1981 Seattle Seahawks season
American football team season
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The 1981 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's sixth season with the National Football League (NFL). The Seahawks got off to a terrible start, losing six of their first seven games, on the way to a 6–10 season. Seattle opened their season at Cincinnati, and held a 21–0 lead before the Bengals rallied for an improbable 27–21 win. This loss was a portent into the season. Later in the season, the Seahawks would go on to lose a 24–3 3rd quarter lead at home to the Raiders, ultimately losing 32–31. Seven of their 10 losses were by two possessions or more.
| 1981 Seattle Seahawks season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Nordstrom family |
| General manager | John Thompson |
| Head coach | Jack Patera |
| Home stadium | Kingdome |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 5th AFC West |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | None |
| Pro Bowlers | WR Steve Largent |
The Achilles' heel for the team was the running game on offense and defense. On offense, they ranked 27th in yards and 26th in yards per attempt. On defense, they ranked 27th in yards and 28th in yards per attempt. Only once did the defense hold a team under 100 yards rushing, which was against the Chargers in San Diego, where they lost 24–10.
The disappointing season had some memorable highlights. Among them, their then-biggest come-from-behind victory which took place at home against the Steelers on November 8th, where the Seahawks went from losing 21–3 to winning 24–21. On November 16th, the Seahawks won their first victory over the San Diego Chargers 44–23 after losing their first seven meetings. Steve Largent had a stellar season with 1,224 receiving yards. Jim Zorn had a bounce-back season, completing a career high 59% of his passes, 13 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and 6.2 yards per attempt before his injury against the Raiders at home.
Offseason
Draft
| 1981 Seattle Seahawks draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Kenny Easley * † | Safety | UCLA | |
| 2 | 31 | David Hughes | Running back | Boise State | |
| 3 | 58 | Bill Dugan | Guard | Penn State | |
| 4 | 87 | Scott Phillips | Wide receiver | BYU | |
| 5 | 114 | Edwin Bailey | Guard | South Carolina State | |
| 6 | 140 | Steve Durham | Defensive end | Clemson | |
| 7 | 170 | Ron Johnson | Wide receiver | Long Beach State | |
| 7 | 186 | Brad Scovill | Tight end | Penn State | |
| 8 | 196 | Eric Lane | Running back | BYU | |
| 9 | 223 | Jim Stone | Running back | Notre Dame | |
| 9 | 236 | Jimbo Whatley | Wide receiver | Washington State | |
| 10 | 252 | Ken Dawson | Running back | Savannah State | |
| 11 | 279 | Lance Olander | Running back | Colorado | |
| 12 | 306 | Jeff Bednarek | Defensive tackle | Pacific | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Babb | Punter | Oregon |
| Kim Baker | Linebacker | Nebraska |
| David Bayle | Tight End | Washington |
| Dan Boomhower | Running back | Kearney State |
| Dave Boschma | Safety | Linfield |
| Chris Buono | Safety | Furman |
| Brad Chace | Safety | Colorado |
| Bob Chauza | Tackle | Northwest Missouri State |
| Bob Danenhauer | Linebacker | Nebraska–Omaha |
| Bill Fenn | Fullback | Illinois State |
| Steve Griffiths | Linebacker | Penn State |
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Final roster
- Starters in bold.
- (*) Denotes players that were selected for the 1982 Pro Bowl.
Schedule
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 5 | San Francisco 49ers | L 24–27 (OT) | 0–1 | Kingdome | Recap |
| 2 | August 14 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 21–30 | 0–2 | Kingdome | Recap |
| 3 | August 22 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 17–24 | 0–3 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 4 | August 28 | Baltimore Colts | W 31–17 | 1–3 | Kingdome | Recap |
Regular season
- Bold indicates division opponents.
- Source: 1981 NFL season results[20]
Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| San Diego Chargers(3) | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 478 | 390 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–3 | 7–5 | 321 | 289 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–3 | 7–5 | 343 | 290 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–6 | 5–7 | 273 | 343 | L2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–6 | 6–8 | 322 | 388 | W1 |
Game summaries
Preseason
Week P1: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week P2: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Week P3: at San Francisco 49ers
Preseason Week Three: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 49ers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco
- Date: August 22
- Game time: 6:05 pm local
- Game weather: cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C), wind NE 19 miles per hour (31 km/h)
- Game attendance: 37,563
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV: KIRO
- Gamebook
Week P4: vs. Baltimore Colts
Regular season
Week 1: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week One: Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Bengals | 0 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos
Week Two: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Seahawks | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
- Date: September 13
- Game time: 1:03 pm local
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 58,513
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (NBC): Bob Costas and Jim Turner
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Oakland Raiders
Week Three: Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Raiders | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: September 20
- Game time: 1:01 pm local
- Game weather: clear, 68 °F (20 °C), 58% humidity, wind SW 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
- Game attendance: 45,725
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Phil Stone and Gene Washington
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week Four: Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: September 27
- Game time: 1:03 pm local
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 59,255
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- TV announcers (NBC): Phil Stone and Gene Washington
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at San Diego Chargers
Week Five: Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego
- Date: October 4
- Game time: 1:01 pm local
- Game weather: partly cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C), 68% humidity, wind W 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
- Game attendance: 51,463
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (NBC): Merle Harmon and George Kunz
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: at Houston Oilers
Week Six: Seattle Seahawks at Houston Oilers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Oilers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 35 |
- Date: October 11
- Game time: 1:00 pm local
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 42,671
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Adamle and Bob Trumpy
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: vs. New York Giants
Week Seven: Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Giants – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 3 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 32 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: October 18
- Game time: 1:03 pm local
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 56,134
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (CBS): Tom Brookshier and Roger Staubach
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: at New York Jets
Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 19 |
| Jets | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Shea Stadium, New York
- Date: October 25
- Game time: 4:01 pm local
- Game weather: overcast, 55 °F (13 °C), 64% humidity, wind SE 17 miles per hour (27 km/h)
- Game attendance: 49,678
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: at Green Bay Packers
Week Nine: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Packers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week Ten: Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
- Date: November 8
- Game time: 1:01 pm local
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 59,058
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Rocky Bleier
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week Eleven: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 24 | 14 | 6 | 44 |
- Date: November 16
- Game time: 6:05 pm local
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 58,628
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Howard Cosell
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week Twelve: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 17 | 7 | 13 | 40 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 22
- Game time: 1:01 pm local
- Game weather: clear, 53 °F (12 °C), 40% humidity, wind SE 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
- Game attendance: 49,002
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV: NBC
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week Thirteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Oakland Raiders – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 32 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
- Date: November 29
- Game time: 1:02 pm local
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 57,147
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Gene Washington
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: vs. New York Jets
Week Fourteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Jets – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
| Seahawks | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
- Date: December 6
- Game time: 1:02 pm local
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 53,105
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (NBC): Bob Costas and Bob Trumpy
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: at Denver Broncos
Week Fifteen: Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| Broncos | 7 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 23 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
- Date: December 13
- Game time: 2:00 pm local
- Game weather: partly cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C), 42% humidity, wind NE 14 miles per hour (23 km/h)
- Game attendance: 74,527
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Jim Turner
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week Sixteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Seahawks | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 42 |
- Date: December 20
- Game time: 1:03 pm local
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 51,435
- Referee: Chuck Heberling
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Mike Haffner
- Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|