The 1981 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 14th overall. The team won their first AFC Championship, but lost Super Bowl XVI to San Francisco.
Cincinnati had at least a share of the AFC Central lead the entire season. On December 13, quarterback Ken Anderson threw two touchdown passes as the Bengals clinched the division with a 17–10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals' only other rival for the division title by that point in the season.
Ken Anderson led the NFL in passing in 1981 with a 98.5 rating.
On January 3, 1982, the Bengals beat Buffalo, 28–21, in an AFC divisional playoff game. A week later, playing in their first AFC Championship Game in brutally cold weather, the Bengals defeated San Diego 27–7 at Riverfront Stadium. In a temperature of with a wind-chill factor of , this game is referred to as the Freezer Bowl.
In Super Bowl XVI on January 24, 1982, in Pontiac, Michigan, the Bengals trailed 20–0 at halftime and lost to San Francisco, 26–21.
Offseason Before the season, the Bengals unveiled new uniforms with tiger-striped helmets, jerseys and pants.
NFL draft
Undrafted free agents + 1981 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeKen BrownWide receiverNebraskaJim DestefanoLinebackerCornellDennis DunnSafetyYale
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Location TV Time(EST) TV Announcers Attendance 1 September 6 Seattle Seahawks W 27–21 Riverfront Stadium NBC 1:00 pm Mike Adamle & Rocky Bleier 41,177 2 September 13 at New York Jets W 31–30 Shea Stadium NBC 4:00pm Charlie Jones & Len Dawson49,454 3 September 20 Cleveland Browns L 20–17 Riverfront Stadium NBC 1:00 pm Bob Costas & Bob Trumpy52,170 4 September 27 Buffalo Bills W 27–24 Riverfront Stadium NBC 1:00 pm Jay Randolph & Mike Haffner46,418 5 October 4 at Houston Oilers L 17–10 Astrodome NBC 1:00 pm Marv Albert & Jim Turner44,350 6 October 11 at Baltimore Colts W 41–19 Memorial Stadium NBC 1:00 pm Bob Costas & Bob Trumpy33,060 7 October 18 Pittsburgh Steelers W 34–7 Riverfront Stadium NBC 1:00 pm Don Criqui & John Brodie57,090 8 October 25 at New Orleans Saints L 17–7 Louisiana Superdome NBC 1:00 pm Mike Adamle & Mike Haffner46,336 9 November 1 Houston Oilers W 34–21 Riverfront Stadium NBC 1:00 pm Bob Costas & Bob Trumpy54,736 10 November 8 at San Diego Chargers W 40–17 Jack Murphy Stadium NBC 4:00 pm Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen51,259 11 November 15 Los Angeles Rams W 24–10 Riverfront Stadium CBS 1:00 pm Vin Scully & Hank Stram56,836 12 November 22 Denver Broncos W 38–21 Riverfront Stadium NBC 1:00 pm Bob Costas & Gene Washington57,207 13 November 29 at Cleveland Browns W 41–21 Cleveland Stadium NBC 1:00 pm Bob Costas & Bob Trumpy75,186 14 December 6 San Francisco 49ers L 21–3 Riverfront Stadium CBS 1:00 pm Tim Ryan & Fred Dryer56,796 15 December 13 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 17–10 Three Rivers Stadium NBC 1:00 pm Don Criqui & John Brodie50,623 16 December 20 at Atlanta Falcons W 30–28 Fulton County Stadium NBC 4:00 pm Charlie Jones & Len Dawson35,972
Game summaries Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Pete Johnson 21 Rush, 105 Yds
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Playoffs Week Date Opponent Result Location TV Time(EST) TV Announcers Attendance Divisional January 3, 1982 Buffalo Bills W 28–21 Riverfront Stadium NBC 1:00pm Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen55,420 Conference Championship January 10, 1982 San Diego Chargers W 27–7 Riverfront Stadium NBC 1:00pm Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen46,302 Super Bowl January 24, 1982 N San Francisco 49ers L 26–21 Pontiac Silverdome CBS 4:00pm Pat Summerall & John Madden81,270
Divisional
Conference Championship
Super Bowl
Standings
Awards and records Ken Anderson, NFL MVPNFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, , p. 400 Ken Anderson, Bert Bell Award Ken Anderson, Franchise Record (since broken), Touchdown Passes, 29 Passes NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, , p. 37 Ken Anderson, Led NFL, Passer Rating, 98.4 Rating NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, , p. 447
Milestones Ken Anderson, Franchise Record (since broken), Most Touchdown Passes in One Season, 29 Passes Cris Collinsworth, 1st 1,000 Yard Receiving Season (1,009 yards)NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, , p. 442 Pete Johnson, 1,000 Yard Rushing Season (1,077 yards)NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, , p. 437
References
External links 1981 Cincinnati Bengals at Pro-Football-Reference.com