1981 Miami Dolphins season

With the retirement of Bob Griese, not much was expected out of the Dolphins. The Dolphins Defense became known as the Killer Bees because of the number of players whose last name began with the letter B; Bill Barnett, Bob Baumhauer, Lyle Blackwood, Kim Bokamper, and Bob Brudzinski anchored a strong team. Don Shula reached a milestone by winning his 200th game of his coaching career. In the Divisional Playoffs against the San Diego Chargers the Dolphins fell behind 24–0 early in front of a sold-out crowd at the Orange Bowl. With time running out in the first half, the Dolphins desperately needed a score to get back in the game. Out of nowhere the Dolphins ran the old schoolyard hook and lateral play to success. On the play, Quarterback Don Strock threw a pass over the middle to WR Duriel Harris, who lateraled to HB Tony Nathan, who ran the ball in for a touchdown. The play sparked the Dolphins, who came back and took a lead in the 4th Quarter. However, the Killer Bees could not contain Chargers QB Dan Fouts, who tied the game and forced overtime, where the Chargers won the game 41–38 on a Rolf Benirschke field goal in the 14th minute of overtime. If it had not been for the player's strike of the following season (where they went 7–2, which would have put them at the top of the AFC East), this would have been the first of five consecutive AFC East titles for the Dolphins.

As of the 2022 season, this marks the last time the Dolphins played in a tie game.

• July 1, 1981: Linebacker Rusty Chambers, the Miami Dolphins leading tackler in 1978 and 1979, died in an automobile accident.100 Things Dolphins Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Armando Salguero, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2020, ISBN 978-1-62937-722-3, p.185

{{main article|1981 NFL draft}}

{{NFL team draft start

| year = 1981

| teamname = Miami Dolphins

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 13

| player = David Overstreet

| position = Running back

| college = Oklahoma

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 2

| pick = 56

| player = Andra Franklin

| position = Running back

| college = Nebraska

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 4

| pick = 84

| player = Sam Greene

| position = Wide receiver

| college = UNLV

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 4

| pick = 96

| player = Brad Wright

| position = Quarterback

| college = New Mexico

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 5

| pick = 126

| player = Ken Poole

| position = Defensive end

| college = Louisiana–Monroe

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 5

| pick = 138

| player = Tommy Vigorito

| position = Running back

| college = Virginia

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 152

| player = Mack Moore

| position = Defensive end

| college = Texas A&M

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 154

| player = Fulton Walker

| position = Defensive back

| college = West Virginia

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 7

| pick = 179

| player = Mike Daum

| position = Offensive tackle

| college = Cal Poly

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 8

| pick = 208

| player = William Judson

| position = Defensive back

| college = South Carolina State

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 9

| pick = 235

| player = John Noonan

| position = Wide receiver

| college = Nebraska

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 10

| pick = 261

| player = Steve Folsom

| position = Tight end

| college = Utah

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 11

| pick = 291

| player = Jim Jensen

| position = Wide receiver

| college = Boston University

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 12

| pick = 318

| player = John Alford

| position = Defensive tackle

| college = South Carolina State

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft end

| hof = no

}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/mia/1981_draft.htm |title=1981 Miami Dolphins draftees |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=December 26, 2014 }}

{{NFL final staff

| year = 1981

| team = Miami Dolphins

| front_office =

• Team Owner / President – Joe Robbie
• Executive vice president/general manager – Mike Robbie
• Vice president – Don Shula
• Director of player personnel – Chuck Connor
• Director of pro scouting – Charley Winner

| head_coach =

• Head coach – Don Shula

| offensive =

• Quarterbacks/receivers – Wally English
• Offensive backs – Carl Taseff
• Offensive line/running game – John Sandusky

| defensive =

• Assistant head coach/defense – Bill Arnsparger
• Defensive line/run defense – Mike Scarry
• Defensive backs – Tom Keane

| special_teams =

• Special teams – Steve Crosby, Carl Taseff
• Punting – Tom Keane

}}

{{NFL final roster

|Year=1981

|TeamName=Miami Dolphins

|BC1=#008E97

|FC1=white

|BDC1=#F58220

|Active=45

|IR=4

| quarterbacks =

{{NFLplayer|16|David Woodley}}

{{NFLplayer|10|Don Strock}}

| running_backs =

{{NFLplayer|37|Andra Franklin|rookie=y|FB}}

{{NFLplayer|31|Eddie Hill|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|33|Bo Matthews|FB}}

{{NFLplayer|22|Tony Nathan}}

{{NFLplayer|32|Tommy Vigorito|rookie=y}}

|Wide Receivers=

{{NFLplayer|88|Elmer Bailey}}

{{NFLplayer|81|Jimmy Cefalo}}

{{NFLplayer|82|Duriel Harris}}

{{NFLplayer|11|Jim Jensen|d=wide receiver|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|89|Nat Moore}}

|Tight Ends=

{{NFLplayer|84|Bruce Hardy}}

{{NFLplayer|86|Ronnie Lee|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|80|Joe Rose|d=American football}}

|Offensive Linemen=

{{NFLplayer|63|Mark Dennard|C}}

{{NFLplayer|79|Jon Giesler|T}}

{{NFLplayer|74|Cleveland Green|T}}

{{NFLplayer|67|Bob Kuechenberg|G}}

{{NFLplayer|68|Eric Laakso|T}}

{{NFLplayer|64|Ed Newman|G}}

{{NFLplayer|57|Dwight Stephenson|C}}

{{NFLplayer|60|Jeff Toews|G}}

|Defensive Linemen=

{{NFLplayer|70|Bill Barnett|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|73|Bob Baumhower|NT}}

{{NFLplayer|75|Doug Betters|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|58|Kim Bokamper|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|83|Vern Den Herder|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|78|Ken Poole|rookie=y|NT}}

|Linebackers=

{{NFLplayer|59|Bob Brudzinski}}

{{NFLplayer|77|A. J. Duhe}}

{{NFLplayer|50|Larry Gordon|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|54|Steve Potter|d=American football|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|55|Earnest Rhone}}

{{NFLplayer|52|Steve Shull}}

|Defensive Backs=

{{NFLplayer|46|Don Bessillieu}}

{{NFLplayer|47|Glenn Blackwood}}

{{NFLplayer|42|Lyle Blackwood|FS}}

{{NFLplayer|40|Mike Kozlowski}}

{{NFLplayer|28|Don McNeal|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|43|Ricky Ray|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|48|Gerald Small|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|41|Fulton Walker|rookie=y|CB}}

|Special Teams=

{{NFLplayer|3|Tom Orosz|rookie=y|P}}

{{NFLplayer|5|Uwe von Schamann|K}}

|Reserve Lists=

{{NFLplayer|35|Nick Giaquinto|RB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|38|Steve Howell|d=American football|FB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|34|Woody Bennett|FB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|45|Ed Taylor|d=American football|CB|IR}}

| practice_squad =

}}

The Dolphins won the AFC East title behind second-year quarterback David Woodley and a running attack that managed 2,173 yards and 18 touchdowns. In their eight divisional games they swept the Colts and Patriots but split with Buffalo and went winless against a resurgent Jets squad; they tied the Jets 28–28 at Miami then lost at Shea Stadium 16–15. They won their last four games of the season to finish 11–4–1.

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

{{1981 AFC East standings}}

The Dolphins returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence, hosting the "Air Coryell" Chargers in one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history.

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/mia/1981.htm 1981 Miami Dolphins] at Pro-Football-Reference.com

{{Miami Dolphins}}

{{Miami Dolphins seasons}}

{{1981 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1981 Miami Dolphins season}}

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Category:Miami Dolphins seasons

Category:AFC East championship seasons

Miami Dolphins