 4 34 2.2 30.8 462 4 1
Ulysses Norris 24 12 2 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 8 132 16.5 0 34 0.7 11.0 132 0 0
Tracy Porter 22 12 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 3 63 21.0 1 27 0.3 5.3 63 1 0
Ken Callicutt 26 16 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 2 24 12.0 0 16 0.1 1.5 24 0 0
Garry Cobb 24 LLB 16 16 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 19 19.0 0 19 0.1 1.2 19 0 0
Team Total 26.3 16 596 2795 26 51 4.7 174.7 37.3 228 3475 15.2 18 94 14.3 217.2 6270 44 41
Opp Total 16 469 1623 14 3.5 101.4 29.3 261 3223 12.3 22 16.3 201.4 4846 36 29

Kick & Punt Returns

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Punt Returns Kick Returns
Age Pos G GS Ret Yds TD Lng Y/R Rt Yds TD Lng Y/Rt APYd
Robbie Martin 23 RET 16 0 52 450 1 45 8.7 25 509 0 34 20.4 959
Alvin Hall 23 RET 16 1 25 525 0 36 21.0 525
Mark Nichols 22 12 0 4 74 0 26 18.5 346
Horace King 28 16 0 3 33 0 14 11.0 275
Ken Callicutt 26 16 0 2 23 0 12 11.5 47
James Harrell 24 16 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0
Larry Lee 22 16 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0
Team Total 26.3 16 52 450 1 45 8.7 61 1164 0 36 19.1 7884
Opp Total 16 39 0 70 1257 0 18.0

Kicking & Punting

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
0--19 20--29 30--39 40--49 50+ Tot PAT Punting
Age Pos G GS FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FG% XPA XPM XP% Pnt Yds Lng Blck Y/P
Eddie Murray 25 K 16 0 1 1 5 5 14 9 11 7 4 3 35 25 71.4% 46 46 100.0%
Tom Skladany* 26 P 16 0 64 2784 74 0 43.5
Team Total 26.3 16 1 1 5 5 14 9 11 7 4 3 35 25 71.4% 46 46 100.0% 64 2784 74 0 43.5
Opp Total 16 22 19 86.4% 38 37 97.4% 81 3475 42.9

Defense & Fumbles

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Def Interceptions Fumbles Tackles
Age Pos G GS Sk Int Yds TD Lng PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD Tkl Ast Sfty
Jimmy Allen 29 FS 15 15 9 123 0 34 0 1 0 0
Al Baker 25 RDE 11 11 1 9 0 9
Russ Bolinger 27 RG 16 16 0 2 0 0
Luther Bradley 26 16 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Dexter Bussey 29 FB 16 15 3 0 0 0
Ken Callicutt 26 16 0 0 1 0 0
Garry Cobb 24 LLB 16 16 3 32 0 17 0 3 0 0
Gary Danielson 30 6 4 2 0 0 0
Keith Dorney 24 RT 16 16 0 1 0 0
Homer Elias 26 LG 16 16 0 2 0 0
Doug English* 28 RDT 16 16 0 3 20 0
Ken Fantetti 24 MLB 16 16 2 18 0 17 0 1 0 0
Amos Fowler 25 C 16 16 0 2 -10 0
William Gay 26 LDT 16 14 0 1 0 0
Hector Gray 24 16 4 1 0 0 0
Curtis Green 24 14 4 0 1 0 0
Alvin Hall 23 RET 16 1 1 60 1 60 1 0 0 0
David Hill 27 TE 15 15 1 0 0 0
Eric Hipple 24 QB 16 10 14 4 -10 0
James Hunter 27 RCB 12 12 1 -3 0 -3 1 1 0 0
Rick Kane 27 16 2 2 0 0 0
Jeff Komlo 25 3 2 2 2 0 0
Robbie Martin 23 RET 16 0 3 2 0 0
Mark Nichols 22 12 0 1 0 0 0
Ray Oldham 30 SS 16 16 1 10 0 10
Billy Sims* 26 RB 14 14 9 3 0 0
Wayne Smith 24 LCB 16 16 0 1 4 0
Leonard Thompson 29 WR 16 16 1 1 0 0
Vince Thompson 24 13 1 1 0 0 0
Stan White 32 RLB 16 16 4 37 0 16 0 1 0 0
Team Total 26.3 16 24 286 1 60 41 34 4 0
Opp Total 16 44 29 14

Scoring Summary

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS RshTD RecTD PR TD KR TD FblTD IntTD OthTD 2PM XPM FGM Sfty Pts
Eddie Murray 25 K 16 0 46 25 121
Billy Sims* 26 RB 14 14 13 2 90
Eric Hipple 24 QB 16 10 7 42
Freddie Scott 29 WR 16 15 5 30
David Hill 27 TE 15 15 4 24
Leonard Thompson 29 WR 16 16 1 3 24
Rick Kane 27 16 2 2 1 18
Gary Danielson 30 6 4 2 12
Alvin Hall 23 RET 16 1 1 6
Horace King 28 16 0 1 6
Robbie Martin 23 RET 16 0 1 6
Mark Nichols 22 12 0 1 6
Tracy Porter 22 12 0 1 6
Vince Thompson 24 13 1 1 6
Team Total 26.3 16 26 18 1 1 46 25 397
Opp Total 16 14 22 37 19 322