1981 Seattle Seahawks season

1981 Seattle Seahawks season
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
	← 1980; Seahawks seasons; 1982 →;

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

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1981 Seattle Seahawks draft
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

1981 undrafted free agents of note
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

**1981 Seattle Seahawks staff**
	Front office 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 coaches Head coach – Jack Patera Offensive coaches Offensive/quarterbacks/receivers – Jerry Rhome Offensive backs – Andy MacDonald Offensive line – Howard Mudd			Defensive coaches Defensive/linebackers – Jackie Simpson Defensive line – Jim E. Mora Defensive backs – Jack Christiansen Special teams coaches Special teams – Rusty Tillman Strength and conditioning Head trainer – Bruce Scott Assistant trainer – Jim Whitesel

Final roster

**1981 Seattle Seahawks roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 12 Sam Adkins 17 Dave Krieg 10 Jim Zorn Running backs (RB) 30 Theotis Brown 33 Dan Doornink 46 David Hughes 32 Horace Ivory 43 Jim Jodat 37 Eric Lane 47 Sherman Smith Wide receivers (WR) 85 Paul Johns 80 Steve Largent 84 Sam McCullum 83 Steve Raible Tight ends (TE) 81 John Sawyer 86 Mike Tice		Offensive linemen (OL) 76 Steve August T 65 Edwin Bailey G 68 Dennis Boyd T 66 Bill Dugan G 64 Ron Essink T 54 Art Kuehn C 78 Bob Newton G 51 John Yarno C Defensive linemen (DL) 63 Fred Anderson DE 79 Jacob Green DE 75 Robert Hardy DT 69 Doug Sutherland DT 74 Manu Tuiasosopo DE/DT		Linebackers (LB) 58 Terry Beeson MLB 53 Keith Butler OLB 55 Michael Jackson OLB 59 Rodell Thomas OLB 60 Kevin Turner OLB Defensive backs (DB) 22 Dave Brown CB 25 Don Dufek FS 45 Kenny Easley SS 44 John Harris FS 27 Gregg Johnson CB/S 26 Kerry Justin CB 21 Vic Minor FS 42 Keith Simpson CB Special teams (ST) 2 Wilson Alvarez K 6 Frank Garcia P 3 Vince Wagner K		Reserve 82 Mark Bell DE (IR) 36 Larry Brinson RB (IR) 50 Brian Flones LB (IR) 56 Greg Gaines LB (IR) 1 Efrén Herrera K (IR) 89 Mark McGrath WR (IR) 52 Joe Norman LB (IR) 8 Jeff West P (IR) 70 Mike White DT (IR) Rookies in italics 45 active, 9 reserve

^[1]

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

Source: Seahawks Media Guides^[2]^[3]

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	Recap
1	September 6	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 21–27	0–1	Riverfront Stadium^[4]	Recap
2	September 13	Denver Broncos	W 13–10	1–1	Kingdome^[5]	Recap
3	September 20	at Oakland Raiders	L 10–20	1–2	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum^[6]	Recap
4	September 27	Kansas City Chiefs	L 14–20	1–3	Kingdome^[7]	Recap
5	October 4	at San Diego Chargers	L 10–24	1–4	Jack Murphy Stadium^[8]	Recap
6	October 11	at Houston Oilers	L 17–35	1–5	Houston Astrodome^[9]	Recap
7	October 18	New York Giants	L 0–32	1–6	Kingdome^[10]	Recap
8	October 25	at New York Jets	W 19–3	2–6	Shea Stadium^[11]	Recap
9	November 1	at Green Bay Packers	L 24–34	2–7	Lambeau Field^[12]	Recap
10	November 8	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 24–21	3–7	Kingdome^[13]	Recap
11	November 16	San Diego Chargers	W 44–23	4–7	Kingdome^[14]	Recap
12	November 22	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 13–40	4–8	Arrowhead Stadium^[15]	Recap
13	November 29	Oakland Raiders	L 31–32	4–9	Kingdome^[16]	Recap
14	December 6	New York Jets	W 27–23	5–9	Kingdome^[17]	Recap
15	December 13	at Denver Broncos	L 13–23	5–10	Mile High Stadium^[18]	Recap
16	December 20	Cleveland Browns	W 42–21	6–10	Kingdome^[19]	Recap

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

Preseason Week One: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
49ers	7	7	3	7	3	27
Seahawks	7	3	0	14	0	24

at Kingdome, Seattle

Date: August 5
Game time: 7:34 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 56,958
Referee: Fred Silva
TV: KIRO
Gamebook

Week P2: vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Preseason Week Two: Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	6	7	7	10	30
Seahawks	0	7	7	7	21

at Kingdome, Seattle

Date: August 14
Game time: 7:34 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 55,520
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV: KIRO
Gamebook

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

Preseason Week Four: Seattle Seahawks vs. Baltimore Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	7	7	0	3	17
Seahawks	10	0	14	7	31

at Kingdome, Seattle

Date: August 28
Game time: 7:34 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 55,794
Referee: Dick Jorgensen
TV: KIRO
Gamebook

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

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Date: September 6
Game time: 1:00 pm local
Game weather: partly cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C), 71% humidity, wind NE 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
Game attendance: 41,177
Referee: Bob Frederic
TV: NBC
Gamebook

Game information

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: 21/41, 230 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
CIN – Turk Schonert: 9/18, 130 yds

Top rushers

SEA – Jim Jodat: 8 car, 21 yds, 1 TD
CIN – Pete Johnson: 20 car, 84 yds, 2 TD

Top receivers

SEA – Steve Largent: 8 rec, 114 yds, 1 TD
CIN – Cris Collinsworth: 4 rec, 65 yds

Team – pass – rush – total – to

SEA –230 – 60 – 290 – 4
CIN – 165 – 210 – 375 – 4

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

at Kingdome, Seattle

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

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 – rush – total – to

DEN – 142 – 110 – 252 – 2
SEA – 156 – 111 – 267 – 2

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

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 – rush – total – to

SEA – 308 – 82 – 390 – 2
OAK – 242 – 190 – 432 – 3

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

at Kingdome, Seattle

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

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 – rush – total – to

KC – 227 – 154 – 381 – 2
SEA – 277 – 82 – 359 – 1

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

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 – rush – total – to

SEA – 200 – 92 – 292 – 1
SD – 272 – 99 – 371 – 2

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

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

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

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 – rush – total – to

SEA – 214 – 75 – 289 – 3
HOU – 156 – 216 – 372 – 1

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

at Kingdome, Seattle

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

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 – rush – total – to

NYG – 88 – 213 – 301 – 1
SEA – 98 – 29 – 127 – 4

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

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 – rush – total – to

SEA – 163 – 217 – 380 – 1
NYJ – 101 – 118 – 219 – 4

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

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Date: November 1
Game time: 1:02 pm local
Game weather: clear, 56 °F (13 °C), 75% humidity, wind NE 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
Game attendance: 49,467
Referee: Chuck Heberling
TV announcers (NBC): Sam Nover and Dave Rowe
Gamebook

Game information

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 – rush – total – to

SEA – 102 – 119 – 221 – 3
GB – 195 – 182 – 337 – 3

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

at Kingdome, Seattle

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

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 – rush – total – to

PIT – 205 – 162 – 367 – 2
SEA – 260 – 96 – 356 – 1

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

at Kingdome, Seattle

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

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 – rush – total – to

SD – 291 – 195 – 486 – 4
SEA – 212 – 156 – 368 – 0

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

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 – rush – total – to

SEA – 256 – 83 – 339 – 2
KC – 181 – 269 – 450 – 0

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

at Kingdome, Seattle

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

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 – rush – total – to

OAK – 156 – 181 – 337 – 4
SEA – 314 – 69 – 383 – 1

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

at Kingdome, Seattle

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

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 – rush – total – to

NYJ – 276 – 119 – 395 – 3
SEA – 256 – 127 – 383 – 4

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

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 – rush – total – to

SEA – 199 – 86 – 285 – 5
DEN – 136 – 237 – 373 – 3

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

at Kingdome, Seattle

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

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 – rush – total – to

CLE – 301 – 151 – 452 – 10
SEA – 182 – 110 – 292 – 5

References

^ "Home". pro-football-reference.com.
^ 1981 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.
^ 1982 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.
^ "Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals - September 6th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks - September 13th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders - September 20th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks - September 27th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers - October 4th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Seattle Seahawks at Houston Oilers - October 11th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks - October 18th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets - October 25th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers - November 1st, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks - November 8th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "San Diego Chargers at Seattle Seahawks - November 16th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs - November 22nd, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks - November 29th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks - December 6th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos - December 13th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ "Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks - December 20th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
^ 1981 NFL season results, NFL.com, accessed February 14, 2015.

External links

[rdp-we-cite_note-1] "Home". pro-football-reference.com.

[rdp-we-cite_note-2] 1981 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.

[rdp-we-cite_note-3] 1982 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.

[rdp-we-cite_note-4] "Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals - September 6th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-5] "Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks - September 13th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-6] "Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders - September 20th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-7] "Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks - September 27th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-8] "Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers - October 4th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-9] "Seattle Seahawks at Houston Oilers - October 11th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-10] "New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks - October 18th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-11] "Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets - October 25th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-12] "Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers - November 1st, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-13] "Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks - November 8th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-14] "San Diego Chargers at Seattle Seahawks - November 16th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-15] "Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs - November 22nd, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-16] "Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks - November 29th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-17] "New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks - December 6th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-18] "Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos - December 13th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-19] "Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks - December 20th, 1981". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

[rdp-we-cite_note-20] 1981 NFL season results, NFL.com, accessed February 14, 2015.

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Värsked postitused

Most Used Categories

Kaja Kallas

Offseason

Draft

Undrafted free agents

Personnel

Staff

Final roster

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Standings

Game summaries

Preseason

Week P1: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week P2: vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Week P3: at San Francisco 49ers

Week P4: vs. Baltimore Colts

Regular season

Week 1: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 3: at Oakland Raiders

Week 4: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 5: at San Diego Chargers

Week 6: at Houston Oilers

Week 7: vs. New York Giants

Week 8: at New York Jets

Week 9: at Green Bay Packers

Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 13: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 14: vs. New York Jets

Week 15: at Denver Broncos

Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns

References

External links