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Record: 7-9-0, Finished 4th in NFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 325 points (20.3/g), 13th of 28 in the NFL.
Allowed 369 points (23.1/g), 21st.
Differential of -44 points (-2.8/g), 18th.
Expected W-L: 6.8-9.2.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -15 (-0.9/g), 25th.
Coached by Bud Grant (7-9-0)
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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 | Sat | September 5 | box | L | 0-1 | @ | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 13 | 21 | 27 | 443 | 343 | 100 | 4 | 10 | 219 | 108 | 111 | |
| 2 | Mon | September 14 | box | L | 0-2 | Oakland Raiders | 10 | 36 | 19 | 269 | 227 | 42 | 3 | 14 | 310 | 161 | 149 | 1 | |
| 3 | Sun | September 20 | box | W | 1-2 | Detroit Lions | 26 | 24 | 18 | 406 | 312 | 94 | 3 | 19 | 404 | 232 | 172 | 2 | |
| 4 | Sun | September 27 | box | W | 2-2 | @ | Green Bay Packers | 30 | 13 | 28 | 410 | 253 | 157 | 3 | 22 | 316 | 245 | 71 | 2 |
| 5 | Sun | October 4 | box | W | 3-2 | Chicago Bears | 24 | 21 | 22 | 345 | 211 | 134 | 1 | 24 | 396 | 307 | 89 | 2 | |
| 6 | Sun | October 11 | box | W | 4-2 | @ | San Diego Chargers | 33 | 31 | 29 | 526 | 433 | 93 | 3 | 18 | 425 | 305 | 120 | 1 |
| 7 | Sun | October 18 | box | W | 5-2 | Philadelphia Eagles | 35 | 23 | 20 | 334 | 240 | 94 | 26 | 403 | 298 | 105 | 4 | ||
| 8 | Sun | October 25 | box | L | 5-3 | @ | St. Louis Cardinals | 17 | 30 | 22 | 387 | 318 | 69 | 3 | 18 | 320 | 182 | 138 | 2 |
| 9 | Mon | November 2 | box | L | 5-4 | @ | Denver Broncos | 17 | 19 | 19 | 325 | 223 | 102 | 2 | 17 | 329 | 182 | 147 | 2 |
| 10 | Sun | November 8 | box | W | 6-4 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 25 | 10 | 26 | 426 | 221 | 205 | 4 | 10 | 193 | 150 | 43 | 2 | |
| 11 | Sun | November 15 | box | W | 7-4 | New Orleans Saints | 20 | 10 | 17 | 357 | 287 | 70 | 1 | 23 | 314 | 198 | 116 | 2 | |
| 12 | Mon | November 23 | box | L | 7-5 | @ | Atlanta Falcons | 30 | 31 | 25 | 460 | 330 | 130 | 5 | 19 | 342 | 193 | 149 | 3 |
| 13 | Sun | November 29 | box | L | 7-6 | Green Bay Packers | 23 | 35 | 23 | 404 | 376 | 28 | 5 | 24 | 409 | 294 | 115 | 4 | |
| 14 | Sun | December 6 | box | L | 7-7 | @ | Chicago Bears | 9 | 10 | 16 | 292 | 254 | 38 | 5 | 13 | 244 | 69 | 175 | 2 |
| 15 | Sat | December 12 | box | L | 7-8 | @ | Detroit Lions | 7 | 45 | 16 | 216 | 144 | 72 | 4 | 29 | 476 | 271 | 205 | 4 |
| 16 | Sun | December 20 | box | L | 7-9 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6 | 10 | 16 | 245 | 161 | 84 | 4 | 13 | 273 | 133 | 140 | 2 | |
| Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pts | Yds | Ply | Y/P | 1stD | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int | 1stD | Att | Yds | TD | 1stD | TO | FL | 1stPy | |||
| Team Offense | 325 | 5845 | 1129 | 5.2 | 343 | 382 | 709 | 4333 | 27 | 29 | 5.9 | 217 | 391 | 1512 | 8 | 3.9 | 91 | 50 | 21 | 35 |
| Team Defense | 369 | 5373 | 1054 | 5.1 | 299 | 265 | 481 | 3328 | 26 | 16 | 6.5 | 163 | 540 | 2045 | 15 | 3.8 | 117 | 35 | 19 | 19 |
| Lg Rank Offense | 13 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 19 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 20 | 26 | 22 | ||||||
| Lg Rank Defense | 21 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 10 | ||||||
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | QBrec | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int | Lng | Sk | Yds | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Tommy Kramer | 26 | QB | 14 | 14 | 7-7-0 | 322 | 593 | 54.3 | 3912 | 26 | 4.4 | 24 | 4.0 | 63 | 6.6 | 5.7 | 12.1 | 279.4 | 72.6 | 19 | 149 | 6.1 | 5.2 | 3.1 |
| 12 | Steve Dils | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0-2-0 | 54 | 102 | 52.9 | 607 | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 2.0 | 44 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 11.2 | 303.5 | 66.1 | 8 | 66 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 7.3 | |
| 11 | Wade Wilson | 22 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 46.2 | 48 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 15.4 | 22 | 3.7 | -3.2 | 8.0 | 16.0 | 16.3 | 2 | 19 | 1.9 | -4.1 | 13.3 | ||
| 23 | Ted Brown | 24 | FB | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 100.0 | 0 | 0.0 | -45.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | -45.0 | 0.0 | ||
| Team Total | 26.3 | 16 | 7-9-0 | 382 | 709 | 53.9 | 4567 | 27 | 3.8 | 29 | 4.1 | 63 | 6.4 | 5.4 | 12.0 | 285.4 | 69.5 | 29 | 234 | 5.9 | 4.8 | 3.9 | |||
| Opp Total | 16 | 265 | 481 | 55.1 | 3599 | 26 | 5.4 | 16 | 3.3 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 13.6 | 224.9 | 83.3 | 33 | 271 | 6.5 | 6.1 |
| Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | |||||||
| 23 | Ted Brown | 24 | FB | 16 | 16 | 274 | 1063 | 6 | 34 | 3.9 | 66.4 | 17.1 | 83 | 694 | 8.4 | 2 | 63 | 5.2 | 43.4 | 1757 | 8 | 3 |
| 34 | Rickey Young | 28 | RB | 16 | 13 | 47 | 129 | 0 | 13 | 2.7 | 8.1 | 2.9 | 43 | 296 | 6.9 | 2 | 22 | 2.7 | 18.5 | 425 | 2 | 4 |
| 32 | Tony Galbreath | 27 | 14 | 1 | 42 | 198 | 2 | 21 | 4.7 | 14.1 | 3.0 | 18 | 144 | 8.0 | 0 | 23 | 1.3 | 10.3 | 342 | 2 | 2 | |
| 9 | Tommy Kramer | 26 | QB | 14 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 13 | 0 | 8 | |||||||
| 22 | Jarvis Redwine | 24 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 4.0 | 6.7 | 1.7 | 20 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 12 | Steve Dils | 26 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3.5 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||
| 80 | Terry LeCount | 25 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 51 | 0 | 38 | 17.0 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 24 | 425 | 17.7 | 2 | 43 | 1.5 | 26.6 | 476 | 2 | 0 | |
| 85 | Sammy White | 27 | WR | 16 | 16 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | -0.5 | -0.1 | 0.1 | 66 | 1001 | 15.2 | 3 | 53 | 4.1 | 62.6 | 1000 | 3 | 1 |
| 81 | Joe Senser* | 25 | TE | 16 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 79 | 1004 | 12.7 | 8 | 53 | 4.9 | 62.8 | 1006 | 8 | 3 |
| 36 | Sam Harrell | 24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7.0 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 0 | 17 | 0.5 | 5.8 | 30 | 0 | 0 | |
| 87 | Leo Lewis | 25 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 16.0 | 4.0 | 0.3 | 2 | 58 | 29.0 | 0 | 52 | 0.5 | 14.5 | 74 | 0 | 0 | |
| 50 | Jeff Siemon | 31 | LILB | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 28 | Ahmad Rashad* | 32 | WR | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 58 | 884 | 15.2 | 7 | 53 | 3.6 | 55.3 | 884 | 7 | 1 | |
| 82 | Bob Bruer | 28 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 38 | 5.4 | 3 | 10 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 38 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Team Total | 26.3 | 16 | 391 | 1512 | 8 | 38 | 3.9 | 94.5 | 24.4 | 382 | 4567 | 12.0 | 27 | 63 | 23.9 | 285.4 | 6079 | 35 | 39 | |||
| Opp Total | 16 | 540 | 2045 | 15 | 3.8 | 127.8 | 33.8 | 265 | 3328 | 12.6 | 26 | 16.6 | 208.0 | 5373 | 41 | 27 | ||||||
| Punt Returns | Kick Returns | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Ret | Yds | TD | Lng | Rt | Yds | TD | Lng | APYd | |||
| 31 | Eddie Payton | 30 | RET | 16 | 0 | 38 | 303 | 0 | 18 | 8.0 | 39 | 898 | 1 | 99 | 23.0 | 1201 |
| 49 | Keith Nord | 24 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 229 | 0 | 27 | 16.4 | 229 | ||||||
| 88 | Mardye McDole | 22 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 170 | 0 | 22 | 15.5 | 170 | ||||||
| 59 | Matt Blair* | 31 | LOLB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | |||||
| 32 | Tony Galbreath | 27 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 16.0 | 358 | ||||||
| 85 | Sammy White | 27 | WR | 16 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1000 | |||||
| 34 | Rickey Young | 28 | RB | 16 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 15.0 | 440 | |||||
| Team Total | 26.3 | 16 | 39 | 303 | 0 | 18 | 7.8 | 67 | 1328 | 1 | 99 | 19.8 | 7710 | |||
| Opp Total | 16 | 46 | 1 | 62 | 1260 | 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 | ||||
| 8 | Greg Coleman | 27 | P | 15 | 0 | 88 | 3646 | 73 | 0 | 41.4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Rick Danmeier | 29 | K | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 25 | 21 | 84.0% | 37 | 34 | 91.9% | |||||||
| Team Total | 26.3 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 25 | 21 | 84.0% | 37 | 34 | 91.9% | 88 | 3646 | 73 | 0 | 41.4 | |||||
| Opp Total | 16 | 27 | 17 | 63.0% | 46 | 42 | 91.3% | 84 | 3419 | 40.7 | ||||||||||||||||
| Def Interceptions | Fumbles | Tackles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Sk | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | Tkl | Ast | Sfty | |
| 59 | Matt Blair* | 31 | LOLB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 23 | Ted Brown | 24 | FB | 16 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 82 | Bob Bruer | 28 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 8 | Greg Coleman | 27 | P | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 12 | Steve Dils | 26 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 32 | Tony Galbreath | 27 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 45 | Tom Hannon | 26 | SS | 16 | 16 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| 75 | Randy Holloway | 26 | rde | 16 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 25 | Kurt Knoff | 27 | FS | 16 | 16 | 3 | 24 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 9 | Tommy Kramer | 26 | QB | 14 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 80 | Terry LeCount | 25 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 79 | Doug Martin | 24 | RDE | 16 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 88 | Mardye McDole | 22 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 54 | Fred McNeill | 29 | ROLB | 16 | 16 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | ||||||
| 77 | Mark Mullaney | 28 | LDE | 15 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 49 | Keith Nord | 24 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 31 | Eddie Payton | 30 | RET | 16 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 28 | Ahmad Rashad* | 32 | WR | 16 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 22 | Jarvis Redwine | 24 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 57 | Robin Sendlein | 23 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 81 | Joe Senser* | 25 | TE | 16 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 50 | Jeff Siemon | 31 | LILB | 16 | 15 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 55 | Scott Studwell | 27 | RILB | 16 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 29 | John Swain | 22 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 37 | Willie Teal | 24 | RCB | 16 | 16 | 4 | 23 | 0 | 15 | ||||||||||
| 72 | James White | 28 | NT | 16 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 85 | Sammy White | 27 | WR | 16 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 11 | Wade Wilson | 22 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 91 | Ray Yakavonis | 24 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 34 | Rickey Young | 28 | RB | 16 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Team Total | 26.3 | 16 | 16 | 120 | 0 | 28 | 39 | 34 | 84 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| Opp Total | 16 | 29 | 27 | 8 | |||||||||||||||
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | RshTD | RecTD | PR TD | KR TD | FblTD | IntTD | OthTD | AllTD | 2PM | XPM | FGM | Sfty | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Rick Danmeier | 29 | K | 16 | 0 | 34 | 21 | 97 | ||||||||||
| 23 | Ted Brown | 24 | FB | 16 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 48 | |||||||||
| 81 | Joe Senser* | 25 | TE | 16 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 48 | ||||||||||
| 28 | Ahmad Rashad* | 32 | WR | 16 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 42 | ||||||||||
| 82 | Bob Bruer | 28 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 18 | |||||||||||
| 85 | Sammy White | 27 | WR | 16 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 18 | ||||||||||
| 32 | Tony Galbreath | 27 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 12 | |||||||||||
| 80 | Terry LeCount | 25 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | |||||||||||
| 34 | Rickey Young | 28 | RB | 16 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 75 | Randy Holloway | 26 | rde | 16 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 31 | Eddie Payton | 30 | RET | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 45 | Tom Hannon | 26 | SS | 16 | 16 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 44 | Walt Williams | 27 | lcb | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Team Total | 26.3 | 16 | 8 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 34 | 21 | 2 | 323 | |||||||
| Opp Total | 16 | 15 | 26 | 1 | 42 | 17 | 369 |