You Are Here > Pro-Football-Reference.com > Teams > New England Patriots > 1981 Statistics & Players

1981 New England Patriots

Franchise IndexPrevious Season / Next Season

Record: 2-14-0, Finished 4th in AFC East Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 322 points (20.1/g), 15th of 28 in the NFL.
 Allowed 370 points (23.1/g), 22nd.
 Differential of -48 points (-3.0/g), 19th.
 Expected W-L: 6.7-9.3.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -17 (-1.1/g), 27th.

Coached by Ron Erhardt (2-14-0)

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 L 0-1 Baltimore Colts 28 29 22 388 274 114 3 21 346 97 249 1
2 Sun September 13 box L 0-2 @ Philadelphia Eagles 3 13 14 283 137 146 5 18 362 142 220 2
3 Mon September 21 box L 0-3 Dallas Cowboys 21 35 16 333 225 108 7 22 455 218 237 1
4 Sun September 27 box L 0-4 @ Pittsburgh Steelers 21 27 24 438 323 115 1 27 498 247 251
5 Sun October 4 box W 1-4 Kansas City Chiefs 33 17 25 451 211 240 2 22 327 108 219 4
6 Sun October 11 box L 1-5 @ New York Jets 24 28 25 454 368 86 4 18 297 156 141 3
7 Sun October 18 box W 2-5 Houston Oilers 38 10 21 436 192 244 4 18 309 189 120 4
8 Sun October 25 box L 2-6 @ Washington Redskins 22 24 23 409 283 126 3 15 230 145 85 2
9 Sun November 1 box L 2-7 @ Oakland Raiders 17 27 15 282 205 77 2 24 460 275 185 3
10 Sun November 8 box L 2-8 Miami Dolphins 27 30 23 492 351 141 5 24 419 216 203 4
11 Sun November 15 box L 2-9 New York Jets 6 17 15 197 105 92 2 17 226 60 166 1
12 Sun November 22 box L 2-10 @ Buffalo Bills 17 20 11 297 181 116 2 19 434 249 185 2
13 Sun November 29 box L 2-11 St. Louis Cardinals 20 27 19 353 226 127 2 25 412 255 157 2
14 Sun December 6 box L 2-12 @ Miami Dolphins 14 24 17 256 122 134 2 19 340 128 212 2
15 Sun December 13 box L 2-13 Buffalo Bills 10 19 16 204 107 97 2 20 329 137 192
16 Sun December 20 box L 2-14 @ Baltimore Colts 21 23 20 350 273 77 4 19 383 255 128 2

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 322 5623 1026 5.5 306 254 482 3583 17 34 6.8 166 499 2040 23 4.1 124 50 16 16
Team Defense 370 5827 1103 5.3 496 243 439 2877 18 16 6.3 148 644 2950 20 4.6 328 33 17 20
Lg Rank Offense 15 9 16 17 6 22 28 6 16 15 3 12 26 7
Lg Rank Defense 22 25 16 1 6 10 24 22 28 28 23 26 23 14

Passing

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS QBrec 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%
Matt Cavanaugh 25 QB 16 8 1-7-0 115 219 52.5 1633 5 2.3 13 5.9 65 7.5 5.0 14.2 102.1 59.8 19 137 6.3 4.0 8.0
Steve Grogan 28 qb 8 7 1-6-0 117 216 54.2 1859 7 3.2 16 7.4 76 8.6 5.6 15.9 232.4 63.0 24 165 7.1 4.4 10.0
Tom Owen 29 2 1 0-1-0 15 36 41.7 218 1 2.8 4 11.1 28 6.1 1.3 14.5 109.0 31.7 2 19 5.2 0.8 5.3
Andy Johnson 29 16 0 7 9 77.8 194 4 44.4 1 11.1 66 21.6 21.0 27.7 12.1 118.7 0 0 21.6 21.0 0.0
Tony Collins 22 RB 16 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
Harold Jackson 35 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 26.7 16 2-14-0 254 482 52.7 3904 17 3.5 34 7.1 76 8.1 5.3 15.4 244.0 62.1 45 321 6.8 4.2 8.5
Opp Total 16 243 439 55.4 2877 18 4.1 16 3.6 6.6 5.3 11.8 179.8 74.0 20 175 6.3 4.7

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
Tony Collins 22 RB 16 11 204 873 7 29 4.3 54.6 12.8 26 232 8.9 0 22 1.6 14.5 1105 7 8
Sam Cunningham 31 FB 11 8 86 269 4 12 3.1 24.5 7.8 12 92 7.7 0 12 1.1 8.4 361 4 2
Vagas Ferguson 24 rb 13 5 78 340 3 19 4.4 26.2 6.0 4 39 9.8 0 20 0.3 3.0 379 3 1
Don Calhoun 29 fb 14 7 57 205 2 33 3.6 14.6 4.1 7 71 10.1 0 20 0.5 5.1 276 2 1
Mosi Tatupu 26 16 1 38 201 2 43 5.3 12.6 2.4 12 132 11.0 1 41 0.8 8.3 333 3 2
Matt Cavanaugh 25 QB 16 8 17 92 3 11 5.4 5.8 1.1 1 9 9.0 0 9 0.1 0.6 101 3 2
Steve Grogan 28 qb 8 7 12 49 2 24 4.1 6.1 1.5 2 27 13.5 0 16 0.3 3.4 76 2 5
Stanley Morgan 26 WR 13 13 2 21 0 11 10.5 1.6 0.2 44 1029 23.4 6 76 3.4 79.2 1050 6 2
Harold Jackson 35 WR 16 15 2 -14 0 -5 -7.0 -0.9 0.1 39 669 17.2 0 45 2.4 41.8 655 0 1
Andy Johnson 29 16 0 2 1 0 5 0.5 0.1 0.1 39 429 11.0 1 36 2.4 26.8 430 1 1
Carlos Pennywell 25 5 2 1 3 0 3 3.0 0.6 0.2 3 49 16.3 1 22 0.6 9.8 52 1 0
Don Hasselbeck 26 TE 14 14 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 46 808 17.6 6 51 3.3 57.7 808 6 2
Lin Dawson 22 15 3 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 7 126 18.0 0 42 0.5 8.4 126 0 0
Don Westbrook 29 12 1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 7 122 17.4 2 32 0.6 10.2 122 2 0
Ken Toler 22 16 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 5 70 14.0 0 23 0.3 4.4 70 0 0
Team Total 26.7 16 499 2040 23 43 4.1 127.5 31.2 254 3904 15.4 17 76 15.9 244.0 5944 40 33
Opp Total 16 644 2950 20 4.6 184.4 40.3 243 2877 11.8 18 15.2 179.8 5827 38 34

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
Tony Collins 22 RB 16 11 3 15 0 15 5.0 39 773 0 30 19.8 1893
Stanley Morgan 26 WR 13 13 15 116 0 26 7.7 1166
Ken Toler 22 16 0 9 148 0 32 16.4 218
Roland James 23 rcb 16 6 7 56 0 18 8.0 56
Mike Haynes 28 RCB 8 6 6 12 0 6 2.0 12
Rick Sanford 24 SS 16 14 4 82 0 27 20.5 82
Andy Johnson 29 16 0 3 53 0 19 17.7 483
Don Calhoun 29 fb 14 7 2 38 0 22 19.0 314
Paul Dombroski 25 6 0 2 45 0 24 22.5 45
Keith Lee 24 rcb 15 6 2 20 0 16 10.0 20
Ray Hamilton 30 15 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0
Don Hasselbeck 26 TE 14 14 1 7 0 7 7.0 815
Horace Ivory 27 1 0 1 19 0 19 19.0 19
Bill Matthews 25 RILB 16 9 1 5 0 5 5.0 5
Team Total 26.7 16 31 199 0 26 6.4 65 1190 0 32 18.3 7333
Opp Total 16 35 1 68 1326 0 19.5

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
John Smith 32 K 16 0 7 7 6 2 7 5 4 1 24 15 62.5% 39 37 94.9%
Rich Camarillo 22 P 9 0 47 1959 75 0 41.7
Mike Hubach 23 5 0 19 726 56 0 38.2
Ken Hartley 24 2 0 9 266 41 0 29.6
Team Total 26.7 16 7 7 6 2 7 5 4 1 24 15 62.5% 39 37 94.9% 75 2951 75 0 39.3
Opp Total 16 39 25 64.1% 41 39 95.1% 74 2871 38.8

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
Pete Brock 27 C 16 16 0 1 0 0
Mark Buben 24 16 4 1 49 0 49 0 1 31 0
Don Calhoun 29 fb 14 7 1 0 0 0
Rich Camarillo 22 P 9 0 1 1 0 0
Matt Cavanaugh 25 QB 16 8 2 0 0 0
Raymond Clayborn 26 LCB 16 16 2 39 0 39 0 2 4 0
Tony Collins 22 RB 16 11 8 2 0 0
Sam Cunningham 31 FB 11 8 2 0 0 0
Vagas Ferguson 24 rb 13 5 1 1 0 0
Tim Fox 28 FS 16 16 3 20 0 20
Bob Golic 24 rilb 16 9 0 1 0 0
Steve Grogan 28 qb 8 7 5 2 -8 0
Ray Hamilton 30 15 0 1 0 0 0
John Hannah*+ 30 LG 16 16 0 2 0 0
Don Hasselbeck 26 TE 14 14 2 0 0 0
Mike Hawkins 26 LOLB 15 15 1 16 0 16 0 2 0 0
Mike Haynes 28 RCB 8 6 1 3 0 3
Brian Holloway 22 lt 16 5 0 1 0 0
Horace Ivory 27 1 0 1 0 0 0
Harold Jackson 35 WR 16 15 1 0 0 0
Roland James 23 rcb 16 6 2 29 0 21 1 1 0 0
Andy Johnson 29 16 0 1 0 0 0
Keith Lee 24 rcb 15 6 1 0 0 0
Bill Matthews 25 RILB 16 9 0 1 0 0
Tony McGee 32 LDE 16 9 0 1 0 0
Stanley Morgan 26 WR 13 13 2 2 0 0
Tom Owen 29 2 1 1 0 0 0
Rick Sanford 24 SS 16 14 3 28 0 21 0 3 2 0
Rod Shoate 28 ROLB 16 16 1 0 0 0 1 2 7 0
Mosi Tatupu 26 16 1 2 3 0 0
Ken Toler 22 16 0 0 1 0 0
John Zamberlin 25 16 1 1 11 0 11 0 1 0 0
Team Total 26.7 16 16 195 0 49 33 31 36 0
Opp Total 16 45 34 17 2

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
John Smith 32 K 16 0 37 15 82
Tony Collins 22 RB 16 11 7 42
Don Hasselbeck 26 TE 14 14 6 36
Stanley Morgan 26 WR 13 13 6 36
Sam Cunningham 31 FB 11 8 4 24
Matt Cavanaugh 25 QB 16 8 3 18
Vagas Ferguson 24 rb 13 5 3 18
Mosi Tatupu 26 16 1 2 1 18
Don Calhoun 29 fb 14 7 2 12
Steve Grogan 28 qb 8 7 2 12
Don Westbrook 29 12 1 2 12
Andy Johnson 29 16 0 1 6
Carlos Pennywell 25 5 2 1 6
Team Total 26.7 16 23 17 37 15 322
Opp Total 16 20 18 1 39 25 2 370