1981 Green Bay Packers season

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The 1981 Green Bay Packers season was their 63rd season overall and their 61st in the National Football League. The team posted an 8–8 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a third-place finish in the NFC Central division. Led by the defense the Packers were number one in turnovers forced and number 9th overall. The offense did improve but still finished in the bottom half of the league. Needing a Giants loss or an Eagles win during the final week of the regular season (due to tiebreakers), the Packers gained control of their destiny at earning the final Wild Card spot by winning in their last regular season game but were defeated by the New York Jets 28–3. The Packers managed only 84 total yards against the Jets.

1981 Green Bay Packers season
Head coach	Bart Starr
Home field	Lambeau Field Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	3rd Central
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
← 1980 Packers seasons 1982 →

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1981 Green Bay Packers draft
1	6	Rich Campbell	Quarterback	California
2	35	Gary Lewis	Tight end	Texas–Arlington
3	62	Ray Stachowicz	Punter	Michigan State
4	105	Richard Turner	Defensive tackle	Oklahoma
5	117	Byron Braggs	Defensive end	Alabama
7	172	Bill Whitaker	Safety	Missouri
8	200	Larry Werts	Linebacker	Jackson State
9	227	Tim Huffman	Guard	Notre Dame
10	255	Nickie Hall	Quarterback	Tulane
11	282	Forrest Valora	Linebacker	Oklahoma
12	311	Cliff Lewis	Linebacker	Southern Miss
Made roster

Undrafted free agents

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1981 Undrafted Free Agents of note
Player	Position	College
Craig Chrest	Wide receiver	Wisconsin–La Crosse
Bill Kazmaier	Guard	Wisconsin
Rick Kehr	Guard	Carthage
Greg Knafelc	Tight end	Notre Dame
David Petway	Safety	Northern Illinois
Randy Scott	Linebacker	Alabama
Robert Shackelford	Guard	St. Norbert
Pete Thompson	Wide receiver	Carroll (MT)

**1981 Green Bay Packers staff**
	Front office President – Dominic Olejniczak Vice president – Robert J. Parins Corporate assistant to the president – Bob Harlan Director of player personnel – Dick Corrick Head coaches Head coach – Bart Starr Offensive coaches Quarterbacks/offensive backs – Zeke Bratkowski Receivers – Lew Carpenter Offensive line – Ernie McMillan Special assistant – Pete Kettela			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – John Meyer Defensive line – Doc Urich Linebackers – John Marshall Defensive backs – Ross Fichtner Special teams coaches Special teams – Dick Rehbein

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**1981 Green Bay Packers final roster**

	Quarterbacks 19 Rich Campbell 12 Lynn Dickey 17 David Whitehurst Running backs 31 Gerry Ellis 25 Harlan Huckleby 33 Jim Jensen 34 Terdell Middleton 20 Delvin Williams Wide receivers 88 Ron Cassidy 83 John Jefferson 80 James Lofton 84 Fred Nixon Tight ends 82 Paul Coffman 81 Gary Lewis		Offensive linemen 61 Charlie Ane C 57 Derrel Gofourth G 69 Leotis Harris G 64 Syd Kitson G 68 Greg Koch T 79 Mark Koncar T 54 Larry McCarren C 76 Tim Stokes T Defensive linemen 73 Byron Braggs DE 77 Mike Butler DE 90 Ezra Johnson DE 63 Terry Jones NT 78 Casey Merrill DE 75 Richard Turner NT		Linebackers 60 Kurt Allerman 59 John Anderson 52 George Cumby 53 Mike Douglass 56 Cliff Lewis 51 Guy Prather 55 Randy Scott 50 Rich Wingo Defensive backs 23 Maurice Harvey SS 38 Estus Hood CB 22 Mark Lee CB 37 Mark Murphy FS 29 Mike McCoy CB 47 David Petway S 30 Bill Whitaker S Special teams 16 Ray Stachowicz P 10 Jan Stenerud K		Practice squad Reserve lists 62 Buddy Aydelette T (IR) -- Chris Godfrey DE (IR) 24 Johnnie Gray SS (IR) -- Nickie Hall QB (IR) 74 Tim Huffman G (IR) 21 Mike Jolly S (IR) 64 Syd Kitson G (IR) 40 Eddie Lee Ivery RB (IR) 70 Paul Rudzinski LB (IR) 67 Karl Swanke T (IR) 87 John Thompson TE (IR) 26 Eric Torkelson RB (IR) Rookies in italics 00 active, 0 practice squad

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
1	September 6	at Chicago Bears	W 16–9	Soldier Field	62,411
2	September 13	Atlanta Falcons	L 31–17	Lambeau Field	55,382
3	September 20	at Los Angeles Rams	L 35–23	Anaheim Stadium	61,286
4	September 27	Minnesota Vikings	L 30–13	Milwaukee County Stadium	55,012
5	October 4	at New York Giants	W 27–14	Giants Stadium	73,684
6	October 11	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 21–10	Lambeau Field	55,264
7	October 18	San Francisco 49ers	L 13–3	Milwaukee County Stadium	50,171
8	October 25	at Detroit Lions	L 31–27	Pontiac Silverdome	76,063
9	November 1	Seattle Seahawks	W 34–24	Lambeau Field	49,467
10	November 8	New York Giants	W 26–24	Milwaukee County Stadium	54,138
11	November 15	Chicago Bears	W 21–17	Lambeau Field	55,338
12	November 22	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 37–3	Tampa Stadium	63,251
13	November 29	at Minnesota Vikings	W 35–23	Metropolitan Stadium	46,025
14	December 6	Detroit Lions	W 31–17	Lambeau Field	54,481
15	December 13	at New Orleans Saints	W 35–7	Louisiana Superdome	45,518
16	December 20	at New York Jets	L 28–3	Shea Stadium	56,340

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Packers	7	6	0	3	16
Bears	0	0	6	3	9

Date: September 6
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago
Game start: 2:00 p.m.
Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C); wind 8 mph (13 km/h)

Scoring summary

Q1		GB	Ivery 2-yard run (Wingo pass from Stachowicz)	GB 8–0

Q2		GB	Ellis 5-yard run (kick blocked)	GB 13–0

Q3		CHI	Payton 11-yard run (kick failed)	GB 13–6

Q4		GB	Stenerud 33-yard field goal	GB 16–6

Q4	3:57	CHI	Thomas 25-yard field goal	GB 16–9

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Game information

First quarter

SEA – John Harris 42-yard interception return (Efren 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 (Efren 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 (Efren Herrera kick), 0:24 (Tied 21–21)

Third quarter

SEA – Efren 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 – – – –

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	10	0	0	7	17
• Packers	7	14	0	0	21

Date: November 15
Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Game start: 1:00 p.m.
Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C); wind 7 mph (11 km/h)

Scoring summary

Q1	CHI	Roveto 36-yard field goal	CHI 3–0

Q1	GB	Huckleby 1-yard pass from Whitehurst (Stenerud kick)	GB 7–3

Q1	CHI	Suhey 1-yard run (Roveto kick)	CHI 10–7

Q2	GB	Huckleby 39-yard pass from Whitehurst (Stenerud kick)	GB 14–10

Q2	GB	Middleton 2-yard pass from Whitehurst (Stenerud kick)	GB 21—10

Q4	CHI	Payton 2-yard run (Roveto kick)	GB 21–17

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NFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Tampa Bay Buccaneers⁽³⁾	9	7	0	.563	6–2	9–3	315	268	W1
Detroit Lions	8	8	0	.500	4–4	6–6	397	322	L1
Green Bay Packers	8	8	0	.500	4–4	7–7	324	361	L1
Minnesota Vikings	7	9	0	.438	4–4	6–6	325	369	L5
Chicago Bears	6	10	0	.375	2–6	2–10	253	324	W3

^ "All Time Coaches Database". Packers.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Sep-14.
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Sep-14.

1981 Green Bay Packers season

Contributors to Wikimedia projects

Undrafted free agents

Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 7: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 9: vs. Seattle Seahawks