1981 Seattle Seahawks season

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. Steve Largent would have a stellar season with 1,224 receiving yards. Seattle opened their season at Cincinnati, and held a 21–0 lead before the Bengals rallied for an improbable 27–21 win. This loss proved to be the beginning of the end for the Seahawks in 1981, as they would struggle as the season progressed.

1981 Seattle Seahawks season
Owner	The Nordstrom family
General manager	John Thompson
Head coach	Jack Patera
Home field	Kingdome
Results
Record	6–10
Division place	5th AFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	WR Steve Largent
AP All-Pros	None

Offseason

Draft

Main article: 1981 NFL draft

1981 Seattle Seahawks draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
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 FB 46 David Hughes 32 Horace Ivory 43 Jim Jodat 37 Eric Lane 34 Terry Miller 47 Sherman Smith Wide receivers (WR) 85 Paul Johns PR 80 Steve Largent 84 Sam McCullum 89 Mark McGrath 83 Steve Raible Tight ends (TE) 81 John Sawyer 86 Mike Tice

Offensive linemen (OL) 76 Steve August T 65 Edwin Bailey G 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 68 Dennis Boyd DT/DE 79 Jacob Green DE 75 Robert Hardy DT 69 Doug Sutherland DT 74 Manu Tuiasosopo DE 70 Mike White DT

Linebackers (LB) 58 Terry Beeson 53 Keith Butler 57 Pete Cronan 55 Michael Jackson 52 Joe Norman 59 Rodell Thomas 60 Kevin Turner Defensive backs (DB) 22 Dave Brown CB 25 Don Dufek S 45 Kenny Easley S 44 John Harris S 27 Gregg Johnson 26 Kerry Justin CB 21 Vic Minor 42 Keith Simpson CB Special teams  2 Wilson Alvarez K  6 Frank Garcia P

Reserve 36 Larry Brinson RB (IR) 50 Brian Flones LB (IR) 56 Greg Gaines LB (IR)  1 Efrén Herrera K (IR) 32 Jeff Moore RB (IR)  8 Jeff West P (IR) Rookies in italics 55 active, 0 reserve, 0 practice squad

• 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

Regular season

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

Bold indicates division opponents.

Source: 1981 NFL season results

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): Jay Randolph and Mike Haffner
• 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

External links

• Seahawks draft history at NFL.com
• 1981 NFL season results at NFL.com