1981 Buffalo Bills season
Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| • Bills
|
7 |
7 |
14 |
0 |
28 |
| Chargers |
7 |
14 |
3 |
3 |
27 |
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|
| 1 |
|
Chargers |
Chuck Muncie 9 yard rush (Rolf Benirschke kick) |
Chergers 7–0 |
|
| 1 |
|
Bills |
Joe Ferguson 3-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
Tie 7–7 |
|
| 2 |
|
Chargers |
Wes Chandler 17-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick) |
Chargers 14–7 |
|
| 2 |
|
Bills |
Roosevelt Leaks 9-yard rush (Nick Mike-Mayer) |
Tie 14–14 |
|
| 2 |
|
Chargers |
Kellen Winslow 67-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick) |
Chargers 21–14 |
|
| 3 |
|
Bills |
Roosevelt Leaks 1-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
Tie 21–21 |
|
| 3 |
|
Chargers |
Rolf Benirschke 29-yard field goal |
Chargers 24–21 |
|
| 3 |
|
Bills |
Joe Cribbs 1-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
Bills 28–24 |
|
| 4 |
|
Chargers |
Rolf Benirschke 27-yard field goal |
Bills 28–27 |
|
| Scoring summary |
|
| 1 |
|
Chargers |
Chuck Muncie 9 yard rush (Rolf Benirschke kick) |
Chergers 7–0 |
|
| 1 |
|
Bills |
Joe Ferguson 3-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
Tie 7–7 |
|
| 2 |
|
Chargers |
Wes Chandler 17-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick) |
Chargers 14–7 |
|
| 2 |
|
Bills |
Roosevelt Leaks 9-yard rush (Nick Mike-Mayer) |
Tie 14–14 |
|
| 2 |
|
Chargers |
Kellen Winslow 67-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick) |
Chargers 21–14 |
|
| 3 |
|
Bills |
Roosevelt Leaks 1-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
Tie 21–21 |
|
| 3 |
|
Chargers |
Rolf Benirschke 29-yard field goal |
Chargers 24–21 |
|
| 3 |
|
Bills |
Joe Cribbs 1-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
Bills 28–24 |
|
| 4 |
|
Chargers |
Rolf Benirschke 27-yard field goal |
Bills 28–27 |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| • Bills |
17 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
31 |
| Jets |
0 |
10 |
3 |
14 |
27 |
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|
| Q1 |
|
BUF |
Romes 26 yard fumble return (Mike-Mayer kick) |
BUF 7–0 |
|
| Q1 |
|
BUF |
Lewis 50 yard pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) |
BUF 14–0 |
|
| Q1 |
|
BUF |
Mike-Mayer 29 yard field goal |
BUF 17–0 |
|
| Q2 |
|
BUF |
Lewis 26 yard pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) |
BUF 24–0 |
|
| Q2 |
|
NYJ |
Shuler 30 yard pass from Todd (Leahy kick) |
BUF 24–7 |
|
| Q2 |
|
NYJ |
Leahy 26 yard field goal |
BUF 24–10 |
|
| Q3 |
|
NYJ |
Leahy 19 yard field goal |
BUF 24–13 |
|
| Q4 |
|
BUF |
Cribbs 45 yard run (Mike-Mayer kick) |
BUF 31–13 |
|
| Q4 |
|
NYJ |
Jones 30 yard pass from Todd (Leahy kick) |
BUF 31–20 |
|
| Q4 |
|
NYJ |
Long 1 yard run (Leahy kick) |
BUF 31–27 |
|
| Scoring summary |
|
| Q1 |
|
BUF |
Romes 26 yard fumble return (Mike-Mayer kick) |
BUF 7–0 |
|
| Q1 |
|
BUF |
Lewis 50 yard pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) |
BUF 14–0 |
|
| Q1 |
|
BUF |
Mike-Mayer 29 yard field goal |
BUF 17–0 |
|
| Q2 |
|
BUF |
Lewis 26 yard pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) |
BUF 24–0 |
|
| Q2 |
|
NYJ |
Shuler 30 yard pass from Todd (Leahy kick) |
BUF 24–7 |
|
| Q2 |
|
NYJ |
Leahy 26 yard field goal |
BUF 24–10 |
|
| Q3 |
|
NYJ |
Leahy 19 yard field goal |
BUF 24–13 |
|
| Q4 |
|
BUF |
Cribbs 45 yard run (Mike-Mayer kick) |
BUF 31–13 |
|
| Q4 |
|
NYJ |
Jones 30 yard pass from Todd (Leahy kick) |
BUF 31–20 |
|
| Q4 |
|
NYJ |
Long 1 yard run (Leahy kick) |
BUF 31–27 |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Bills |
0 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
21 |
| • Bengals |
14 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
28 |
-
Date: January 3
-
Location: Cincinnati, OH
-
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
-
Game weather: 45°F; wind 14
-
Television network: NBC
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|
| Q1 |
|
CIN |
Charles Alexander 4 yard rush (Jim Breech kick) |
CIN 7–0 |
|
| Q1 |
|
CIN |
Johnson 1 yard rush (Jim Breech kick) |
CIN 14–0 |
|
| Q2 |
|
BUF |
Joe Cribbs 1 yard rush (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
CIN 14–7 |
|
| Q3 |
|
BUF |
Joe Cribbs 44 yard rush (Mike-Mayer kick) |
TIE 14–14 |
|
| Q3 |
|
CIN |
Charles Alexander 20 yard rush (Jim Breech kick) |
CIN 21–14 |
|
| Q4 |
|
BUF |
Jerry Butler 21 yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
TIE 21–21 |
|
| Q4 |
|
CIN |
Cris Collinsworth 16 yard pass from Ken Anderson |
CIN 28–21 |
|
| Scoring summary |
|
| Q1 |
|
CIN |
Charles Alexander 4 yard rush (Jim Breech kick) |
CIN 7–0 |
|
| Q1 |
|
CIN |
Johnson 1 yard rush (Jim Breech kick) |
CIN 14–0 |
|
| Q2 |
|
BUF |
Joe Cribbs 1 yard rush (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
CIN 14–7 |
|
| Q3 |
|
BUF |
Joe Cribbs 44 yard rush (Mike-Mayer kick) |
TIE 14–14 |
|
| Q3 |
|
CIN |
Charles Alexander 20 yard rush (Jim Breech kick) |
CIN 21–14 |
|
| Q4 |
|
BUF |
Jerry Butler 21 yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) |
TIE 21–21 |
|
| Q4 |
|
CIN |
Cris Collinsworth 16 yard pass from Ken Anderson |
CIN 28–21 |
The 1981 Buffalo Bills season was the 22nd season for the club and its 12th in the National Football League.
The season's most memorable moment might have been a Hail Mary catch against the New England Patriots in Week Twelve. The 36-yard touchdown pass from Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson to running back Roland Hooks as time expired won the game for Buffalo, 20–17. The win proved to be crucial in giving Buffalo the final playoff spot in the AFC in 1981. The Bills would make the playoffs, but lose 28-21 to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bills were coming off of their first division title since 1966, and their first since the merger. Coach Chuck Knox's Bills, in his fourth season with the team, were considered a contender in the AFC.
In their 1981 NFL preview, Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman wrote, "A word of advice: Go to Vegas and take the price on Buffalo to go all the way. The odds are right. Just look at how close the Bills came last year. ... The Bills are a hungry team, on the rise. They'll have to stay almost injury-free, though, because they're in big trouble if one of the big boys goes down, i.e., [Joe] Ferguson, Nose Guard Freddy Smerlas, Wide Receiver Jerry Butler or Halfback Joe Cribbs, who handled the ball more times (389) than any back in the NFL, counting passes caught and punt and kick returns as well as his rushes."
Running back Robb Riddick played eight seasons for the Bills; he started eight games and ran for 632 total yards in 1986, and he became a short-yardage specialist in 1988
...
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