1981 Seattle Seahawks season

American football team season August 2023 March 2026 Seattle Seahawks 1981 6–10 5th AFC West Jack Patera John Thompson The Nordstrom family Kingdome Did not qualify WR Steve Largent None Seahawks seasons 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. 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 NFL draft 1981 Seattle Seahawks 1 4 Kenny Easley Safety UCLA yes yes yes 2 31 David Hughes Running back Boise State yes 3 58 Bill Dugan Guard Penn State yes 4 87 Scott Phillips Wide receiver BYU no 5 114 Edwin Bailey Guard South Carolina State yes 6 140 Steve Durham Defensive end Clemson no 7 170 Ron Johnson Wide receiver Long Beach State no 7 186 Brad Scovill Tight end Penn State no 8 196 Eric Lane Running back BYU yes 9 223 Jim Stone Running back Notre Dame no 9 236 Jimbo Whatley Wide receiver Washington State no 10 252 Ken Dawson Running back Savannah State no 11 279 Lance Olander Running back Colorado no 12 306 Jeff Bednarek Defensive tackle Pacific no Undrafted free agents + 1981 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeMike BabbPunterOregonKim BakerLinebackerNebraskaDavid BayleTight EndWashingtonDan BoomhowerRunning backKearney StateDave BoschmaSafetyLinfieldChris BuonoSafetyFurmanBrad ChaceSafetyColoradoBob ChauzaTackleNorthwest Missouri StateBob Danenhauer LinebackerNebraska–OmahaBill FennFullbackIllinois StateSteve GriffithsLinebackerPenn State Personnel Staff 1981 Seattle Seahawks Managing general partner – Herman Sarkowsky general manager – John Thompson Assistant general manager – Mark Duncan Director of player personnel – Dick Mansperger Director of pro scouting – Chuck Allen Head coach – Jack Patera Offensive/quarterbacks/receivers – Jerry Rhome Offensive backs – Andy MacDonald Offensive line – Howard Mudd Defensive/linebackers – Jackie Simpson Defensive line – Jim E. Mora Defensive backs – Jack Christiansen Special teams – Rusty Tillman Head trainer – Bruce Scott Assistant trainer – Jim Whitesel Final roster 1981 Seattle Seahawks 45 9 12 Sam Adkins American football 17 Dave Krieg 10 Jim Zorn 30 Theotis Brown 33 Dan Doornink 46 David Hughes American football y 32 Horace Ivory 43 Jim Jodat 37 Eric Lane American football y 47 Sherman Smith 85 Paul Johns American football y 80 Steve Largent 84 Sam McCullum 83 Steve Raible 81 John Sawyer American football 86 Mike Tice y 76 Steve August T 65 Edwin Bailey American football y G 68 Dennis Boyd American football T 66 Bill Dugan y G 64 Ron Essink T 54 Art Kuehn C 78 Bob Newton American football G 51 John Yarno C 63 Fred Anderson American football DE 79 Jacob Green DE 75 Robert Hardy American football DT 69 Doug Sutherland American football DT 74 Manu Tuiasosopo DE/DT 58 Terry Beeson MLB 53 Keith Butler American football OLB 55 Michael Jackson linebacker OLB 59 Rodell Thomas y OLB 60 Kevin Turner linebacker OLB 22 Dave Brown cornerback CB 25 Don Dufek FS 45 Kenny Easley y SS 44 John Harris safety FS 27 Gregg Johnson American football y CB/S 26 Kerry Justin CB 21 Vic Minor FS 42 Keith Simpson American football CB  2 Wilson Alvarez American football y K  6 Frank Garcia punter P  3 Vince Wagner y no K 82 Mark Bell defensive end DE IR 36 Larry Brinson RB IR 50 Brian Flones y LB IR 56 Greg Gaines linebacker y LB IR  1 Efrén Herrera K IR 89 Mark McGrath American football WR IR 52 Joe Norman LB IR  8 Jeff West American football P IR 70 Mike White defensive lineman DT IRhttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/ Home pro-football-reference.com 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, 1981 San Francisco 49ers L 24–27 (OT) 0–1 Kingdome Recap 2 August 14, 1981 St. Louis Cardinals L 21–30 0–2 Kingdome Recap 3 August 22, 1981 at San Francisco 49ers L 17–24 0–3 Candlestick Park Recap 4 August 28, 1981 Baltimore Colts W 31–17 1–3 Kingdome Recap Source: Seahawks Media Guides1981 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.1982 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015. Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site Recap 1 September 6 at Cincinnati Bengals L 21–27 0–1 Riverfront Stadiumhttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198109060cin.htm Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals - September 6th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 2 September 13 Denver Broncos W 13–10 1–1 Kingdomehttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198109130sea.htm Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks - September 13th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 3 September 20 at Oakland Raiders L 10–20 1–2 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseumhttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198109200rai.htm Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders - September 20th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 4 September 27 Kansas City Chiefs L 14–20 1–3 Kingdomehttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198109270sea.htm Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks - September 27th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 5 October 4 at San Diego Chargers L 10–24 1–4 Jack Murphy Stadiumhttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198110040sdg.htm Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers - October 4th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 6 October 11 at Houston Oilers L 17–35 1–5 Houston Astrodomehttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198110110oti.htm Seattle Seahawks at Houston Oilers - October 11th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 7 October 18 New York Giants L 0–32 1–6 Kingdomehttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198110180sea.htm New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks - October 18th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 8 October 25 at New York Jets W 19–3 2–6 Shea Stadiumhttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198110250nyj.htm Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets - October 25th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 9 November 1 at Green Bay Packers L 24–34 2–7 Lambeau Fieldhttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198111010gnb.htm Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers - November 1st, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 10 November 8 Pittsburgh Steelers W 24–21 3–7 Kingdomehttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198111080sea.htm Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks - November 8th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 11 November 16, 1981 San Diego Chargers W 44–23 4–7 Kingdomehttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198111160sea.htm San Diego Chargers at Seattle Seahawks - November 16th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 12 November 22 at Kansas City Chiefs L 13–40 4–8 Arrowhead Stadiumhttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198111220kan.htm Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs - November 22nd, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 13 November 29 Oakland Raiders L 31–32 4–9 Kingdomehttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198111290sea.htm Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks - November 29th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 14 December 6 New York Jets W 27–23 5–9 Kingdomehttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198112060sea.htm New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks - December 6th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 15 December 13 at Denver Broncos L 13–23 5–10 Mile High Stadiumhttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198112130den.htm Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos - December 13th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap 16 December 20 Cleveland Browns W 42–21 6–10 Kingdomehttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198112200sea.htm Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks - December 20th, 1981 Pro-Football-Reference.com October 31, 2025 Recap Bold indicates division opponents. Source: 1981 NFL season results1981 NFL season results, NFL.com, accessed February 14, 2015. Standings Game summaries Preseason Week P1: vs. San Francisco 49ers background:white;color:#002366;border:2px solid #008542;text-align:center; Preseason Week One: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary August 5 Wednesday 7:34 pm local 49ers 7 7 3 7 3 Seahawks 7 3 0 14 0 Kingdome, Seattle 56,958 indoors Fred Silva KIRO Gamebook Week P2: vs. St. Louis Cardinals background:white;color:#002366;border:2px solid #008542;text-align:center; Preseason Week Two: Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Cardinals – Game summary August 14 Friday 7:34 pm local Cardinals 6 7 7 10 Seahawks 0 7 7 7 Kingdome, Seattle 55,520 indoors Jim Tunney KIRO Gamebook Week P3: at San Francisco 49ers background:white;color:#002366;border:2px solid #008542;text-align:center; Preseason Week Three: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary August 22 Saturday 6:05 pm local Seahawks 17 0 0 0 49ers 7 0 7 10 Candlestick Park, San Francisco 37,563 cloudy, 60 °F °C, wind NE 19 mph km/h Bob McElwee KIRO Gamebook Week P4: vs. Baltimore Colts background:white;color:#002366;border:2px solid #008542;text-align:center; Preseason Week Four: Seattle Seahawks vs. Baltimore Colts – Game summary August 28 Friday 7:34 pm local Colts 7 7 0 3 Seahawks 10 0 14 7 Kingdome, Seattle 55,794 indoors Dick Jorgensen KIRO Gamebook Regular season Week 1: at Cincinnati Bengals Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary September 6 1:00 pm local Seahawks 21 0 0 0 Bengals 0 10 10 7 Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 41,177 partly cloudy, 70 °F °C, 71% humidity, wind NE 4 mph km/h Bob Frederic NBC Gamebook First quarter SEA – John Harris 29-yard interception return (Efrén Herrera kick), 8:53 (SEA 7–0) SEA – Steve Largent 36-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 5:27 (SEA 14–0) SEA – Jim Jodat 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 3:19 (SEA 21–0) Second quarter CIN – Jim Breech 25-yard field goal, 10:44 (SEA 21–3) CIN – Pete Johnson 3-yard run (Jim Breech kick), 0:57 (SEA 21–10) Third quarter CIN – Jim Breech 40-yard field goal, 11:32 (SEA 21–13) CIN – Archie Griffin 3-yard run (Jim Breech kick), 2:52 (SEA 21–20) Fourth quarter CIN – Pete Johnson 2-yard run (Jim Breech kick), 5:04 (CIN 27–21) Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn: 21 completions/41 attempts, 230 yds, 1 TD touchdowns, 1 INT interceptions CIN – Turk Schonert: 9/18, 130 yds Top rushers SEA – Jim Jodat: 8 car carries, 21 yds, 1 TD CIN – Pete Johnson: 20 car, 84 yds, 2 TD Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent: 8 rec receptions, 114 yds, 1 TD CIN – Cris Collinsworth: 4 rec, 65 yds Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers SEA –230 – 60 – 290 – 4 CIN – 165 – 210 – 375 – 4 Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos – Game summary September 13 1:03 pm local Broncos 3 7 0 0 Seahawks 7 3 3 0 Kingdome, Seattle 58,513 indoors Fred Silva NBC Bob Costas and Jim Turner Gamebook First quarter DEN – Fred Steinfort 30-yard field goal, 8:34 (DEN 3–0) SEA – Dennis Boyd 3-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 2:48 (SEA 7–3) Second quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 43-yard field goal, 2:39 (SEA 10–3) DEN – Riley Odoms 11-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick), 1:06 (Tied 10–10) Third quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 22-yard field goal, 5:53 (SEA 13–10) Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers DEN – Craig Morton: 144/25, 161 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT SEA – Jim Zorn: 24/34, 199 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Rick Parros: 13 car, 69 yds SEA – Sherman Smith: 11 car, 58 yds Top receivers DEN – Steve Watson: 2 rec, 36 yds SEA – David Hughes: 6 rec, 59 yds Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers DEN – 142 – 110 – 252 – 2 SEA – 156 – 111 – 267 – 2 Week 3: at Oakland Raiders Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders – Game summary September 20 1:01 pm local Seahawks 0 3 7 0 Raiders 7 6 0 7 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 45,725 clear, 68 °F °C, 58% humidity, wind SW 9 mph km/h Pat Haggerty NBC Phil Stone and Gene Washington Gamebook First quarter OAK – Jim Plunkett 13-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 6:14 (OAK 7–0) Second quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 26-yard field goal, 4:45 (OAK 7–3) OAK – Morris Bradshaw 29-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (PAT failed), 0:13 (OAK 13–3) Third quarter SEA – Sam McCullum 36-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 8:06 (OAK 13–10) Fourth quarter OAK – Derrick Jensen 1-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 11:24 (OAK 20–10) Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn: 24/43, 327 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT OAK – Jim Plunkett: 20/30, 262 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SEA – Sherman Smith: 4 car, 25 yds OAK – Derrick Jensen: 19 car, 84 yds, 1 TD Top receivers SEA – Sam McCullum: 6 rec, 122 yds, 1 TD OAK – Morris Bradshaw: 3 rec, 74 yds, 1 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers SEA – 308 – 82 – 390 – 2 OAK – 242 – 190 – 432 – 3 Week 4: vs. Kansas City Chiefs Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary September 27 1:03 pm local Chiefs 7 13 0 0 Seahawks 0 7 7 0 Kingdome, Seattle 59,255 indoors Tom Dooley NBC Phil Stone and Gene Washington Gamebook First quarter KC – Ted McKnight 2-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:56 (KC 7–0) Second quarter KC – Bill Kenney 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 13:41 (KC 14–0) KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 6:40 (KC 17–0) KC – Nick Lowery 38-yard field goal, 5:28 (KC 20–0) SEA – Sam McCullum 11-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 1:58 (KC 20–7) Third quarter SEA – Sherman Smith 2-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 11:01 (KC 20–14) Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers KC – Bill Kenney: 16/25, 239 yds SEA – Jim Zorn: 31/47, 308 yds, 1 TD Top rushers KC – Joe Delaney: 15 car, 45 yds SEA – Jim Zorn: 4 car, 48 yds Top receivers KC – J.T. Smith: 5 rec, 81 yds SEA – David Hughes: 12 rec, 103 yds Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers KC – 227 – 154 – 381 – 2 SEA – 277 – 82 – 359 – 1 Week 5: at San Diego Chargers Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers – Game summary October 4 1:01 pm local Seahawks 0 7 0 3 Chargers 0 10 7 7 Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego 51,463 partly cloudy, 72 °F °C, 68% humidity, wind W 10 mph km/h Red Cashion NBC Merle Harmon and George Kunz Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter SEA – Steve Largent 34-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 14:54 (SEA 7–0) SD – Rolf Benirschke 47-yard field goal, 11:54 (SEA 7–3) SD – Charlie Joiner 12-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 2:38 (SD 10–7) Third quarter SD – Charlie Joiner 12-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 4:50 (SD 17–7) Fourth quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 11-yard field goal, 10:30 (SD 17–10) SD – Charlie Joiner 11-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:56 (SD 24–10) Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn: 16/34, 229 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT SD – Dan Fouts: 30/41, 302 yds, 3 TD Top rushers SEA – Jim Zorn: 6 car, 29 yds SD – John Cappelletti: 14 car, 85 yds Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent: 5 rec, 118 yds, 1 TD SD – Clarence Williams: 10 rec, 89 yds Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers SEA – 200 – 92 – 292 – 1 SD – 272 – 99 – 371 – 2 Week 6: at Houston Oilers Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Seattle Seahawks at Houston Oilers – Game summary October 11 1:00 pm local Seahawks 10 0 0 7 Oilers 7 7 0 21 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 42,671 indoors Jerry Seeman NBC Mike Adamle and Bob Trumpy Gamebook First quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 41-yard field goal, 8:36 (SEA 3–0) SEA – David Hughes 17-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 3:58 (SEA 10–0) HOU – Ken Burrough 31-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Toni Fritsch kick), 1:33 (SEA 10–7) Second quarter HOU – Earl Campbell 1-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick), 1:16 (HOU 14–10) Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter HOU – Dave Casper 32-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Toni Fritsch kick), 14:54 (HOU 21–10) HOU – Ken Burrough 24-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Toni Fritsch kick), 11:55 (HOU 28–10) HOU – Earl Campbell 4-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick), 6:59 (HOU 35–10) SEA – Steve Largent 31-yard pass from Sam Adkins (Efrén Herrera kick), 5:18 (HOU 35–17) Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn: 19/30, 145 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT HOU – Ken Stabler: 12/18, 156 yds, 3 TD Top rushers SEA – Sam Adkins: 3 car, 28 yds HOU – Earl Campbell: 39 car, 186 yds, 2 TD Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent: 4 rec, 65 yds, 1 TD HOU – Ken Burrough: 4 rec, 74 yds, 2 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers SEA – 214 – 75 – 289 – 3 HOU – 156 – 216 – 372 – 1 Week 7: vs. New York Giants Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Giants – Game summary October 18 1:03 pm local Giants 3 10 13 6 Seahawks 0 0 0 0 Kingdome, Seattle 56,134 indoors Gordon McCarter CBS Tom Brookshier and Roger Staubach Gamebook First quarter NYG – Joe Danelo 29-yard field goal, 9:23 (NYG 3–0) Second quarter NYG – Gary Shirk 6-yard pass from Phil Simms (Joe Danelo kick), 12:09 (NYG 10–0) NYG – Joe Danelo 54-yard field goal, 4:30 (NYG 13–0) Third quarter NYG – Joe Danelo 21-yard field goal, 12:10 (NYG 16–0) NYG – Joe Danelo 47-yard field goal, 5:39 (NYG 19–0) NYG – Rob Carpenter 2-yard run (Joe Danelo kick), 3:5 (NYG 26–0) Fourth quarter NYG – Joe Danelo 31-yard field goal, 11:15 (NYG 29–0) NYG – Joe Danelo 37-yard field goal, 0:16 (NYG 32–0) Top passers NYG – Phil Simms: 12/27, 103 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT SEA – Jim Zorn: 14/22, 84 yds, 1 INT Top rushers NYG – Rob Carpenter: 21 car, 116 yds, 1 TD SEA – Theotis Brown: 4 car, 9 yds Top receivers NYG – Gary Shirk: 4 rec, 30 yds, 1 TD SEA – Steve Largent: 4 rec, 40 yds Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers NYG – 88 – 213 – 301 – 1 SEA – 98 – 29 – 127 – 4 Week 8: at New York Jets Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets – Game summary October 25 4:01 pm local Seahawks 0 7 6 6 Jets 0 0 3 0 Shea Stadium, New York 49,678 overcast, 55 °F °C, 64% humidity, wind SE 17 mph km/h Bob McElwee NBC Charlie Jones and Len Dawson Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter SEA – Steve Largent 10-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 2:55 (SEA 7–0) Third quarter SEA – Steve Largent 27-yard pass from Jim Zorn (PAT failed), 12:53 (SEA 13–0) NYJ – Pat Leahy 34-yard field goal, 7:53 (SEA 13–3) Fourth quarter SEA – Sherman Smith 4-yard run (PAT failed), 13:42 (SEA 19–3) Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn: 13/21, 172 yds, 1 TD NYJ – Richard Todd: 14/29, 121 yds, 2 INT Top rushers SEA – Theotis Brown: 14 car, 104 yds NYJ – Bruce Harper: 8 car, 60 yds Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent: 6 rec, 80 yds, 1 TD NYJ – Scott Dierking: 2 rec, 22 yds Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers SEA – 163 – 217 – 380 – 1 NYJ – 101 – 118 – 219 – 4 Week 9: at Green Bay Packers Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers – Game summary November 1 1:02 pm local Seahawks 7 14 3 0 Packers 7 14 7 6 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 49,467 clear, 56 °F °C, 75% humidity, wind NE 5 mph km/h Chuck Heberling NBC Sam Nover and Dave Rowe Gamebook First quarter SEA – John Harris 42-yard interception return (Efrén Herrera kick), 10:47 (SEA 7–0) GB – Paul Coffman 7-yard pass from David Whitehurst (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:57 (Tied 7–7) Second quarter SEA – Dan Doornink 12-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 11:03 (SEA 14–7) GB – David Whitehurst 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:19 (Tied 14–14) GB – James Lofton 8-yard pass from David Whitehurst (Jan Stenerud kick), 4:18 (GB 21–14) SEA – Dan Doornink 14-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 0:24 (Tied 21–21) Third quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 54-yard field goal, 5:54 (SEA 24–21) GB – James Lofton 38-yard pass from David Whitehurst (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:02 (GB 28–24) Fourth quarter GB – Jan Stenerud 19-yard field goal, 1:58 (GB 31–24) GB – Jan Stenerud 36-yard field goal, 0:45 (GB 34–24) Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn: 12/23, 108 yds, 2 TD GB – David Whitehurst: 19/31, 205 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SEA – Theotis Brown: 17 car, 89 yds GB – Gerry Ellis: 23 car, 127 yds Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent: 3 rec, 45 yds GB – James Lofton: 4 rec, 63 yds, 2 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers SEA – 102 – 119 – 221 – 3 GB – 195 – 182 – 337 – 3 Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary November 8 1:01 pm local Steelers 7 14 0 0 Seahawks 3 7 0 14 Kingdome, Seattle 59,058 indoors Dick Jorgensen NBC Jay Randolph and Rocky Bleier Gamebook First quarter PIT – Franco Harris 6-yard run (David Trout kick), 8:15 (PIT 7–0) SEA – Efrén Herrera 37-yard field goal, 0:17 (PIT 7–3) Second quarter PIT – Mark Malone 90-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (David Trout kick), 14:11 (PIT 14–3) PIT – Sidney Thornton 4-yard run (David Trout kick), 1:12 (PIT 21–3) SEA – Dan Doornink 44-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 0:37 (PIT 21–10) Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter SEA – Theotis Brown 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 13:13 (PIT 21–17) SEA – Theotis Brown 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 9:04 (SEA 24–21) Top passers PIT – Terry Bradshaw: 13/22, 212 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT SEA – Jim Zorn: 18/25, 277 yds, 1 TD Top rushers PIT – Franco Harris: 15 car, 61 yds, 1 TD SEA – Theotis Brown: 18 car, 43 yds, 2 TD Top receivers PIT – Mark Malone: 1 rec, 90 yds, 1 TD SEA – Dan Doornink: 3 rec, 82 yds, 1 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers PIT – 205 – 162 – 367 – 2 SEA – 260 – 96 – 356 – 1 Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 16 6:05 pm local Chargers 7 10 0 6 Seahawks 0 24 14 6 Kingdome, Seattle 58,628 indoors Bob Frederic ABC Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Howard Cosell Gamebook First quarter SD – Chuck Muncie 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:35 (SD 7–0) Second quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 25-yard field goal, 12:43 (SD 7–3) SEA – Theotis Brown 2-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 11:27 (SEA 10–7) SEA – Sherman Smith 18-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 5:56 (SEA 17–7) SD – Chuck Muncie 73-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 4:26 (SEA 17–14) SEA – Theotis Brown 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 0:57 (SEA 24–14) SD – Rolf Benirschke 32-yard field goal, 0:03 (SEA 24–17) Third quarter SEA – Dan Doornink 80-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 5:46 (SEA 31–17) SEA – Dan Doornink 3-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 0:12 (SEA 38–17) Fourth quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 30-yard field goal, 13:05 (SEA 41–17) SD – Charlie Joiner 19-yard pass from Dan Fouts (PAT failed), 11:39 (SEA 41–23) SEA – Efrén Herrera 23-yard field goal, 6:11 (SEA 44–23) Top passers SD – Dan Fouts: 20/34, 252 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT SEA – Jim Zorn: 11/22, 221 yds, 2 TD Top rushers SD – Chuck Muncie: 20 car, 151 yds, 2 TD SEA – Theotis Brown: 18 car, 83 yds, 2 TD Top receivers SD – Kellen Winslow: 7 rec, 106 yds SEA – Dan Doornink: 1 rec, 80 yds, 1 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers SD – 291 – 195 – 486 – 4 SEA – 212 – 156 – 368 – 0 Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary November 22 1:01 pm local Seahawks 3 3 7 0 Chiefs 3 17 7 13 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 49,002 clear, 53 °F °C, 40% humidity, wind SE 8 mph km/h Fred Silva NBC Gamebook First quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 26-yard field goal, 7:58 (SEA 3–0) KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 2:46 (Tied 3–3) Second quarter KC – Nick Lowery 24-yard field goal, 11:16 (KC 6–3) SEA – Efrén Herrera 30-yard field goal, 2:51 (Tied 6–6) KC – J.T. Smith 14-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 1:07 (KC 13–6) KC – Lloyd Burruss 46-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 0:31 (KC 20–6) Third quarter KC – Billy Jackson 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:40 (KC 27–6) SEA – Steve Largent 30-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 5:46 (KC 27–13) Fourth quarter KC – Willie Scott 2-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 14:57 (KC 33–13) KC – Billy Jackson 2-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:36 (KC 40–13) Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn: 19/30, 258 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT KC – Bill Kenney: 17/22, 181 yds, 2 TD Top rushers SEA – Theotis Brown: 16 car, 63 yds KC – James Hadnot: 10 car, 106 yds Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent: 4 rec, 63 yds, 1 TD KC – J.T. Smith: 7 rec, 70 yds, 1 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers SEA – 256 – 83 – 339 – 2 KC – 181 – 269 – 450 – 0 Week 13: vs. Oakland Raiders Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Oakland Raiders – Game summary November 29 1:02 pm local Raiders 0 3 8 21 Seahawks 0 10 14 7 Kingdome, Seattle 57,147 indoors Gordon McCarter NBC Jay Randolph and Gene Washington Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 22-yard field goal, 12:38 (SEA 3–0) OAK – Chris Bahr 20-yard field goal, 8:26 (Tied 3–3) SEA – Jim Zorn 3-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 5:44 (SEA 10–3) Third quarter SEA – Sherman Smith 3-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 12:13 (SEA 17–3) SEA – Rodell Thomas 5-yard fumble return (Efrén Herrera kick), 12:00 (SEA 24–3) OAK – Safety, Jeff West stepped out of end zone, 6:22 (SEA 24–5) OAK – Derrick Ramsey 5-yard pass from Marc Wilson (PAT failed), 2:48 (SEA 24–11) Fourth quarter OAK – Bob Chandler 8-yard pass from Marc Wilson (Chris Bahr kick), 11:02 (SEA 24–18) OAK – Arthur Whittington 16-yard pass from Marc Wilson (Chris Bahr kick), 5:53 (OAK 25–24) OAK – Derrick Jensen 3-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 1:51 (OAK 32–24) SEA – Steve Largent 11-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Efrén Herrera kick), 0:08 (OAK 32–31) Top passers OAK – Marc Wilson: 20/33, 218 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT SEA – Jim Zorn: 14/25, 239 yds Top rushers OAK – Kenny King: 13 car, 75 yds SEA – Theotis Brown: 18 car, 34 yds Top receivers OAK – Derrick Ramsey: 5 rec, 82 yds, 1 TD SEA – Sam McCullum: 4 rec, 91 yds Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers OAK – 156 – 181 – 337 – 4 SEA – 314 – 69 – 383 – 1 Week 14: vs. New York Jets Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Jets – Game summary December 6 1:02 pm local Jets 0 9 7 7 Seahawks 6 7 7 7 Kingdome, Seattle 53,105 indoors Gene Barth NBC Bob Costas and Bob Trumpy Gamebook First quarter SEA – Sam McCullum 6-yard pass from Jim Zorn (PAT failed), 12:35 (SEA 6–0) Second quarter NYJ – Scott Dierking 11-yard pass from Richard Todd (PAT failed), 13:02 (Tied 6–6) SEA – Theotis Brown 21-yard run (Wilson Álvarez kick), 5:25 (SEA 13–6) NYJ – Pat Leahy 26-yard field goal, 1:18 (SEA 13–9) Third quarter NYJ – Scott Dierking 15-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 13:19 (NYJ 16–13) SEA – Dave Krieg 1-yard run (Wilson Álvarez kick), 1:04 (SEA 20–16) Fourth quarter NYJ – Kevin Long 1-yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick), 9:21 (NYJ 23–20) SEA – Steve Largent 57-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Wilson Álvarez kick), 8:21 (SEA 27–23) Top passers NYJ – Richard Todd: 27/27, 286 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT SEA – Dave Krieg: 20/26, 264 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT Top rushers NYJ – Kevin Long: 11 car, 51 yds SEA – Theotis Brown: 18 car, 73 yds, 1 TD Top receivers NYJ – Bruce Harper: 8 rec, 67 yds SEA – Steve Largent: 7 rec, 169 yds, 1 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers NYJ – 276 – 119 – 395 – 3 SEA – 256 – 127 – 383 – 4 Week 15: at Denver Broncos Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – Game summary December 13 2:00 pm local Seahawks 0 3 3 7 Broncos 7 3 6 7 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 74,527 partly cloudy, 45 °F °C, 42% humidity, wind NE 14 mph km/h Fred Wyant NBC Jay Randolph and Jim Turner Gamebook First quarter DEN – Riley Odoms 22-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick), 10:58 (DEN 7–0) Second quarter SEA – Wilson Álvarez 28-yard field goal, 8:06 (DEN 7–3) DEN – Fred Steinfort 33-yard field goal, 0:00 (DEN 10–3) Third quarter DEN – Fred Steinfort 43-yard field goal, 11:28 (DEN 13–3) DEN – Fred Steinfort 24-yard field goal, 8:13 (DEN 16–3) SEA – Wilson Álvarez 20-yard field goal, 1:58 (DEN 16–6) Fourth quarter DEN – Rick Parros 8-yard run (Fred Steinfort kick), 3:12 (DEN 23–6) SEA – David Hughes 5-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Wilson Álvarez kick), 0:03 (DEN 23–13) Top passers SEA – Dave Krieg: 18/40, 219 yds, 1 TD DEN – Craig Morton: 15/30, 144 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SEA – Dan Doornink: 6 car, 22 yds DEN – Rick Parros: 16 car, 82 yds, 1 TD Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent: 3 rec, 72 yds DEN – Riley Odoms: 2 rec, 38 yds, 1 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers SEA – 199 – 86 – 285 – 5 DEN – 136 – 237 – 373 – 3 Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns Seattle Seahawks 1981 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns – Game summary December 20 1:03 pm local Browns 0 7 7 7 Seahawks 14 14 14 0 Kingdome, Seattle 51,435 indoors Chuck Heberling NBC Jay Randolph and Mike Haffner Gamebook First quarter SEA – Kenny Easley 82-yard interception return (Wilson Álvarez kick), 11:42 (SEA 7–0) SEA – Theotis Brown 2-yard run (Wilson Álvarez kick), 1:30 (SEA 14–0) Second quarter SEA – Steve Largent 4-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Wilson Álvarez kick), 14:32 (SEA 21–0) SEA – Gregg Johnson 31-yard fumble return (Wilson Álvarez kick), 13:37 (SEA 28–0) CLE – Greg Pruitt 5-yard pass from Paul McDonald (Matt Bahr kick), 6:44 (SEA 28–7) Third quarter SEA – Paul Johns 10-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Wilson Álvarez kick), 8:26 (SEA 35–7) SEA – Steve Largent 14-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Wilson Álvarez kick), 7:25 (SEA 42–7) CLE – Dave Logan 16-yard pass from Paul McDonald (Matt Bahr kick), 5:36 (SEA 42–14) Fourth quarter CLE – Calvin Hill 8-yard pass from Paul McDonald (Matt Bahr kick), 10:02 (SEA 42–21) Top passers CLE – Paul McDonald: 24/34, 297 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT SEA – Dave Krieg: 14/21, 206 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CLE – Charles White: 18 car, 68 yds SEA – Horace Ivory: 9 car, 38 yds Top receivers CLE – Dave Logan: 5 rec, 101 yds, 1 TD SEA – Steve Largent: 6 rec, 80 yds, 2 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers CLE – 301 – 151 – 452 – 10 SEA – 182 – 110 – 292 – 5 References External links https://www.seahawks.com/ 1981 Seattle Seahawks season at ESPN 1981 Seattle Seahawks season at Pro Football Reference (pro-football-reference.com) 1981 Seattle Seahawks Statistics at jt-sw.com 1981 Seattle Seahawks Schedule at jt-sw.com Seattle Category:Seattle Seahawks seasons Category:1981 in sports in Washington (state) Category:1980s in Seattle