1981 Baltimore Colts season

The 1981 Baltimore Colts season was the 29th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). The Colts finished the NFL's 1981 season with a record of 2 wins and 14 losses, tied for fourth in the AFC East division with the New England Patriots, and also tied for the second worst record in the league. However, the Colts finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0). The victories over New England occurred on the first and last games of the season; Baltimore lost 14 games in between victories. They also won the two games by a combined 3 points, winning 29–28 the first time, and 23–21 the second time.

1981 Baltimore Colts season
OwnerRobert Irsay
Head coachMike McCormack
General managerDick Szymanski
Home fieldMemorial Stadium
Results
Record2–14
Division placeT-4th AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersNone

The Colts’ defense had one of the worst seasons in NFL history, setting records for points (533) and yards (6,793) allowed. (The yardage record was later surpassed by the 2012 New Orleans Saints, who allowed 7,042.) The Colts gave up more than twice as many points as they scored (259). Conversely, the Patriots, with whom they were tied in the AFC East, only gave up 48 more points than they scored. The Colts’ pass defense surrendered a staggering 8.19 yards-per-dropback, the most surrendered by any team in NFL history.[1]

The Colts’ -274 point differential (points scored vs. points allowed) is the second-worst since the 1970 merger, second only to the 1976 expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who finished 0–14 (ironically, the next year's Colts team went winless as well).[2] The 1981 Colts are the first of only two NFL teams since 1940 to suffer eleven losses in a season during which they never had a lead.[3][note 1] The Colts allowed 40 points in 4 separate games during the season, which is still an NFL record.

The season included a bizarre incident in which, during the Colts’ 38–13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 15, team owner Bob Irsay called plays from the coaches’ booth. Quarterback Bert Jones told Sports Illustrated in 1986:

[Irsay] couldn’t have told you how many players there were on the field, never mind what plays we had. All he was trying to do was embarrass the coaches and the players. When he told me to run, I threw. When he told me to throw left, I ran right.[4]

Offseason

NFL draft
Main article: 1981 NFL draft
1981 Baltimore Colts draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 12 Randy McMillan  Running Back Pittsburgh
1 18 Donnell Thompson  Defensive end North Carolina
3 68 Randy Van Divier  Tackle Washington
4 94 Tim Sherwin  Tight End Boston College
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Personnel

Staff
1981 Baltimore Colts staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special Teams – George Boutselis

Roster
1981 Baltimore Colts roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance
1 September 6, 1981 at New England Patriots W 29–28 1–0 Schaefer Stadium
49,572
2 September 13, 1981 Buffalo Bills L 3–35 1–1–0 Memorial Stadium
45,772
3 September 20, 1981 at Denver Broncos L 10–28 1–2–0 Mile High Stadium
74,804
4 September 27, 1981 Miami Dolphins L 28–31 1–3–0 Memorial Stadium
41,630
5 October 4, 1981 at Buffalo Bills L 17–23 1–4–0 Rich Stadium
77,811
6 October 11, 1981 Cincinnati Bengals L 19–41 1–5–0 Memorial Stadium
33,060
7 October 18, 1981 San Diego Chargers L 14–43 1–6–0 Memorial Stadium
41,921
8 October 25, 1981 at Cleveland Browns L 28–42 1–7–0 Cleveland Stadium
78,986
9 November 1, 1981 at Miami Dolphins L 10–27 1–8–0 Orange Bowl
46,061
10 November 8, 1981 New York Jets L 14–41 1–9–0 Memorial Stadium
31,521
11 November 15, 1981 at Philadelphia Eagles L 13–38 1–10–0 Veterans Stadium
68,618
12 November 22, 1981 St. Louis Cardinals L 24–35 1–11–0 Memorial Stadium
24,784
13 November 29, 1981 at New York Jets L 0–25 1–12–0 Shea Stadium
53,593
14 December 6, 1981 Dallas Cowboys L 13–37 1–13–0 Memorial Stadium
54,871
15 December 13, 1981 at Washington Redskins L 14–38 1–14–0 RFK Stadium
46,706
16 December 20, 1981 New England Patriots W 23–21 2–14–0 Memorial Stadium
17,073

Standings
AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Miami Dolphins(2) 11 4 1 .719 5–2–1 8–3–1 345 275 W4
New York Jets(4) 10 5 1 .656 6–1–1 8–5–1 355 287 W2
Buffalo Bills(5) 10 6 0 .625 6–2 9–3 311 276 L1
Baltimore Colts 2 14 0 .125 2–6 2–10 259 533 W1
New England Patriots 2 14 0 .125 0–8 2–10 322 370 L9

Records set
  • Most Points Allowed, Season, 533
  • Worst Point Differential, 16-game season, -274
  • Most First-Half Points Allowed, 16-game season, 307[5]
  • Most Touchdowns Allowed, Season, 68
  • Most First Downs Allowed Season, 406
  • Fewest Punt Returns, Season, 12

[6]

See also

Notes
  1. The other team to never lead in eleven losses is the 1990 New England Patriots.

References
  1. Cold Hard Football Facts: Ryan Kalil ad: Carolina D not up to the task
  2. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1970 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by ascending Points Differential
  3. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the regular season, team never had a lead during the game, sorted by most games in season matching criteria.
  4. Wilson, Phillip B., 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die 17 (2013). Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  5. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1978 to 2012, in the Regular Season, sorted by descending Opp First Half score.
  6. The '81 Colts held the record for most total yards allowed in a 16-game season—6,793—until it was broken by the 2012 New Orleans Saints (7,042).
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