1981 Cincinnati Bengals schedule
Season statistics
| Offense | Defense | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record | Playoff record | Total yards | Pass yards | Rush yards | Turnovers | First downs | Total yards | Pass yards | Rush yards | Turnovers | First downs |
| 12-4-0 | 2-2 | 6947 | 4623 | 2324 | 29 | 426 | 6201 | 3931 | 2270 | 44 | 383 |
The Cincinnati Bengals' fourteenth season was in 1981, and it was the first season Forrest Gregg served as the head coach of the team. They finished the year 12-4-0 in the regular season and 2-1 in the playoffs, eventually losing to the San Francisco 49ers 26-21. At the end of the season Ken Anderson earned Comeback Player of the Year and AP Offensive Player of the Year.
Games
| Week | Opponent | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Seattle Seahawks | 27-21 | ||
| Week 2 | @ | New York Jets | 31-30 | |
| Week 3 | Cleveland Browns | 17-20 | ||
| Week 4 | Buffalo Bills | 27-24 | ||
| Week 5 | @ | Houston Oilers | 10-17 | |
| Week 6 | @ | Baltimore Colts | 41-19 | |
| Week 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 34-7 | ||
| Week 8 | @ | New Orleans Saints | 7-17 | |
| Week 9 | Houston Oilers | 34-21 | ||
| Week 10 | @ | San Diego Chargers | 40-17 | |
| Week 11 | Los Angeles Rams | 24-10 | ||
| Week 12 | Denver Broncos | 38-21 | ||
| Week 13 | @ | Cleveland Browns | 41-21 | |
| Week 14 | San Francisco 49ers | 3-21 | ||
| Week 15 | @ | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17-10 | |
| Week 16 | @ | Atlanta Falcons | 30-28 |
Playoffs
| Week | Opponent | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional Round | Buffalo Bills | 28-21 | ||
| Conference Championship | San Diego Chargers | 27-7 | ||
| Super Bowl | vs. | San Francisco 49ers | 21-26 |
Coaches
Head Coach: Forrest Gregg Defensive Coordinator: Hank Bullough Quarterbacks Coach: Lindy Infante Wide Receivers Coach: Lindy Infante Offensive Line Coach: Jim McNally Tight Ends Coach: Bruce Coslet Offensive Backs Coach: George Sefcik Defensive Line Coach: Dick Modzelewski Linebackers Coach: Hank Bullough Defensive Backs (Secondary) Coach: Dick LeBeau Special Teams Coach: Bruce Coslet Strength and Conditioning Coach: Kim Wood