1981 Baltimore Colts season
29th season in franchise history
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The 1981 Baltimore Colts season was the 29th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). The Colts finished the NFL's 1981 season with a record of 2 wins and 14 losses, finishing in a tie with the New England Patriots for both last place in their division, the AFC East, and the worst record in the league. However, by virtue of beating the Patriots for their only two wins of the season, the Colts finished ahead of New England on a tiebreaker. Those wins came in the first and last weeks of the season, as the Colts lost their other fourteen games consecutively. They won those 2 games by a combined 3 points.
| 1981 Baltimore Colts season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Robert Irsay |
| General manager | Dick Szymanski |
| Head coach | Mike McCormack |
| Home stadium | Memorial Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–14 |
| Division place | 4th AFC East |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | None |
The Colts’ defense had one of the worst seasons in NFL history, setting records for points (533) and yards (6,793) allowed. (The points record was later surpassed by the 2024 Carolina Panthers, who allowed 534 in a 17-game season. The yardage record was later surpassed by the 2012 New Orleans Saints, who allowed 7,042.) The Colts gave up more than twice as many points as they scored (259). Conversely, the Patriots, with whom they were tied in the AFC East, only gave up 48 more points than they scored. The Colts’ pass defense surrendered a staggering 8.19 yards-per-dropback, the most surrendered by any team in NFL history.[1]
The Colts’ -274 point differential (points scored vs. points allowed) is the second-worst since the 1970 merger, second only to the 1976 expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who finished 0–14 (ironically, the next year's Colts team went winless as well).[2] The 1981 Colts are the first of only two NFL teams since 1940 to suffer eleven losses in a season during which they never had a lead.[3][note 1] The Colts allowed 40 points in 4 separate games during the season (including 3 games in a row from weeks 6-8), which is still an NFL record. According to Football Outsiders, they have the worst overall defense and passing defense in their ranking's history.[4]
The season included a bizarre incident in which, during the Colts’ 38–13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 15, team owner Bob Irsay called plays from the coaches’ booth. Quarterback Bert Jones told Sports Illustrated in 1986:
[Irsay] couldn’t have told you how many players there were on the field, never mind what plays we had. All he was trying to do was embarrass the coaches and the players. When he told me to run, I threw. When he told me to throw left, I ran right.[5]
After the season, defensive coordinator Chuck Weber was fired.
Offseason
NFL draft
| 1981 Baltimore Colts draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Randy McMillan | Fullback | Pittsburgh | |
| 1 | 18 | Donnell Thompson | Defensive end | North Carolina | from Minnesota |
| 3 | 68 | Randy Van Divier | Tackle | Washington | |
| 4 | 94 | Tim Sherwin | Tight end | Boston College | |
| 6 | 149 | Bubba Green | Defensive tackle | Penn State | |
| 7 | 178 | Obed Ariri | Kicker | Clemson | |
| 8 | 204 | Ken Sitton | Defensive back | Oklahoma | |
| 8 | 220 | Hosea Taylor | Defensive tackle | Houston | |
| 9 | 233 | Tim Gooch | Defensive tackle | Kentucky | |
| 10 | 256 | Gregg Gerken | Linebacker | Northern Arizona | |
| 10 | 259 | Trent Bryant | Cornerback | Arkansas | |
| 11 | 288 | Holden Smith | Wide receiver | North Carolina | |
| 12 | 315 | Eric Scoggins | Linebacker | USC | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6 | at New England Patriots | W 29–28 | 1–0 | Schaefer Stadium | 49,572 | |
| 2 | September 13 | Buffalo Bills | L 3–35 | 1–1 | Memorial Stadium | 45,772 | |
| 3 | September 20 | at Denver Broncos | L 10–28 | 1–2 | Mile High Stadium | 74,804 | |
| 4 | September 27 | Miami Dolphins | L 28–31 | 1–3 | Memorial Stadium | 41,630 | |
| 5 | October 4 | at Buffalo Bills | L 17–23 | 1–4 | Rich Stadium | 77,811 | |
| 6 | October 11 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 19–41 | 1–5 | Memorial Stadium | 33,060 | |
| 7 | October 18 | San Diego Chargers | L 14–43 | 1–6 | Memorial Stadium | 41,921 | |
| 8 | October 25 | at Cleveland Browns | L 28–42 | 1–7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 78,986 | |
| 9 | November 1 | at Miami Dolphins | L 10–27 | 1–8 | Miami Orange Bowl | 46,061 | |
| 10 | November 8 | New York Jets | L 14–41 | 1–9 | Memorial Stadium | 31,521 | |
| 11 | November 15 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 13–38 | 1–10 | Veterans Stadium | 68,618 | |
| 12 | November 22 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 24–35 | 1–11 | Memorial Stadium | 24,784 | |
| 13 | November 29 | at New York Jets | L 0–25 | 1–12 | Shea Stadium | 53,593 | |
| 14 | December 6 | Dallas Cowboys | L 13–37 | 1–13 | Memorial Stadium | 54,871 | |
| 15 | December 13 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–38 | 1–14 | RFK Stadium | 46,706 | |
| 16 | December 20 | New England Patriots | W 23–21 | 2–14 | Memorial Stadium | 17,073 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Game summaries
Week 1: at New England Patriots
Week 1: Baltimore Colts at New England Patriots – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 10 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 29 |
| Patriots | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | BAL | NE |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 22 |
| Total yards | 346 | 388 |
| Rushing yards | 249 | 114 |
| Net passing yards | 97 | 274 |
| Sacked–yards | 2–16 | 3–11 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Penalties–yards | 10–75 | 8–84 |
Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 2: Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: September 13
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 78 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 45,772
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | BUF | BAL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 26 | 11 |
| Total yards | 430 | 147 |
| Rushing yards | 169 | 73 |
| Net passing yards | 261 | 74 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 5–46 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 3 |
| Penalties–yards | 9–65 | 1–5 |
Week 3: at Denver Broncos
Week 3: Baltimore Colts at Denver Broncos – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Broncos | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | BAL | DEN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 10 | 27 |
| Total yards | 209 | 442 |
| Rushing yards | 161 | 127 |
| Net passing yards | 48 | 315 |
| Sacked–yards | 2–17 | 3–26 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 4 |
| Penalties–yards | 8–63 | 9–65 |
Week 4: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 4: Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
| Colts | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: September 27
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 41,630
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | MIA | BAL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 20 |
| Total yards | 428 | 514 |
| Rushing yards | 119 | 166 |
| Net passing yards | 309 | 348 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 1–9 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties–yards | 4–35 | 6–52 |
Week 5: at Buffalo Bills
Week 5: Baltimore Colts at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| Bills | 14 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: October 4
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C)
- Game attendance: 77,811
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | BAL | BUF |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 23 | 22 |
| Total yards | 378 | 366 |
| Rushing yards | 133 | 229 |
| Net passing yards | 245 | 137 |
| Sacked–yards | 4–30 | 1–11 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties–yards | 10–55 | 7–49 |
Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 6: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 3 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 41 |
| Colts | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 19 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: October 11
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Mostly sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 33,060
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV: NBC
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | CIN | BAL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 24 | 22 |
| Total yards | 378 | 350 |
| Rushing yards | 121 | 56 |
| Net passing yards | 257 | 294 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 4–42 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 4 |
| Penalties–yards | 5–54 | 6–51 |
Week 7: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 7: San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 43 |
| Colts | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: October 18
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 41,921
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (NBC): Phil Stone and Gene Washington
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | SD | BAL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 30 | 18 |
| Total yards | 470 | 264 |
| Rushing yards | 172 | 68 |
| Net passing yards | 298 | 196 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 6–59 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Penalties–yards | 6–30 | 5–45 |
Week 8: at Cleveland Browns
Week 8: Baltimore Colts at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Browns | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: October 25
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,986
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | BAL | CLE |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 30 |
| Total yards | 357 | 562 |
| Rushing yards | 118 | 131 |
| Net passing yards | 239 | 431 |
| Sacked–yards | 2–10 | 1–13 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 6 |
| Penalties–yards | 5–33 | 6–56 |
Week 9: at Miami Dolphins
Week 9: Baltimore Colts at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 27 |
at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
- Date: November 1
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Mostly sunny, 78 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 46,061
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | BAL | MIA |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Total yards | 308 | 310 |
| Rushing yards | 68 | 146 |
| Net passing yards | 240 | 164 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–8 | 0–0 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Penalties–yards | 7–58 | 6–55 |
Week 10: vs. New York Jets
Week 10: New York Jets at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 10 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: November 8
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Clear, 49 °F (9 °C)
- Game attendance: 31,521
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | NYJ | BAL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 28 | 21 |
| Total yards | 393 | 332 |
| Rushing yards | 122 | 114 |
| Net passing yards | 271 | 218 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–6 | 2–25 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Penalties–yards | 4–25 | 6–74 |
Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles
Week 11: Baltimore Colts at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Eagles | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 51 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,618
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | BAL | PHI |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 9 | 34 |
| Total yards | 208 | 574 |
| Rushing yards | 36 | 235 |
| Net passing yards | 172 | 339 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 1–13 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Penalties–yards | 7–53 | 6–45 |
Week 12: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Week 12: St. Louis Cardinals at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Colts | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: November 22
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 39 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 24,784
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | STL | BAL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 24 | 22 |
| Total yards | 452 | 385 |
| Rushing yards | 241 | 155 |
| Net passing yards | 211 | 230 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–8 | 0–0 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Penalties–yards | 7–60 | 6–54 |
Week 13: at New York Jets
Week 13: Baltimore Colts at New York Jets – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jets | 7 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 25 |
at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York
- Date: November 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
- Game attendance: 53,593
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | BAL | NYJ |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 11 | 22 |
| Total yards | 152 | 300 |
| Rushing yards | 49 | 161 |
| Net passing yards | 103 | 139 |
| Sacked–yards | 5–39 | 1–4 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties–yards | 9–82 | 6–40 |
Week 14: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 14: Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 17 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 37 |
| Colts | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 6
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cold, 39 °F (4 °C), wind chill 29 °F (−2 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,871
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Kelly and John Dockery
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | DAL | BAL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 29 | 9 |
| Total yards | 464 | 238 |
| Rushing yards | 354 | 156 |
| Net passing yards | 110 | 82 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 1–8 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Penalties–yards | 6–33 | 11–87 |
Week 15: at Washington Redskins
Week 15: Baltimore Colts at Washington Redskins – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Redskins | 7 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 38 |
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D. C.
- Date: December 13
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
- Game attendance: 46,706
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | BAL | WAS |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 27 |
| Total yards | 337 | 486 |
| Rushing yards | 120 | 147 |
| Net passing yards | 217 | 339 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties–yards | 3–73 | 6–60 |
Week 16: vs. New England Patriots
Week 16: New England Patriots at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Colts | 10 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 23 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 20
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Mostly sunny, 21 °F (−6 °C)
- Game attendance: 17,073
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | NE | BAL |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 19 |
| Total yards | 350 | 383 |
| Rushing yards | 77 | 128 |
| Net passing yards | 273 | 255 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–8 | 1–12 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 2 |
| Penalties–yards | 6–20 | 6–53 |
The Colts ended the 1981 season by snapping their 14-game losing streak and swept the Patriots. However, the win would cause the Colts to lose out on the first overall pick in the following draft, which would go to the Patriots, and the Colts would secure the second overall pick instead.
Standings
| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Miami Dolphins(2) | 11 | 4 | 1 | .719 | 5–2–1 | 8–3–1 | 345 | 275 | W4 |
| New York Jets(4) | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 6–1–1 | 8–5–1 | 355 | 287 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills(5) | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 311 | 276 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–6 | 2–10 | 259 | 533 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–8 | 2–10 | 322 | 370 | L9 |
Records set
See also
Notes
- The other team to never lead in eleven losses is the 1990 New England Patriots.