1981 Minnesota Vikings season
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1981 Minnesota Vikings season
| 1981 Minnesota Vikings season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bud Grant |
| Home field | Metropolitan Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7-9 |
| Division Place | 4th NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
| Timeline | |
| Previous season | Next season |
| 1980 | 1982 |
The 1981 Minnesota Vikings season was the team's 21st season, and the 62nd regular season of the National Football League, and the final season for the team at Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings finished with a record of seven wins and nine losses.
After opening the season with back-to-back losses, the Vikings ran off five straight wins and sat near the top of the NFC at midseason. After splitting their next four games, the Vikings were 7-4 and poised for a playoff run—however, the Vikings would lose their last five games to close out the year.
The Vikings were led by quarterback Tommy Kramer, who enjoyed the most productive season of his career by throwing for 3,912 yards and 26 touchdowns. However, Kramer also threw 24 interceptions in 1981. The '81 Vikings set an NFL record for pass attempts with 709.
A trio of offensive standouts paced the Vikings in 1981 at the skill positions. Running back Ted Brown was the team's main ballcarrier, rushing for 1,063 yards and also came in third in the NFL with 83 pass receptions. He scored eight touchdowns. Veteran wide receiver Sammy White also eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career (1,001) and tight end Joe Senser, who would later become a color analyst on radio for the Vikings, logged 1,004 yards receiving with eight touchdowns; Senser went to the Pro Bowl for the '81 season.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 5, 1981 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 21-13 |
|
| 2 | September 14, 1981 | Oakland Raiders | L 36-10 |
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| 3 | September 20, 1981 | Detroit Lions | W 26-24 |
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| 4 | September 27, 1981 | at Green Bay Packers (Milw) | W 30-13 |
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| 5 | October 4, 1981 | Chicago Bears | W 24-21 |
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| 6 | October 11, 1981 | at San Diego Chargers | W 33-31 |
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| 7 | October 18, 1981 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 35-23 |
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| 8 | October 25, 1981 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 30-17 |
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| 9 | November 2, 1981 | at Denver Broncos | L 19-17 |
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| 10 | November 8, 1981 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 25-10 |
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| 11 | November 15, 1981 | New Orleans Saints | W 20-10 |
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| 12 | November 23, 1981 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 31-30 |
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| 13 | November 29, 1981 | Green Bay Packers | L 35-23 |
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| 14 | December 6, 1981 | at Chicago Bears | L 10-9 |
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| 15 | December 12, 1981 | at Detroit Lions | L 45-7 |
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| 16 | December 20, 1981 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 10-6 |
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Standings
| NFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 315 | 268 | W-1 |
| Detroit Lions | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 397 | 322 | L-1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 324 | 361 | L-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 325 | 369 | L-5 |
| Chicago Bears | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 253 | 324 | W-3 |
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