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Record: 11-4-1, Finished 1st in AFC East Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 345 points (21.6/g), 11th of 28 in the NFL.
Allowed 275 points (17.2/g), 5th.
Differential of 70 points (4.4/g), 8th.
Expected W-L: 10.1-5.9.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +2 (0.1/g), 12th.
Coached by Don Shula (11-4-1)
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1981 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
| Score | Offense | Defense | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Day | Date | Rec | Opp | Tm | Opp | 1stD | TotYd | PassY | RushY | TO | 1stD | TotYd | PassY | RushY | TO | |||
| 1 | Sun | September 6 | box | W | 1-0 | @ | St. Louis Cardinals | 20 | 7 | 14 | 292 | 141 | 151 | 3 | 14 | 203 | 142 | 61 | 2 |
| 2 | Thu | September 10 | box | W | 2-0 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 30 | 10 | 25 | 346 | 161 | 185 | 1 | 15 | 300 | 183 | 117 | 2 | |
| 3 | Sun | September 20 | box | W | 3-0 | @ | Houston Oilers | 16 | 10 | 16 | 257 | 133 | 124 | 1 | 9 | 202 | 117 | 85 | 1 |
| 4 | Sun | September 27 | box | W | 4-0 | @ | Baltimore Colts | 31 | 28 | 22 | 428 | 309 | 119 | 20 | 514 | 348 | 166 | 1 | |
| 5 | Sun | October 4 | box | T | 4-0-1 | New York Jets | 28 | 28 | 17 | 399 | 301 | 98 | 32 | 546 | 304 | 242 | 3 | ||
| 6 | Mon | October 12 | box | L | 4-1-1 | @ | Buffalo Bills | 21 | 31 | 22 | 324 | 225 | 99 | 4 | 22 | 454 | 338 | 116 | 1 |
| 7 | Sun | October 18 | box | W | 5-1-1 | Washington Redskins | 13 | 10 | 20 | 445 | 296 | 149 | 2 | 20 | 301 | 139 | 162 | 2 | |
| 8 | Sun | October 25 | box | L | 5-2-1 | @ | Dallas Cowboys | 27 | 28 | 25 | 529 | 381 | 148 | 5 | 23 | 466 | 327 | 139 | 2 |
| 9 | Sun | November 1 | box | W | 6-2-1 | Baltimore Colts | 27 | 10 | 19 | 310 | 164 | 146 | 19 | 308 | 240 | 68 | 3 | ||
| 10 | Sun | November 8 | box | W | 7-2-1 | @ | New England Patriots | 30 | 27 | 24 | 419 | 216 | 203 | 4 | 23 | 492 | 351 | 141 | 5 |
| 11 | Sun | November 15 | box | L | 7-3-1 | Oakland Raiders | 17 | 33 | 22 | 306 | 236 | 70 | 2 | 19 | 304 | 161 | 143 | ||
| 12 | Sun | November 22 | box | L | 7-4-1 | @ | New York Jets | 15 | 16 | 13 | 187 | 41 | 146 | 2 | 21 | 285 | 165 | 120 | 2 |
| 13 | Mon | November 30 | box | W | 8-4-1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 13 | 10 | 14 | 205 | 132 | 73 | 1 | 11 | 216 | 80 | 136 | 2 | |
| 14 | Sun | December 6 | box | W | 9-4-1 | New England Patriots | 24 | 14 | 19 | 340 | 128 | 212 | 2 | 17 | 256 | 122 | 134 | 2 | |
| 15 | Sun | December 13 | box | W | 10-4-1 | @ | Kansas City Chiefs | 17 | 7 | 16 | 253 | 160 | 93 | 3 | 16 | 276 | 185 | 91 | 2 |
| 16 | Sat | December 19 | box | W | 11-4-1 | Buffalo Bills | 16 | 6 | 18 | 282 | 125 | 157 | 1 | 15 | 240 | 129 | 111 | 3 | |
| Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||
| Division | Sat | January 2 | box | L | 11-5-1 | San Diego Chargers | 38 | 41 | 25 | 472 | 394 | 78 | 3 | 34 | 564 | 415 | 149 | 4 | |
| Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pts | Yds | Ply | Y/P | 1stD | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int | 1stD | Att | Yds | TD | 1stD | TO | FL | 1stPy | |||
| Team Offense | 345 | 5322 | 1063 | 5.0 | 306 | 271 | 498 | 3149 | 18 | 21 | 6.0 | 157 | 535 | 2173 | 18 | 4.1 | 123 | 31 | 10 | 26 |
| Team Defense | 275 | 5363 | 1039 | 5.2 | 296 | 297 | 509 | 3331 | 23 | 18 | 6.1 | 160 | 492 | 2032 | 10 | 4.1 | 124 | 33 | 15 | 12 |
| Lg Rank Offense | 11 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 4 | 1 | ||||||
| Lg Rank Defense | 5 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 23 | 22 | ||||||
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | QBrec | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int | Lng | Sk | Yds | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | David Woodley | 23 | QB | 15 | 15 | 11-3-1 | 191 | 366 | 52.2 | 2470 | 12 | 3.3 | 13 | 3.6 | 69 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 12.9 | 164.7 | 69.8 | 24 | 191 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 6.2 |
| 10 | Don Strock | 31 | 16 | 1 | 0-1-0 | 79 | 130 | 60.8 | 901 | 6 | 4.6 | 8 | 6.2 | 52 | 6.9 | 5.1 | 11.4 | 56.3 | 71.3 | 6 | 45 | 6.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | |
| 31 | Eddie Hill | 24 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 14 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 14 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 1.3 | 118.7 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 0.0 | ||
| 22 | Tony Nathan | 25 | RB | 13 | 11 | 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 | 25.7 | 16 | 11-4-1 | 271 | 498 | 54.4 | 3385 | 18 | 3.6 | 21 | 4.2 | 69 | 6.8 | 5.6 | 12.5 | 211.6 | 70.2 | 30 | 236 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 5.7 | |||
| Opp Total | 16 | 297 | 509 | 58.3 | 3645 | 23 | 4.5 | 18 | 3.5 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 12.3 | 227.8 | 80.9 | 38 | 314 | 6.1 | 5.4 |
| Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | |||||||
| 37 | Andra Franklin | 22 | FB | 16 | 11 | 201 | 711 | 7 | 29 | 3.5 | 44.4 | 12.6 | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 717 | 8 | 5 |
| 22 | Tony Nathan | 25 | RB | 13 | 11 | 147 | 782 | 5 | 46 | 5.3 | 60.2 | 11.3 | 50 | 452 | 9.0 | 3 | 31 | 3.8 | 34.8 | 1234 | 8 | 2 |
| 16 | David Woodley | 23 | QB | 15 | 15 | 63 | 272 | 4 | 26 | 4.3 | 18.1 | 4.2 | 272 | 4 | 9 | |||||||
| 31 | Eddie Hill | 24 | 11 | 3 | 37 | 146 | 1 | 24 | 3.9 | 13.3 | 3.4 | 12 | 73 | 6.1 | 1 | 16 | 1.1 | 6.6 | 219 | 2 | 2 | |
| 32 | Tommy Vigorito | 22 | RET | 16 | 1 | 35 | 116 | 1 | 30 | 3.3 | 7.3 | 2.2 | 33 | 237 | 7.2 | 2 | 31 | 2.1 | 14.8 | 353 | 3 | 1 |
| 34 | Woody Bennett | 26 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 104 | 0 | 12 | 3.7 | 34.7 | 9.3 | 4 | 22 | 5.5 | 0 | 10 | 1.3 | 7.3 | 126 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10 | Don Strock | 31 | 16 | 1 | 14 | -26 | 0 | 9 | -1.9 | -1.6 | 0.9 | -26 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 36 | Steve Howell | 25 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 0 | 9 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 0 | 5 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 30 | 0 | 0 | |
| 35 | Nick Giaquinto | 26 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 0 | 20 | 10.3 | 3.9 | 0.4 | 7 | 38 | 5.4 | 1 | 16 | 0.9 | 4.8 | 69 | 1 | 0 | |
| 89 | Nat Moore | 30 | WR | 13 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 26 | 452 | 17.4 | 2 | 52 | 2.0 | 34.8 | 455 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Tom Orosz | 22 | P | 16 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 82 | Duriel Harris | 27 | WR | 15 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 53 | 911 | 17.2 | 2 | 55 | 3.5 | 60.7 | 911 | 2 | 0 | |
| 81 | Jimmy Cefalo | 26 | wr | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 29 | 631 | 21.8 | 3 | 69 | 1.8 | 39.4 | 631 | 3 | 0 | |
| 80 | Joe Rose | 24 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 23 | 316 | 13.7 | 2 | 50 | 1.4 | 19.8 | 316 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 84 | Bruce Hardy | 25 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15 | 174 | 11.6 | 0 | 21 | 0.9 | 10.9 | 174 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 86 | Ronnie Lee | 25 | TE | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 64 | 4.6 | 1 | 11 | 0.9 | 4.0 | 64 | 1 | 0 | |
| Team Total | 25.7 | 16 | 535 | 2173 | 18 | 46 | 4.1 | 135.8 | 33.4 | 271 | 3385 | 12.5 | 18 | 69 | 16.9 | 211.6 | 5558 | 36 | 26 | |||
| Opp Total | 16 | 492 | 2032 | 10 | 4.1 | 127.0 | 30.8 | 297 | 3331 | 11.2 | 23 | 18.6 | 208.2 | 5363 | 33 | 30 | ||||||
| Punt Returns | Kick Returns | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Ret | Yds | TD | Lng | Rt | Yds | TD | Lng | APYd | |||
| 41 | Fulton Walker | 23 | RET | 16 | 2 | 5 | 50 | 0 | 17 | 10.0 | 38 | 932 | 1 | 90 | 24.5 | 982 |
| 32 | Tommy Vigorito | 22 | RET | 16 | 1 | 36 | 379 | 1 | 87 | 10.5 | 4 | 84 | 0 | 25 | 21.0 | 816 |
| 46 | Don Bessillieu | 25 | fs | 16 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 | 7 | 114 | 0 | 30 | 16.3 | 126 |
| 47 | Glenn Blackwood | 24 | SS | 16 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 4.0 | 8 | |||||
| 40 | Mike Kozlowski | 25 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 9.0 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 40 | 40.0 | 49 | |
| 35 | Nick Giaquinto | 26 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 | 91 | ||||||
| 82 | Duriel Harris | 27 | WR | 15 | 12 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 | 931 | |||||
| 31 | Eddie Hill | 24 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 11.0 | 230 | ||||||
| 80 | Joe Rose | 24 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5.0 | 321 | ||||||
| Team Total | 25.7 | 16 | 45 | 458 | 1 | 87 | 10.2 | 54 | 1228 | 1 | 90 | 22.7 | 7244 | |||
| Opp Total | 16 | 45 | 0 | 60 | 1218 | 0 | 20.3 | |||||||||
| 0-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50+ | Tot | PAT | Punting | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | FGA | FGM | XPA | XPM | Pnt | Yds | Lng | Blck | ||||
| 3 | Tom Orosz | 22 | P | 16 | 0 | 83 | 3386 | 61 | 0 | 40.8 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Uwe von Schamann | 25 | K | 16 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 31 | 24 | 77.4% | 38 | 37 | 97.4% | |||||||||
| Team Total | 25.7 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 31 | 24 | 77.4% | 38 | 37 | 97.4% | 83 | 3386 | 61 | 0 | 40.8 | |||||||
| Opp Total | 16 | 21 | 14 | 66.7% | 33 | 33 | 100.0% | 87 | 3567 | 41.0 | ||||||||||||||||
| Def Interceptions | Fumbles | Tackles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Sk | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | Tkl | Ast | Sfty | |
| 73 | Bob Baumhower* | 26 | NT | 16 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 34 | Woody Bennett | 26 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 46 | Don Bessillieu | 25 | fs | 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 47 | Glenn Blackwood | 24 | SS | 16 | 16 | 4 | 124 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| 42 | Lyle Blackwood | 30 | FS | 12 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 59 | Bob Brudzinski | 26 | LOLB | 16 | 16 | 2 | 35 | 0 | 19 | ||||||||||
| 77 | A.J. Duhe | 26 | LILB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 37 | Andra Franklin | 22 | FB | 16 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 79 | Jon Giesler | 25 | LT | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 50 | Larry Gordon | 28 | ROLB | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| 84 | Bruce Hardy | 25 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 31 | Eddie Hill | 24 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 36 | Steve Howell | 25 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 40 | Mike Kozlowski | 25 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 1 | |||||||
| 68 | Eric Laakso | 25 | RT | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 28 | Don McNeal | 23 | LCB | 12 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 22 | Tony Nathan | 25 | RB | 13 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Tom Orosz | 22 | P | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 55 | Earnest Rhone | 28 | RILB | 16 | 16 | 3 | 35 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 80 | Joe Rose | 24 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 52 | Steve Shull | 23 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 48 | Gerald Small | 25 | RCB | 16 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 32 | Tommy Vigorito | 22 | RET | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 41 | Fulton Walker | 23 | RET | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 16 | David Woodley | 23 | QB | 15 | 15 | 9 | 2 | -21 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Team Total | 25.7 | 16 | 18 | 254 | 0 | 39 | 26 | 28 | 19 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| Opp Total | 16 | 30 | 30 | 15 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | RshTD | RecTD | PR TD | KR TD | FblTD | IntTD | OthTD | AllTD | 2PM | XPM | FGM | Sfty | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Uwe von Schamann | 25 | K | 16 | 0 | 37 | 24 | 109 | ||||||||||
| 37 | Andra Franklin | 22 | FB | 16 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 48 | |||||||||
| 22 | Tony Nathan | 25 | RB | 13 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 48 | |||||||||
| 32 | Tommy Vigorito | 22 | RET | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 24 | ||||||||
| 16 | David Woodley | 23 | QB | 15 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 24 | ||||||||||
| 81 | Jimmy Cefalo | 26 | wr | 16 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 18 | ||||||||||
| 82 | Duriel Harris | 27 | WR | 15 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 31 | Eddie Hill | 24 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 89 | Nat Moore | 30 | WR | 13 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 80 | Joe Rose | 24 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | |||||||||||
| 35 | Nick Giaquinto | 26 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||
| 40 | Mike Kozlowski | 25 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||
| 86 | Ronnie Lee | 25 | TE | 16 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 41 | Fulton Walker | 23 | RET | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 50 | Larry Gordon | 28 | ROLB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Team Total | 25.7 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 37 | 24 | 1 | 345 | ||||||
| Opp Total | 16 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 14 | 1 | 275 |