| 1981 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| Head coach | Chuck Knox |
| Home field | Rich Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Jets) 31–27 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Bengals) 21–28 |
| Pro Bowlers | RB Joe Cribbs WR Frank Lewis DT Fred Smerlas |
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The 1981 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League, and the 22nd overall.
The season's most memorable moment was probably a Hail Mary catch against the New England Patriots in Week Twelve.[1] 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.[2] The win proved to be crucial in giving Buffalo the final playoff spot in the AFC in 1981.[3] The Bills qualified for the playoffs, but lost, 28-21, to the Cincinnati Bengals.
- ^ NFL.com: Hooks' Hail Mary catch video
- ^ Buffalo Rumblings: Best Moments in Bills History, No. 21: Roland Hooks' Hail Mary Catch
- ^ Had the Bills lost the game, the last wild card spot would have gone to 10–6 Denver, whom the Bills beat out for the spot by virtue of a head-to-head tiebreaker.