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The Bengals playing against the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI.
The 1981 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League , 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 Steelers .
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, the Bengals defeated San Diego , 27–7, at Riverfront Stadium in a temperature of nine degrees below zero with a wind-chill factor of minus-59. 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
[ 1]
Personnel
Staff
1981 Cincinnati Bengals staff
Front office
Owner/General Manager – Paul Brown
President – John Sawyer
Director of Player Personnel – Pete Brown
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Special Teams – Bruce Coslet
Strength and conditioning
Roster
Source: [ 2] [ 3]
Regular season
Schedule
Week
Date
Opponent
Result
TV Time(EST)
TV Announcers
Attendance
1
September 6, 1981
Seattle Seahawks
W 27–21
NBC 1:00pm
Mike Adamle & Rocky Bleier
41,177
2
September 13, 1981
at New York Jets
W 31–30
NBC 4:00pm
Charlie Jones & Len Dawson
49,454
3
September 20, 1981
Cleveland Browns
L 20–17
NBC 1:00pm
Bob Costas & Bob Trumpy
52,170
4
September 27, 1981
Buffalo Bills
W 27–24
NBC 1:00pm
Jay Randolph & Mike Haffner
46,418
5
October 4, 1981
at Houston Oilers
L 17–10
NBC 1:00pm
Marv Albert & Jim Turner
44,350
6
October 11, 1981
at Baltimore Colts
W 41–19
NBC 1:00pm
Bob Costas & Bob Trumpy
33,060
7
October 18, 1981
Pittsburgh Steelers
W 34–7
NBC 1:00pm
Don Criqui & John Brodie
57,090
8
October 25, 1981
at New Orleans Saints
L 17–7
NBC 1:00pm
Mike Adamle & Mike Haffner
46,336
9
November 1, 1981
Houston Oilers
W 34–21
NBC 1:00pm
Bob Costas & Bob Trumpy
54,736
10
November 8, 1981
at San Diego Chargers
W 40–17
NBC 4:00pm
Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen
51,259
11
November 15, 1981
Los Angeles Rams
W 24–10
CBS 1:00pm
Vin Scully & Hank Stram
56,836
12
November 22, 1981
Denver Broncos
W 38–21
NBC 1:00pm
Bob Costas & Gene Washington
57,207
13
November 29, 1981
at Cleveland Browns
W 41–21
NBC 1:00pm
Bob Costas & Bob Trumpy
75,186
14
December 6, 1981
San Francisco 49ers
L 21–3
CBS 1:00pm
Tim Ryan & Fred Dryer
56,796
15
December 13, 1981
at Pittsburgh Steelers
W 17–10
NBC 1:00pm
Don Criqui & John Brodie
50,623
16
December 20, 1981
at Atlanta Falcons
W 30–28
NBC 4:00pm
Charlie Jones & Len Dawson
35,972
Game summaries
Week 1
1
2 3 4 Total
Seahawks
21
0 0 0
21
• Bengals
0
10 10 7
27
Date: September 6Location: Riverfront Stadium , Cincinnati Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game attendance: 41,177Game weather: 69°F; wind 8Referee: Bob FredericTelevision network: NBC
Scoring summary Q1 SEA Harris 29 yard interception return (Herrera kick) SEA 7–0
Q1 SEA Largent 36 yard pass from Zorn (Herrera kick)SEA 14–0
Q1 SEA Jodat 1 yard run (Herrera kick)SEA 21–0
Q2 CIN Breech 25 yard field goalSEA 21–3
Q2 CIN Johnson 3 yard run (Breech kick)SEA 21–10
Q3 CIN Breech 40 yard field goal SEA 21–13
Q3 CIN Griffin 3 yard run (Breech kick)SEA 21–20
Q4 CIN Johnson 2 yard run (Breech kick) CIN 27–21
[ 4]
Week 2
1
2 3 4 Total
• Bengals
0
10 7 14
31
Jets
0
17 3 10
30
Week 3
1
2 3 4 Total
• Browns
3
10 0 7
20
Bengals
0
0 3 14
17
Date: September 20Location: Riverfront StadiumReferee: Red CashionTelevision network: NBC
Week 4
1
2 3 4 OT Total
Bills
0
14 0 10 0
24
• Bengals
0
10 0 14 3
27
Date: September 27Location: Riverfront Stadium
Week 5
1
2 3 4 Total
Bengals
3
0 7 0
10
• Oilers
0
7 7 3
17
Date: October 4Location: Astrodome Game weather: Indoors (dome)
Week 6
1
2 3 4 Total
• Bengals
3
14 7 17
41
Colts
0
5 0 14
19
Week 7
1
2 3 4 Total
Steelers
0
0 0 7
7
• Bengals
10
3 14 7
34
Date: October 18Location: Riverfront StadiumReferee: Jerry MarkbreitTV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie
Week 8
1
2 3 4 Total
Bengals
0
0 0 7
7
• Saints
0
0 7 10
17
Week 9
1
2 3 4 Total
Oilers
7
0 0 14
21
• Bengals
0
24 3 7
34
Date: November 1Location: Riverfront Stadium
Week 10
1
2 3 4 Total
• Bengals
10
21 0 9
40
Chargers
0
10 0 7
17
Week 11
1
2 3 4 Total
Rams
0
3 0 7
10
• Bengals
10
0 0 14
24
Date: November 15Location: Riverfront StadiumReferee: Bob McElweeTV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and Hank Stram
Week 12
1
2 3 4 Total
Broncos
0
7 0 14
21
• Bengals
14
14 0 10
38
Date: November 22Location: Riverfront Stadium
Week 13
1
2 3 4 Total
• Bengals
14
14 0 13
41
Browns
0
7 0 14
21
Scoring summary Q1 CIN Johnson 5 yard pass from Anderson (Breech kick)CIN 7–0
Q1 CIN Collinsworth 39 yard pass from Anderson (Breech kick)CIN 14–0
Q2 CIN Collinsworth 7 yard pass from Anderson (Breech kick) CIN 21–0
Q2 CLE Feacher 30 yard pass from Sipe (Bahr kick)CIN 21–7
Q2 CIN Harris 2 yard pass from Anderson (Breech kick)CIN 28–7
Q4 CLE Pruitt 1 yard run (Bahr kick)CIN 28–14
Q4 CIN Johnson 11 yard run (Breech kick) CIN 35–14
Q4 CIN Johnson 1 yard run (Breech kick) CIN 42–14
Q4 CLE Pruitt 7 yard pass from McDonald (Bahr kick) CIN 42–21
[ 5]
Week 14
1
2 3 4 Total
• 49ers
7
7 0 7
21
Bengals
0
3 0 0
3
Date: December 6Location: Riverfront StadiumReferee: Jerry SeemanTV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Fred Dryer
Week 15
1
2 3 4 Total
• Bengals
0
10 7 0
17
Steelers
0
3 0 7
10
Date: December 13Location: Three Rivers Stadium Referee: Red CashionTV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie
Week 16
1
2 3 4 Total
• Bengals
10
17 0 3
30
Falcons
0
21 0 7
28
Playoffs
Week
Date
Opponent
Result
TV Time(EST)
TV Announcers
Attendance
Divisional
January 3, 1982
Buffalo Bills
W 28–21
NBC 1:00pm
Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen
55,420
Conference Championship
January 10, 1982
San Diego Chargers
W 27–7
NBC 1:00pm
Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen
46,302
Super Bowl
January 24, 1982
N San Francisco 49ers
L 26–21
CBS 4:00pm
Pat Summerall & John Madden
81,270
Divisional
1
2 3 4 Total
Bills
0
7 7 7
21
• Bengals
14
0 7 7
28
Date: January 3Location: Riverfront Stadium Referee: Pat HaggertyTV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
Conference Championship
1
2 3 4 Total
Chargers
0
7 0 0
7
• Bengals
10
7 3 7
27
Date: January 10Location: Riverfront StadiumReferee: Fred SilvaTV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
Super Bowl
1
2 3 4 Total
• 49ers
7
13 0 6
26
Bengals
0
0 7 14
21
Date: January 24Location: Pontiac Silverdome Game weather: Indoors (dome)Referee: Pat HaggertyTV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Standings
Awards and records
Ken Anderson, NFL MVP [ 6]
Ken Anderson, Bert Bell Award [ 7]
Ken Anderson, Franchise Record (since broken), Touchdown Passes, 29 Passes [ 8]
Ken Anderson, Led NFL, Passer Rating, 98.4 Rating [ 9]
Milestones
Ken Anderson, Franchise Record (since broken), Most Touchdown Passes in One Season, 29 Passes [ 8]
Cris Collinsworth, 1st 1,000 Yard Receiving Season (1,009 yards) [ 10]
Pete Johnson, 1,000 Yard Rushing Season (1,077 yards) [ 11]
References
^ "1981 Cincinnati Bengals draftees" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved October 6, 2014 .
^ "1981 Cincinnati Bengals starters, roster, and players" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved October 8, 2014 .
^ "Team rosters" . Spokane Chronicle . (Washington). January 23, 1982. p. 12.
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Jul-03.
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2018-Oct-16.
^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book , Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2 , p. 400
^ "Archived copy" . Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-28 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link )
^ a b NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book , Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2 , p. 37
^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book , Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2 , p. 447
^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book , Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2 , p. 442
^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book , Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2 , p. 437
External links
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Division championships (11) Conference championships (3) Retired numbers Ring of Honor Media Current league affiliations Former league affiliation