| 1981 Cincinnati Bengals season | |
|---|---|
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| Owner | Paul Brown |
| General manager | Paul Brown |
| Head coach | Forrest Gregg |
| Home field | Riverfront Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Bills) 28–21 Won AFC Championship (vs. Chargers) 27–7 Lost Super Bowl XVI (vs. 49ers) 21–26 |
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The 1981 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 14th overall. The team won their first AFC Championship, but lost Super Bowl XVI to San Francisco.
Cincinnati had at least a share of the AFC Central lead the entire season. On December 13, quarterback Ken Anderson threw two touchdown passes as the Bengals clinched the division with a 17–10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals' only other rival for the division title by that point in the season.
Ken Anderson led the NFL in passing in 1981 with a 98.5 rating.
On January 3, 1982, the Bengals beat Buffalo, 28–21, in an AFC divisional playoff game. A week later, playing in their first AFC Championship Game in brutally cold weather, the Bengals defeated San Diego 27–7 at Riverfront Stadium. In a temperature of −9 °F (−23 °C) with a wind-chill factor of −59 °F (−51 °C), this game is referred to as the Freezer Bowl.
In Super Bowl XVI on January 24, 1982, in Pontiac, Michigan, the Bengals trailed 20–0 at halftime and lost to San Francisco, 26–21.