Buffalo (1-1) at Cleveland (0-2)

  Buff offense  22nd   76.0 rush - [16th] / 124.5 pass - [23rd]
       defense  15th   135.0 rush - [26th] / 107.0 pass - [3rd]
       scoring         10.0 for - [21st] /  7.0 against - [3rd]
________________________________

  Clev offense  23rd   49.5 rush - [26th] / 145.5 pass - [21st]
       defense  18th   115.5 rush - [20th] / 153.5 pass - [13th]
       scoring          6.0 for - [26th] / 15.5 against - [21st]


   key matchups:
       DE Art Still (3 sacks) vs. T Donnie Green
       TE Gary Parris (9 rec/90 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB John Anderson
       HB O.J. Simpson (118 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Gary Gorrell (15 Tackles)
       DT Rod Horn (3 sacks) vs. G Doug Kleber
       TE Reuben Gant (9 rec/93 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Gary Gorrell

   prediction:
       Buffalo 13, Cleveland 10

Los Angeles 12 at Detroit 16

These two teams have been powerhouses of the past 5 seasons.  The Rams have made two Super Bowls, the Lions one, but they both seem to be on a bit of a slide.  The Lions running game and defense have been struggling the last couple of seasons, and after making the Super Bowl last season the Rams suddenly look old, especially on offense.  Still it's a good win for the Lions.

Detroit
Greg Landry 16/25 323yds 1TD 1Int
Dexter Bussey 20car/18yds
Mel Jacobs 9tt/6rec/138yds 1TD
Garth Napel 7 tackles 1 knockdown

Los Angeles
James Harris 19/32 225yds 1TD
Lawrence McCutcheon 15car/40yds
Brian Nemeth 6tt/5rec/68yds
Larry Anderson 9 tackles 1 knockdown
John Barefield 5 tackles 2 sacks
Isiah Robertson 8 tackles 1 sack 1 safety

Los Angeles (1-1) at Detroit (1-1)

  L.A. offense  16th   70.5 rush - [19th] / 189.5 pass - [7th]
       defense  16th   85.0 rush - [14th] / 179.5 pass - [20th]
       scoring         12.0 for - [15th] / 13.5 against - [15th]
________________________________

   Det offense  18th   87.0 rush - [14th] / 153.5 pass - [17th]
       defense  21st   123.5 rush - [23rd] / 159.0 pass - [15th]
       scoring         11.5 for - [18th] / 11.5 against - [10th]


   key matchups:


   prediction:
       Los Angeles 12, Detroit 16

Top 20 active rushers of the current era

Top individual rushing totals since the adoption of the 28-team, 16-game-schedule format for NFL76 among active players, through Week 1 of NFL80:

1. 49ers HB1 Delvin Williams, 8,609 yards
2. Redskins HB1 Mike Thomas, 7,629
3. Steelers HB1 Franco Harris, 7,056
4. Lions HB1 Dexter Bussey, 6,872
5. Vikings HB1 Chuck Foreman, 6,565
6. Raiders HB4 Clarence Davis, 6,431
7. Bills HB1 O.J. Simpson, 6,313
8. Rams HB1 Lawrence McCutcheon, 6,300
9. Dolphins HB1 Benny Malone, 6,280
10. Patriots HB1 Don Calhoun, 6,107
11. Broncos HB1 Otis Armstrong, 5,877
12. Saints HB1 Rick Lockwood, 5,857
13. Bears HB1 Walter Payton, 5,656
14. Oilers HB2 Ronnie Coleman, 5,576
15. Jets HB1 Clark Gaines, 5,111
16. Cowboys HB2 Doug Dennison, 5,010
17. Falcons HB1 Bubba Bean, 4,754
18. Chargers HB1 Rickey Young, 4,109
19. Bengals HB1 Archie Griffin, 3935
20. Chiefs HB1 Woody Green, 3,700

Oakland 30 at Pittsburgh 20

The Steelers had looked so good in their first two games, but they struggled to do anything to slow down the Raiders offense in this one.  A 14 point 4th quarter put this game away for the Raiders.

Oakland
Ken Stabler 17/33 228yds 1TD
Derrick Jensen 15car/85yds
Cliff Branch 12tt/6rec/59yds
Glann Starks 5tt/3rec/67yds
Jack Tatum 7 tackles 1 knockdown
Errol Mann 3 of 4 long of 48yds

Pittsburgh
Terry Bradshaw 20/35 263yds 2TDs 1Int
Franco Harris 15car/47yds
Lynn Swann 11tt/7rec/68yds
Theo Bell 9tt/6rec/90yds
Jack Lambert 5 tackles 1 sack

Oakland (1-1) at Pittsburgh (2-0)

   Oak offense  8th    137.5 rush - [3rd] / 149.0 pass - [20th]
       defense  24th   179.5 rush - [28th] / 159.0 pass - [14th]
       scoring         17.0 for - [10th] / 27.0 against - [27th]
________________________________

  Pitt offense  1st    135.0 rush - [5th] / 304.0 pass - [1st]
       defense  4th    82.5 rush - [12th] / 110.5 pass - [4th]
       scoring         22.0 for - [6th] / 11.5 against - [13th]


   key matchups:
       QB Terry Bradshaw (4 TDs/636 yds) vs. Oakland pass D
       HB Franco Harris (181 yds/0 TDs) vs. Oakland run D (5.5 rush avg)
       WR Lynn Swann (9 rec/146 yds/0 TDs) vs. CB Mike Spivey
       HB Derrick Jensen (189 yds/1 TDs) vs. Pittsburgh run D (4.0 rush avg)

   prediction:
       Oakland 14, Pittsburgh 28

Tampa Bay 8 at Green Bay 21

The Buccaneers managed to keep this close for a long time, but Green Bay eventually overwhelmed them.  They held Tampa to only 95 total net yards and 8 firs downs, while racking up 21 first downs and 306 yards of net offense themselves.  Three turnovers just about cost them the game, but they came out of this game as the clear favorites in the NFC Central.

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 22/34 251yds 2TDs 2Ints 1Fumble
David Overstreet 27car/50yds
Ken Payne 8tt/5rec/90yds
Dan Bunz 3 tackles 1 sack 2 knockdowns

Tampa Bay
Steve Spurrier 12/35 123yds 1Int
Charles Alexander 11car/10yds
John McKay 8tt/4rec/42yds
Ken Stone 5 tackles 1 Int 1TD
Clay Matthews 10 tackles 1 knockdown 1Int
Tom Cousineau 6 tackles 1 fumble recovery

Tampa Bay (2-0) at Green Bay (2-0)

  T.B. offense  6th    112.5 rush - [11th] / 189.0 pass - [9th]
       defense  9th    78.0 rush - [11th] / 141.0 pass - [8th]
       scoring         20.5 for - [7th] /  8.0 against - [4th]
________________________________

  G.B. offense  17th   64.5 rush - [21st] / 191.0 pass - [6th]
       defense  7th    40.5 rush - [3rd] / 176.5 pass - [19th]
       scoring         22.0 for - [5th] / 11.0 against - [8th]


   key matchups:
       LB Dan Bunz (3 sacks) vs. T Dave Reavis
       DE Mark Gastineau (3 sacks) vs. T Dave Reavis
       DT Dan Hampton (5 sacks) vs. G Everett Little
       HB Charles Alexander (140 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Dan Bunz (14 Tackles)

   prediction:
       Tampa Bay 16, Green Bay 18

Kansas City 13 at Cincinnati 20

This is a big upset.  The Chiefs have been playing so well and the Bengals so poorly it was assumed this would be an easy win for the Chiefs.  Statstically they outpaced the Bengals, but the Chiefs struggled to score as Greg Hendrickson had a bit of an off day.  The Bengals meanwhile got solid play from Ken Anderson who has been struggling and a huge game from Archie Griffin.

Cincinnati
Ken Anderson 14/26 179yds 1TD 1Int
Archie Griffin 20car/111yds 1TD
Isaac Curtis 7tt/4rec/63yds
Danny Johnson 4 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown
Ken Johnson 4 tackles 2 sacks

Kansas City
Greg Hendrickson 15/32 220yds 1TD
Ted Brown 14car/78yds
Armand Jackson 10tt/6rec/81yds 1TD
Durwood Keeton 10 tackles 1 sack
Bob Gregolunas 6 tackles 1 sack

Kansas City (2-0) at Cincinnati (0-2)

K.C. offense  7th    144.0 rush - [1st] / 156.0 pass - [15th]
       defense  17th   106.0 rush - [18th] / 163.0 pass - [17th]
       scoring         32.0 for - [1st] / 14.5 against - [17th]
________________________________

  Cinn offense  25th   30.0 rush - [28th] / 154.5 pass - [16th]
       defense  28th   170.0 rush - [27th] / 270.0 pass - [28th]
       scoring         13.5 for - [13th] / 28.0 against - [28th]


   key matchups:
       WR Isaac Curtis (11 rec/244 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Gary Barbaro (1 INT)
       QB Greg Hendrickson (4 TDs/343 yds) vs. S Tommy Casanova (1 INTs)
       HB Ted Brown (228 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Jim LeClair (18 Tackles)
       WR Armand Jackson (13 rec/166 yds/4 TDs) vs. CB Scott Perry

   prediction:
       Kansas City 30, Cincinnati 17

Minnesota 10 at Chicato 15

No one expected much from the Vikings.  They are a team in the midst of rebuilding with a new quarterback and an aging running back, but the Bears, people expected things from the Bears.  Last year they impressed everyone making a run at the playoffs, but so far this season they have not played well at all.  They were completely outplayed in this game, but managed to win it. Suddenly they have gone from a team that people were looking to fight for a playoff spot to a bottom of the heap kind of team.

Chicago
Bob Avellini 12/26 138yds 1TD
Walter Payton 16car/43yds 1TD  2tt/2rec/12yds 1TD
Brian Baschnagel 6tt/2rec/29yds
Al Harris 11 tackles

Minnesota
Mike Rieker 20/33 272yds 1Fumble
Chuck Foreman 16car/53yds
Sammy White 11tt/6rec/84yds
Ken Fantetti 6 tackles

Minnesota (1-1) at Chicago (0-2)

  Minn offense  14th   136.0 rush - [4th] / 134.0 pass - [22nd]
       defense  12th   70.0 rush - [8th] / 160.0 pass - [16th]
       scoring          6.5 for - [24th] / 14.0 against - [16th]
________________________________

   Chi offense  26th   71.5 rush - [18th] / 99.5 pass - [27th]
       defense  22nd   101.5 rush - [17th] / 191.0 pass - [21st]
       scoring          8.5 for - [23rd] / 18.0 against - [23rd]


   key matchups:
       DT Fred Smerlas (3 sacks) vs. G Noah Jackson

   prediction:
       Minnesota 12, Chicago 14

NFL 1981 Week 3 Preview

The Colts sit atop the AFC East at 2-0.  So far this season their defense is playing much improved.  The Dolphins, Bills, and Jets are all sitting at 1-1.  The Bills look as though they have taken a big step back this season and it's hard to tell with the Jets.  The Dolphins meanwhile have not looked like the defending champs.  Their running game and defense has been great, but their passing game is almost non existent.  The big shocker is the 0-2 Patriots who have looked very bad in these two losses.  Pittsburgh is the surprise team atop the AFC Central.  Their defense is greatly improved with the addition of Lawrence Taylor and the maturing of their young defensive players, and their offense has been solid so far.  Houston looks to be as dangerous as the past few seasons, though their offense has struggled a bit here at the beginning of the season.  Not much is expected of the two Ohio teams.  Kansas City is the talk of the AFC so far.  Not only does their offense look just as dangerous as they did last year, but their defense has played very well so far.  If they keep this up they may be the team to be in the AFC.  No one else in the West has impressed much so far.

San Francisco and New Orleans both sit at 2-0 in the NFC West.  The Saints offense has been a bit sluggish, but their defense has been very impressive.  The 49ers meanwhile don't seem to have lost a step from last season.  The Rams meanwhile are struggling a bit.  Age may be catching up to them on offense.  In the Central it is Green Bay and Tampa Bay both sitting at 2-0.  The Buccaneers have been very impressive so far and may make the jump from worst to first.  The big question mark for them has to be Steve Spurrier.  Chicago seems to have completely collapsed after a good 1980 season and the Lions and the Vikings are running in rebuilding gear right now, not sure if either team can get together enough wins to make a push at the playoffs.  The NFC East is pretty open, though the Giants and Eagles both seem to be out of it already.  The big surprise here is how shaky the defending Division champ Redskins have looked.  They are scoring points, but so far their defense is giving up more. 


NO trades 2nd year DT Ron Crews for Mia 2nd year TE Bruce Hardy


AFC
East: Baltimore 2-0; Miami, Buffalo, New York 1-1; New England 0-2
Central: Pittsburgh 2-0; Houston 1-1; Cincinnati, Cleveland 0-2
West: Kansas City 2-0; Seattle, Denver, Oakland, San Diego 1-1

NFC
East: Washingtin, St. Louis, Dallas 1-1; Philadelphia, New York 0-2
Central: Green Bay, Tampa Bay 2-0; Detroit, Minnesota 1-1; Chicago 0-2
West: San Francisco, New Orleans 2-0; Los Angeles 1-1; Atlanta 0-2


QBs
Sea Brian Sipe 122.6
GB Lynn Dickey 109.7
KC Greg Hendrickson 102.5

RBs
Den Otis Armstrong 248yds
Bal Billy Sims 235yds
KC Ted Brown 228yds

Recs
StL Ike Harris 252yds
Cin Isaac Cutris 244yds
Phi Charlie Smith 217yds


The Games to Watch
Tampa Bay 2-0 at Green Bay 2-0
    This should be a great, hard hitting defensive battle.

Washington 1-1 at New Orleans 2-0
    The Saints have looked very good so far this season, the Redskins a bit shaky.  This should be a good matchup.

St. Louis 17 at Seattle 24

A great game for the new Seahawks quarterback Brian Sipe.  It looked like they had let St. Louis come back, but the Seahawks scored 10 quick points in the final 2 1/2 minutes for the win.

Seattle
Brian Sipe 14/22 253yds 3TDs
James Betterson 16car/65yds
Steve Largent 5tt/5rec/109yds 1TD
Don Dufek 5 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

St. Louis
Jim Hart 20/38 312yds 1TD 1Int
Terry Metcalf 13car/35yds 1TD
Ike Harris 16tt/11rec/196yds
Jeff Griffin 8 tackles

St. Louis (1-0) at Seattle (0-1)

   StL offense  12th   34.0 rush - [24th] / 227.0 pass - [4th]
       defense  2nd    64.0 rush - [9th] / 50.0 pass - [1st]
       scoring         12.0 for - [18th] /  7.0 against - [5th]
________________________________

   Sea offense  6th    181.0 rush - [1st] / 136.0 pass - [21st]
       defense  26th   164.0 rush - [26th] / 179.0 pass - [19th]
       scoring         23.0 for - [6th] / 24.0 against - [24th]


   key matchups:
       QB Brian Sipe (2 TDs/156 yds) vs. St. Louis pass D
       DE Ron Yankowski (2 sacks) vs. T Marvin Powell
       DT Daryle Skaugstad (2 sacks) vs. G Bob Newton

   prediction:
       St. Louis 18, Seattle 19

Kansas City 31 at Oakland 10

The Chiefs look very good to not only repeat as AFC West champs, but maybe make a solid run at the Super Bowl. Their defense is greatly improved over last season and their offense is just as dangerous.

Kansas City
Greg Hendrickson 16/26 203yds 3TDs
Ted Brown 22car/137yds
Armand Jackson 11tt/9rec/117yds 3TDs
Durwood Keeton 6 tackles 1 Int 1TD
Gary Barbaro 6 tackles 1 knockdown 1 Int

Oakland
Ken Stabler 12/28 133yds 3Ints
Derrick Jensen 18car/95yds
James Owens 4tt/3rec/43yds
Willie Hall 7 tackles 1 sack

Kansas City (1-0) at Oakland (1-0)

  K.C. offense  14th   110.0 rush - [8th] / 130.0 pass - [22nd]
       defense  21st   101.0 rush - [19th] / 207.0 pass - [23rd]
       scoring         33.0 for - [3rd] / 19.0 against - [21st]
________________________________

   Oak offense  3rd    164.0 rush - [3rd] / 179.0 pass - [10th]
       defense  23rd   181.0 rush - [28th] / 136.0 pass - [8th]
       scoring         24.0 for - [5th] / 23.0 against - [23rd]


   key matchups:
     QB Ken Stabler (2 TDs/184 yds) vs. S Steve Bograkos (2 INTs)
       HB Derrick Jensen (94 yds/1 TDs) vs. Kansas City run D (4.4 rush avg)
       HB Ted Brown (91 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Monte Johnson (8 Tackles)

   prediction:
       Kansas City 28, Oakland 25

New York Giants 0 at Denver 20

The best game the Broncos have played in years, they completely dominated the Giants in this game.  Huge games for both Danny White and Otis Armstrong while Joe Reed and Chuck Muncie struggled.

Denver
Danny White 14/19 163yds 1TD
Otis Armstrong 26car/146yds
Art Monk 6tt/5rec/80yds
Tom Jackson 6 tackles 1 knockdown

New York
Joe Reed 13/28 116yds
Chuck Muncie 21car/47yds
Craig Brantley 4tt/4rec/51yds
Charles Johnson 3 sacks

New YorkNFC (0-1) at Denver (0-1)

NYG offense  9th    61.0 rush - [21st] / 216.0 pass - [5th]
       defense  13th   86.0 rush - [16th] / 148.0 pass - [13th]
       scoring          7.0 for - [25th] / 10.0 against - [10th]
________________________________

   Den offense  8th    101.0 rush - [10th] / 207.0 pass - [6th]
       defense  15th   110.0 rush - [21st] / 130.0 pass - [7th]
       scoring         19.0 for - [8th] / 33.0 against - [26th]


   key matchups:
       HB Otis Armstrong (102 yds/1 TDs) vs. New YorkNFC run D (3.0 rush avg)

   prediction:
       New YorkNFC 20, Denver 18

Dallas 16 at San Diego 10 (OT)

With 1:51 left in the regulation down 10-7 Dallas took over at their own 20 and did something they had not been able to do the entire game, move the ball.  They got a 47yd field goal with only four seconds left to send it into overtime.  Their defense came through in the end returning an interception for the game winning touchdown.  Dallas had no real offense to speak of.  Their two touchdowns came on a punt return and an interception return, but they got the win.  A very disappointing loss for the Chargers who should have won this game.

Dallas
Roger Staubach 12/35 131yds
Earl Campbell 19car/54yds 1Fumble
Drew Pearson 11tt/4rec/35yds
Lawrence Johnson  8 tackles 1 sack
Harvey Martin 4 tackles 2 sacks
Ricky Odom 5 tackles 1 Int 1TD

San Diego
Dan Fouts 19/33 185yds 1TD 1Int
Rickey Young 30car/81yds 1Fumble
Marvin Harvey 13tt/10rec/102yds
Manu Tuiasosopo 1 tackle 3 sacks

Dallas (0-1) at San Diego (1-0)

  Dall offense  18th   82.0 rush - [15th] / 147.0 pass - [18th]
       defense  14th   93.0 rush - [18th] / 142.0 pass - [9th]
       scoring          6.0 for - [26th] / 13.0 against - [13th]
________________________________

  S.D. offense  22nd   25.0 rush - [25th] / 165.0 pass - [13th]
       defense  8th    122.0 rush - [23rd] / 71.0 pass - [3rd]
       scoring         13.0 for - [17th] /  7.0 against - [4th]


   key matchups:
       LB Mark Merrill (3 sacks) vs. T Rayfield Wright
       DE Fred Dean (2 sacks) vs. T Rayfield Wright
       DT Manu Tuiasosopo (2 sacks) vs. G Burton Lawless
       WR Drew Pearson (4 rec/94 yds/0 TDs) vs. CB Mike Fuller

   prediction:
       Dallas 7, San Diego 16

Philadelphia 17 at Washington 34

A 21 point 3rd quarter gave Washington an easy win.  A solid game for both Mike Thomas and Joe Theismann.

Washington
Joe Theismann 14/30 216yds 3TDs 1Int
Mike Thomas 23car/117yds 1TD
Frank Grant 11tt/4rec/57yds
Walter Tullis 5 tackles 1 Int

Philadelphia
John Walton 16/37 281yds 2Ints
Ricky Bell 14car/91yds
Charlie Smith 12tt/8rec/171yds
 John Bunting 7 tackles

Philadelphia (0-1) at Washington (0-1)

Phil offense  28th   34.0 rush - [23rd] / 56.0 pass - [27th]
       defense  25th   76.0 rush - [11th] / 254.0 pass - [26th]
       scoring          7.0 for - [24th] / 15.0 against - [17th]
________________________________

  Wash offense  23rd   69.0 rush - [19th] / 114.0 pass - [23rd]
       defense  24th   131.0 rush - [24th] / 196.0 pass - [22nd]
       scoring         16.0 for - [10th] / 34.0 against - [28th]


   key matchups:

   prediction:
       Philadelphia 21, Washington 19

San Francisco 13 at New England 6

Both of these teams have good defenses, but no one expected such a low scoring game since both are better known for their high scoring offenses.  San Francisco completely shut down the Patriots in the second half of this one.

San Francisco
Jim Plunkett 15/30 221yds 1Int
Delvin Williams 22car/56yds
Jim Lash 6tt/4rec/74yds
Willie Harper 6 tackles 1 Int
Steve Mike-Mayer 2 of 4 long of 51yds

New England
Steve Grogan 16/28 171yds 1Int
Ike Forte 17car/13yds
Darryl Stingley 10tt/6rec/96yds
Steve Nelson 5 tackles 1 sack

San Francisco (1-0) at New England (0-1)

  S.F. offense  5th    131.0 rush - [5th] / 196.0 pass - [7th]
       defense  6th    69.0 rush - [10th] / 114.0 pass - [6th]
       scoring         34.0 for - [2nd] / 16.0 against - [19th]
________________________________

  N.E. offense  24th   83.0 rush - [14th] / 97.0 pass - [25th]
       defense  27th   92.0 rush - [17th] / 300.0 pass - [27th]
       scoring          7.0 for - [22nd] / 16.0 against - [18th]


   key matchups:
       QB Jim Plunkett (3 TDs/205 yds) vs. New England pass D
       HB Delvin Williams (105 yds/1 TDs) vs. New England run D (3.0 rush avg)
       DE Reggie Lewis (3 sacks) vs. T Shelby Jordan
       DT Jeff Perlinger (2 sacks) vs. G John Hannah

   prediction:
       San Francisco 25, New England 15

New York Jets 3 at New Orleans 6 (OT)

A defensive battle where neither team looked too sharp.  It was a setback week for the Jets new starting quarterback Vince Evans, and possibly the worst game played by Peil Pennington, but a big game for Rick Lockwood the only spark of offense on either team.

New Orleans
Peil Pennington 15/34 132yds 3Ints
Rick Lockwood 36car/154yds
Tinker Owens 7tt/5rec/28yds
Kenny Downing 4 tackles 2 knockdowns 1Int
Craig Cassady 4 tackles 1 sack 1 Int

New York
Vince Evans 12/30 143yds 2Ints
Clark Gaines 23car/49yds
Ronnie Moore 15tt/6rec/60yds
Ken Schroy 15 tackles
Luther Bradley 5 tackles 1 knockdown 2 Ints
Greg Buttle 5 tackles 1 knockdown 1Int

New YorkAFC (1-0) at New Orleans (1-0)

NYJ offense 2nd 92.0 rush - [12th] / 300.0 pass - [2nd]
defense 5th 83.0 rush - [15th] / 97.0 pass - [4th]
scoring 16.0 for - [11th] / 7.0 against - [7th]
________________________________

N.O. offense 4th 76.0 rush - [18th] / 254.0 pass - [3rd]
defense 1st 34.0 rush - [5th] / 56.0 pass - [2nd]
scoring 15.0 for - [12th] / 7.0 against - [6th]


key matchups:
QB Peil Pennington (0 TDs/271 yds) vs. New YorkAFC pass D
QB Vince Evans (0 TDs/311 yds) vs. New Orleans pass D
HB Clark Gaines (52 yds/1 TDs) vs. New Orleans run D (1.9 rush avg)

prediction:
New YorkAFC 12, New Orleans 14

Atlanta 0 at Buffalo 7

Neither team looked good in this game.  Both have been recent playoff teams, Atlanta even making the Super Bowl, but right now neither of them look to be in the running for anything but the number one draft pick.

Buffalo
Joe Ferguson 9/21 83yds
OJ Simpson 24car/58yds 1TD
Emmett Edwards 5tt/4rec/37yds
Ross Browner 3 tackles 2 sacks

Atlanta
Guy Benjamin 8/22 92yds 1Int
Bubba Bean 17car/78yds 1Fumble
Scott Piper 1tt/1rec/24yds
Ralph Ortega 10 tackles

Atlanta (0-1) at Buffalo (0-1)

   Atl offense  27th   64.0 rush - [20th] / 50.0 pass - [28th]
       defense  17th   34.0 rush - [6th] / 227.0 pass - [25th]
       scoring          7.0 for - [21st] / 12.0 against - [11th]
________________________________

  Buff offense  13th   78.0 rush - [17th] / 179.0 pass - [9th]
       defense  22nd   156.0 rush - [25th] / 155.0 pass - [15th]
       scoring         13.0 for - [16th] / 14.0 against - [16th]


   key matchups:

       HB O.J. Simpson (60 yds/1 TDs) vs. Atlanta run D (1.5 rush avg)
       TE Reuben Gant (8 rec/84 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Fulton Kuykendall
       HB Bubba Bean (46 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB John Anderson (10 Tackles)
       DT Steve George (2 sacks) vs. G Reggie McKenzie

   prediction:

       Atlanta 11, Buffalo 16

Baltimore 20 at Los Angeles 14

A big win for the Colts on the road over the defending NFC champs.  The Colts defense played a great game keeping the Rams offense out of their groove.  So far this season the Rams running game has not looked too sharp, so one wonders if maybe Lawrence McCutcheon has passed his prime.  No matter the Colts have to be happy to have a much improved defense over last season. 

Baltimore
Bert Jones 14/24 159yds 1TD
Billy Sims 24car/92yds 1TD
Frank Russel 10tt/7rec/71yds 1TD
Randy Hall 5 tackles 1 Int
Derrel Luce 5 tackles 1 knockdown 1 fumble recovery

Los Angeles
James Harris 22/36 236yds 2TDs 1Int 1Fumble
Lawrence McCutcheon 16car/46yds
George Lantz 8tt/5rec/65yds 1TD
Bill Barnett 1 tackle 3 sacks

Baltimore (1-0) at Los Angeles (1-0)

Baltimore (1-0) at Los Angeles (1-0)

   Bal offense  7th    156.0 rush - [4th] / 155.0 pass - [14th]
       defense  16th   78.0 rush - [12th] / 179.0 pass - [20th]
       scoring         14.0 for - [14th] / 13.0 against - [14th]
________________________________

  L.A. offense  16th   86.0 rush - [13th] / 148.0 pass - [16th]
       defense  20th   61.0 rush - [8th] / 216.0 pass - [24th]
       scoring         10.0 for - [19th] /  7.0 against - [8th]


   key matchups:

       HB Billy Sims (143 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Jim Youngblood (6 Tackles)

   prediction:

       Baltimore 11, Los Angeles 15

Detroit 10 at Miami 17

Miami gets another solid game out of their defense and their running game, but again Griese struggles with turnovers.  Luckily for Miami Detroit missed 3 field goals and blew plenty of scoring opportunities, something Detroit normally doesn't do.

Miami
Bob Griese 14/27 176yds 1TD 2Ints
Benny Malone 20car/89yds  2tt/2rec/50yds
Rolf Mequita 5car/78yds 1TD
Willis Adams 8tt/5rec/60yds
Lyman White 6 tackles 1 sack

Detroit
Greg Landry 14/32 177yds 1TD
Dexter Bussey 25car/52yds 1Fumble
Mel Jacobs 12tt/7rec/96yds
Jim Meeks 6 tackles 3 knockdowns
Kelby Walker 1 of 4 long of 20yds

Detroit (1-0) at Miami (0-1)

Detroit (1-0) at Miami (0-1)

   Det offense  15th   93.0 rush - [11th] / 142.0 pass - [20th]
       defense  11th   82.0 rush - [14th] / 147.0 pass - [11th]
       scoring         13.0 for - [15th] /  6.0 against - [3rd]
________________________________

   Mia offense  21st   122.0 rush - [6th] / 71.0 pass - [26th]
       defense  7th    25.0 rush - [4th] / 165.0 pass - [16th]
       scoring          7.0 for - [23rd] / 13.0 against - [12th]


   key matchups:

       HB Benny Malone (125 yds/0 TDs) vs. Detroit run D (3.2 rush avg)
       DT Larry Bethea (2 sacks) vs. G Lynn Boden

   prediction:

       Detroit 13, Miami 10

Houston 14 at Green Bay 18

With 3 seconds left Lynn Dickey hit Ollie Smith for a 15yd touchdown and the win.  This is a big win for the Packers who showed they can move the ball and score against a good defensive team.  This is a big improvement from last season.  The Oilers have to be disappointed they seemed to have this game in the bag.  But two missed field goals kept the Packers only one touchdown away from victory and that's what they got.

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 19/27 297yds 2TDs 1Fumble
David Overstreet 14car/15yds
Ollie Smith 7tt/5rec/147yds 2TDs
Gary Jeter 6 tackles 1 sack
Dan Bunz 8 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

Houston
Dan Pastorini 24/33 226yds 2TDs
Ralph Nelson 19car/55yds
Brian DeRoo 3tt/3rec/45yds
Greg Stemrick 8 tackles

Minnesota 10 at Cleveland 9

The Vikings get the win in a rather boring game. No one is expecting much out of either team, and neither team impressed much this week.

Minnesota
Mike Rieker 15/30 134yds 1TD 1Int
Dennis Johnson 22car/84yds
Leonard Willis 7tt/4rec/27yds 1TD
Fred Smerlas 2 tackles 2 sacks

Cleveland
Dave Mays 16/32 158yds 1TD
Brian Duncan 14car/51yds
Gary Parris 11tt/6rec/57yds 1TD
Art Still 2 tackles 2 sacks

Houston (1-0) at Green Bay (1-0)

Houston (1-0) at Green Bay (1-0)


Hou offense 11th 79.0 rush - [16th] / 186.0 pass - [8th]
defense 4th 15.0 rush - [2nd] / 144.0 pass - [10th]
scoring 21.0 for - [7th] / 3.0 against - [1st]

G.B. offense 19th 104.0 rush - [9th] / 109.0 pass - [24th]
defense 3rd 2.0 rush - [1st] / 152.0 pass - [14th]
scoring 26.0 for - [4th] / 8.0 against - [9th]


key matchups:

HB David Overstreet (98 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Barry Krauss (7 Tackles)
LB Dan Bunz (2 sacks) vs. T Greg Sampson
DE Mark Gastineau (3 sacks) vs. T Greg Sampson
DT Dan Hampton (4 sacks) vs. G Ed Fisher
TE Pat Curran (5 rec/51 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Barry Krauss
LB Barry Krauss (2 sacks) vs. T Mark Koncar
DT Wilson Whitley (2 sacks) vs. G Melvin Jackson

prediction:

Houston 15, Green Bay 18

Houston (1-0) at Green Bay (1-0)

Houston (1-0) at Green Bay (1-0)

Hou offense 11th 79.0 rush - [16th] / 186.0 pass - [8th]
defense 4th 15.0 rush - [2nd] / 144.0 pass - [10th]
scoring 21.0 for - [7th] / 3.0 against - [1st]
________________________________

G.B. offense 19th 104.0 rush - [9th] / 109.0 pass - [24th]
defense 3rd 2.0 rush - [1st] / 152.0 pass - [14th]
scoring 26.0 for - [4th] / 8.0 against - [9th]

key matchups:

HB David Overstreet (98 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Barry Krauss (7 Tackles)
LB Dan Bunz (2 sacks) vs. T Greg Sampson
DE Mark Gastineau (3 sacks) vs. T Greg Sampson
DT Dan Hampton (4 sacks) vs. G Ed Fisher
TE Pat Curran (5 rec/51 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Barry Krauss
LB Barry Krauss (2 sacks) vs. T Mark Koncar
DT Wilson Whitley (2 sacks) vs. G Melvin Jackson

prediction:

Houston 15, Green Bay 18

Minnesota 10 at Cleveland 9

The Vikings get the win in a rather boring game. No one is expecting much out of either team, and neither team impressed much this week.

Minnesota
Mike Rieker 15/30 134yds 1TD 1Int
Dennis Johnson 22car/84yds
Leonard Willis 7tt/4rec/27yds 1TD
Fred Smerlas 2 tackles 2 sacks

Cleveland
Dave Mays 16/32 158yds 1TD
Brian Duncan 14car/51yds
Gary Parris 11tt/6rec/57yds 1TD
Art Still 2 tackles 2 sacks

Minnesota (0-1) at Cleveland (0-1)

Minnesota (0-1) at Cleveland (0-1)


Minn offense 10th 120.0 rush - [7th] / 147.0 pass - [17th]
defense 12th 56.0 rush - [7th] / 173.0 pass - [17th]
scoring 3.0 for - [27th] / 19.0 against - [20th]

Clev offense 25th 15.0 rush - [27th] / 144.0 pass - [19th]
defense 18th 79.0 rush - [13th] / 186.0 pass - [21st]
scoring 3.0 for - [28th] / 21.0 against - [22nd]


key matchups:


prediction:

Minnesota 12, Cleveland 14

Minnesota (0-1) at Cleveland (0-1)

Minnesota (0-1) at Cleveland (0-1)

Minn offense 10th 120.0 rush - [7th] / 147.0 pass - [17th]
defense 12th 56.0 rush - [7th] / 173.0 pass - [17th]
scoring 3.0 for - [27th] / 19.0 against - [20th]
________________________________

Clev offense 25th 15.0 rush - [27th] / 144.0 pass - [19th]
defense 18th 79.0 rush - [13th] / 186.0 pass - [21st]
scoring 3.0 for - [28th] / 21.0 against - [22nd]

key matchups:

prediction:

Minnesota 12, Cleveland 14

Cincinnati 13 at Tampa Bay 22

A good win for the Bucs who completely dominated this game.  There were quite a few games last season where Tampa would outplay the other team, but lose the game.  So far this season they seem to be able to score points and control the ball, they racked up 169 rushing yards.  The Bengals seem to be going in the opposite direction. 

Tampa Bay
Steve Spurrier 17/32 217yds 1TD 1Int
Charles Alexander 22car/95yds 1TD
Morris Owens 8tt/5rec/75yds 1TD
Clay Matthews 4 tackles 2 sacks
Mike Washington 4 tackles 1 knockdown 1 Int
Andy Dorris 3 sacks

Cincinnati
Ken Anderson 9/20 185yds 1TD 1Int
Lenvil Elliott 2car/13yds
Isaac Curtis 7tt/4rec/126yds 1TD
Jim LeClair 10 tackles 3 knockdowns
Lucius Sanford 9 tackles 1 sack
Danny Johnson 11 tackles 1 sack

Cincinnati (0-1) at Tampa Bay (1-0)

Cincinnati (0-1) at Tampa Bay (1-0)

  Cinn offense  20th   24.0 rush - [26th] / 174.0 pass - [11th]
       defense  28th   171.0 rush - [27th] / 335.0 pass - [28th]
       scoring         14.0 for - [13th] / 34.0 against - [27th]
________________________________

  T.B. offense  17th   56.0 rush - [22nd] / 173.0 pass - [12th]
       defense  19th   120.0 rush - [22nd] / 147.0 pass - [12th]
       scoring         19.0 for - [9th] /  3.0 against - [2nd]


   key matchups:

       HB Charles Alexander (45 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Jim LeClair (8 Tackles)
       WR Isaac Curtis (7 rec/118 yds/1 TDs) vs. CB Ken Stone

   prediction:

       Cincinnati 9, Tampa Bay 30

Chicago 9 at Pittsburgh 10

It wasn't a pretty win, but a win none the less.  Turnovers almost cost the Steelers a game they dominated both offensively and defensively.  Chicago meanwhile struggled to do anything but run the ball. 

Pittsburgh
Terry Bradshaw 20/35 288yds 1TD 1Int
Franco Harris 22car/71yds
Theo Bell 5tt/4rec/73yds 1TD
Lawrence Taylor 7 tackles

Chicago
Bob Avellini 7/27 67yds
Walter Payton 16car/78yds 1TD
James Scott 6tt/2rec/28yds
Vaughn Lusby 9 tackles 1 knockdown

Chicago (0-1) at Pittsburgh (1-0)

Chicago (0-1) at Pittsburgh (1-0)

Chi offense 26th 2.0 rush - [28th] / 152.0 pass - [15th]
defense 10th 104.0 rush - [20th] / 109.0 pass - [5th]
scoring 8.0 for - [20th] / 26.0 against - [25th]

---

Pitt offense 1st 171.0 rush - [2nd] / 335.0 pass - [1st]
defense 9th 24.0 rush - [3rd] / 174.0 pass - [18th]
scoring 34.0 for - [1st] / 14.0 against - [15th]


key matchups:

QB Terry Bradshaw (3 TDs/348 yds) vs. Chicago pass D
HB Franco Harris (110 yds/0 TDs) vs. Chicago run D (3.1 rush avg)
WR Lynn Swann (7 rec/100 yds/0 TDs) vs. CB Allan Ellis

prediction:

Chicago 11, Pittsburgh 33

NFL 1981 Week 2

It's a rough start for the NFC East with only one team picking up a win. The Cardinals sit atop the East after one game a spot no one expected them to hold all season. The Packers had a very convincing win in the opening week and are the favorites to take the NFC Central, and with the Buccaneers getting a very convincing win in their opener it looks like these two defensive powerhouses may fight it out for the Division title. Of course in the West it is no surprise to see the Saints, 49ers, and Rams all sitting with one win. All three of these teams are expected to make the playoffs and it's anyones guess who will win the Division.

The last two seasons the Jets have rallied late to grab a playoff spot, so it's interesting to see them sitting atop the AFC East so early in the season along side the Colts. The two heavy favorites expected to fight out for the Division title, the Dolphins and Patriots, both opened with Division losses a big blow. Pittsburgh had a very impressive win over the Bengals and the Oilers looked as good as ever. The Oilers should take this Division easily, but it will be interesting to see how Pittsburgh fairs in week 2. Kansas City and San Diego seem to be set to fight it out again for the AFC West title. Can the Raiders play spoiler? Their offense looks improved, but their defense does not.

Trades
KC 4th year CB Ricky Odom for Dal 6th year HB John Smith
SF Rookie DE Robert Cobb for Phi 4th year WR Keith Wright
SD 6th year DE Leroy Jones for Buf 10th year G Bill Adams
NO 9th year DE Andy Dorris for TB 5th year QB Tommy Kramer


AFC
East: New York, Baltimore 1-0; Buffalo, Miami, New England 0-1
Central: Pittsburgh, Houston 1-0; Cincinnati, Cleveland 0-1
West: Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego 1-0; Seattle, Denver 0-1

NFC
East: St. Louis 1-0; Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas 0-1
Central: Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Detroit 1-0; Chicago, Minnesota 0-1
West: San Francisco, New Orleans, Los Angeles 1-0; Atlanta 0-1

QBs
SF Jim Plunkett 109.4
Pit Terry Bradshaw 101.6
NYG Joe Reed 100.9

RBs
Bal Billy Sims 143yds
Mia Benny Malone 125yds
Pit Franco Harris 110yds

Recs
Cin Isaac Curtis 118yds
NYG John Jefferson 110yds
Pit Lynn Swann 100yds


Games to Watch
Houston 1-0 at Green Bay 1-0
There are a lot of people who believe this will be a preview of the 1981 Super Bowl. This should be a hard hitter.

Baltimore 1-0 at Los Angeles 1-0
The Colts looked good in their opener, but the Rams are a whole level up from the Bills. Look for the Rams to score a lot of points.

New York Jets 1-0 at New Orleans 1-0
The Saints looked so dominant in their opener, it will be interesting to see how the Jets fair.

Kansas City 1-0 at Oakland 1-0
As shaky as the Raiders defense looked in their opener it wouldn't be surprising to see the Chiefs get into the 50's in this one.

Kansas City 33 at Denver 19

This was not the opening game Marv Levy invisioned for his new starting quarterback.  Despite racking up a lot of yards, the Broncos failed on offense because of turnovers.  The Chiefs on the other hand will have to be happy with their opener.  They managed to get off to a strong start on offense, and though their defense gave up a lot of yards they forced turnovers and played a crucial part in the win. 

Kansas City
Greg Hendrickson 16/28 140yds 1TD 1Fumble
Ted Brown 24car/91yds 1TD
Armand Jackson 9tt/4rec/49yds
Steve Bograkos 7 tackles 1 knockdown 2 Ints 1 TD
Jan Stenerud 4 of 4 long of 49yds

Denver
Danny White 15/34 212yds 1TD 3Ints
Otis Armstrong 22car/102yds 1TD 1Fumble
Jerry Butler 7tt/5rec/68yds
Tom Jackson 7 tackles 2 knockdowns 1safety

Kansas City at Denver

The Chiefs seem to surprise everyone year after year with their play.  They managed to stay on top of the AFC West last year despite their awful defense.  If they can show decent improvement on defense this year and keep their offense as dangerous as last, they may be the team to beat in the AFC.  But that's a big if.

The Broncos on the other hand seem to disappoint every season.  But Marv Levy made quite a few changes in the offseason, the biggest in picking up quarterback Danny White.  They will be looking for him to lead this team to a level the Steve Ramsey simply never seemed capable of going.  Denver will also need to see improved play from their defense.  The Broncos will have to come a long way in a very short time if they want to turn things around.  Otherwise Levy will more than likely be out before next year.

New Orleans 15 at Philadelphia 7

The Saints held the Eagles to five first downs and only 90 yards of total net offense.  They completely shut down Ricky Bell, and gave notice that they are back to being the same tough defensive unit that led the Saints to the Super Bowl two years ago.  The Saints running game, however, still looks problematic, and their inability to score is still a problem.  All 15 points came off of field goals.  The Eagles have to be worried.  They were completely shut down by the Saints and, though they held the Saints to only 15 points, could not stop the Saints the entire game.  If the Eagles don't show improvement from this Vermeil may be getting the axe before the season is over.

New Orleans
Peil Pennington 22/37 271yds
Tony Dorsett 9car/41yds
Freddie Solomon 4tt/2rec/53yds
Steve Baumgartner 2 tackles 4 sacks
Richie Szaro 5 of 5 long of 51yds

Philadelphia
Mike Boryla 2/5 62yds 1TD
Mike Hogan 2car/18yds
Charlie Smith 4tt/1rec/46yds 1TD
John Bunting 13 tackles 1 knockdown

New Orleans at Philadelphia

The Saints rallied last season to make the playoffs, but never found the form that took them to the Super Bowl in 1979.  Still, many people are looking to them to come back and win the NFC West.  They are a fairly young team and a tough team.  They will be relying again heavily on their running game and defense.

Philadelphia on the other hand could never get it together last year to get to the playoffs.  In fact for the last few seasons they've come close but not quite made the jump up to playoff team.  However, they now have one of the top runners in the league in Ricky Bell and with a young core of receivers and a maturing John Walton, fans are hoping this will be their breakout season.   It not it may be Dick Vermeil's last. 

Seattle 23 at Oakland 24

The Raiders rallied in the second half to pull out the win.  They got great play out of their new starting halfback Derrick Jensen a 3rd year guy out of Texas-Arlington and 3rd year halfback James Owens from UCLA.  Their biggest concern going forward has to be the play of their defense.  Of course the same could be said for Seattle.  The Seahawks got a great game out of their new quarterback, Brian Sipe, and their two running backs Sterling Rolfe and James Betterson.  But in the end their defense was even worse than the Raiders.

Oakland
Ken Stabler 11/22 184yds 2TDs 1Int
Derrick Jensen 18car/94yds 1TD
James Owens 9car/57yds  3tt/3rec/62yds
Darryl Neely 5tt/4rec/74yds 1TD
Tommy Campbell 7 tackles 1 sack
Monte Johnson 7 tackles 1 sack

Seattle
Brian Sipe 15/26 156yds 2TDs
James Betterson 11car/71yds
Sterling Rolfe 11car/69yds
Trey Hann 9tt/5rec/75yds
Dave Brown 4 tackles 1 Int

Seattle at Oakland

The Raiders are in the middle of rebuilding and no one is expecting much out of them this season.  The hardest player they will have to replace is Clarence Davis who has been great for the Raiders averaging 5.1yds per carry.  They did draft George Rogers, but it appears he's still a year or two off from being a starter. 

Seattle will be making a big switch this year.  They picked up Brian Sipe in the offseason and hope that he can rekindle their fires and get them back to the playoffs.  The problem is the Seahawks have had no running game and their defense has been shaky at best.  Their front seven on defense are very young, and so they may still be a few years off from being back to a playoff contender. 

San Francisco 34 at Washington 16

This was a stunning result.  The 49ers offense completely dominated the first half of this game, and their defense did pretty well too holding the Redskins to only 11 first downs and 182 total net yards. 

San Francisco
Jim Plunkett 19/32 205yds 3TDs
Delvin Williams 24car/105yds 1TD
Doug Cosbie 1tt/1rec/45yds
Reggie Lewis 1 tackle 3 sacks

Washington
Joe Theismann 12/21 175yds 1TD 1Int
Mike Thomas 15car/54yds
Don Westbrook 5tt/3rec/86yds 1TD
Waymon Britt 8 tackles 1 knockdown

San Francisco at Washington

These were two of the top teams in the NFC last season.  The 49ers will be back with their explosive offense and tough defense, and a big question.  Can they ever get to the Super Bowl.  They have had a solid team for the past five years, but never been able to get over the hurdle and make the Super Bowl.  Last year they came very close losing in the NFC championship game to the rival Rams, but one had to wonder if that was the last shot this team will get.  As they get a year older, maybe moving past their peak at key positions, other teams in the NFC are getting closer to their peak, like the Packers or the Redskins.

Washington really came alive last season.  Joe Theismann finally looked like the starter the Redskins have always imagined he could be and their defense seemed to suddenly mature.  Instead of being a team that relied on Mike Thomas for everything, they were suddenly a team that had dimension.  They should be even better this season.

Miami 7 at San Diego 13

This was the battle of the defenses with San Diego coming out on top.  They force two turnovers in the second half, both with Miami in scoring position.  It was not a good opening game for Bob Griese.  The Chargers will be happy with the win of course, but not too happy with their offensive performance. 

San Diego
Dan Fouts 12/28 181yds 1Int  4car/18yds
Rickey Young 15car/9yds 1 Fumble
Dwight McDonald 6tt/2rec/80yds
Steve Stewart 5 tackles 1 knockdown 1 Int 1TD
Mark Merrill 2 tackles 3 sacks 1 knockdown 1 Int

Miami
Bob Griese 12/31 120yds 1TD 2Ints
Benny Malone 24car/125yds
Willis Adams 13tt/5rec/53yds
Larry Bethea 4 tackles 2 sacks

Miami at San Diego

A lot of people are wondering if the Dolphins will faulter as the Raiders did after they won the Super Bowl.  It's easy to look at the Dolphins and see Bob Griese and think old, but the Dolphins are actually quite young.  After getting hit hard by the WFL, Don Shula has reworked this team so that they have a few older players left, but for the most part are young blood.  The key for this team remains the same, solid defense and a great running game. 

San Diego surprised a lot of people last season by making the playoffs.  For the past few years they had been chugging along not looking very special, then last season they seemed to come together.  Dan Fouts became much more effective and their defense became very solid.  They are quite young and should show quite a bit of improvement this season. 

Atlanta 7 at St. Louis 12

Well the Falcons have to be happy with the way their defense played.  They forced turnovers and for the most part contained the Cardinals offense, but the problem is the Cardinals defense was even more effective completely shutting down the Falcons offense.  A bit of a shakey start for both teams, but a win for the Cardinals.

St. Louis
Jim Hart 24/41 216yds 1TD 3Ints
Mike Strachan 4car/16yds
Ike Harris 11tt/6rec/56yds 1TD
Ray White 8 tackles

Atlanta
Guy Benjamin 10/22 117yds
Bubba Bean 17car/46yds 1TD
Wes Chandler 11tt/6rec/71yds
Ron Mabra 5 tackles 2 knockdown 2 Ints
Oliver Davis 8 tackles 1 Int

Re: Tune in for this weekend's tape-delay broadcast!

 

Tune in for this weekend's tape-delay broadcast!

 

The newly revamped Hall of Fame Game will be broadcast this weekend. Kicking of the NFL81 preseason and combining the defunct Pro Bowl and College All-Star Game, the game highlights a gala weekend in Canton, Ohio, which also features the induction of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 1981:

• "Red" Badgro, to be presented by Mel Hein, one of Badgro's former Giants teammates;
  
• Willie Davis, to be presented by Eddie Robinson, Al Davis's coach at Grambling State University;
  
• George Blanda, to be presented by Al Davis, managing general partner of the Raiders, and
  
• Jim Ringo, to be presented by Willard "Whiz" Rinehart, Ringo's coach at Phillipsburgh (N.J.) High School.

---

NFL80 American Conference All-Pro Team
Coach Paul Wiggin, Kansas City
QB Dan Pastorini, Houston
QB Greg Hendrickson, Kansas City--replaced by QB Joe Namath, New York
FB Jon Keyworth, Denver
FB Jim Braxton, Buffalo
HB Benny Malone, Miami
TE Kellen Winslow, Houston
TE John Sawyer, Seattle
WR Ken Burrough, Houston
WR Billy Johnson, Houston
WR Armand Jackson, Kansas City--replaced by WR Darryl Stingley, New England
C  Bob Rush, San Diego
C  Ralph Perretta, San Diego
G  Ed Fisher, Houston--replaced by C Jack Rudnay, Kansas City
G  Robert Pratt, Baltimore
G  Mel Mitchell, Miami--replaced by T Vern Holland, Cincinnati
T  Leon Gray, Houston
DE Vern Den Herder, Miami
DE Fred Dean, San Diego
DE John Zimba, Seattle--replaced by DT Jerry Sherk, Cleveland
DE Ross Browner, Buffalo
LB Mark Merrill, San Diego--replaced by LB Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh
LB Woodrow Lowe, San Diego
LB Randy Gradishar, Denver
LB Bob Horn, San Diego--replaced by LB Kim Bokamper, Kansas City
LB Tom Jackson, Denver
CB Sid Dixon, Miami--replaced by CB Mike Haynes, New England
CB Jackie Williams, Buffalo--replaced by CB Lemar Parrish, Cincinnati
CB Ken Schroy, New York
CB Steve Foley, Denver
S  Rick Sanford, Miami
S  Donald Dykes, Denver--replaced by CB Gary Barbaro, Kansas City
S  Gary Green, Miami
K  Skip Butler, Houston
P  Mitch Hoopes, Houston--replaced by P Ray Guy, Oakland
PR/KR  WR Glenn Doughty, Baltimore
NFL81 rookie reserves  LB Lawrence Taylor, Pittsburgh; QB Neil Lomax, Cleveland; HB George Rogers, Oakland; FB Freeman McNeil, Denver; T Brian Holloway, Baltimore; DE Dexter Manley, Baltimore; HB James Brooks, Baltimore; WR Cris Collinsworth, Cincinnati; LB Hugh Green, Kansas City; LB Mike Singletary, Miami

NFL80 National Conference All-Pro Team
Coach Bill Arnsparger, New York
QB Jim Hart, St. Louis
QB Greg Landry, Detroit
FB Roland Harper, Chicago
FB Chuck Heater, New Orleans--replaced by HB Ricky Bell, Philadelphia
HB Delvin Williams, San Francisco
TE Brian Nemeth, Los Angeles--replaced by TE Bob Tucker, New York
TE Charlie Young, Philadelphia
WR Mel Jacobs, Detroit--replaced by WR Ron Jessie, Detroit
WR Drew Pearson, Dallas
WR Frank Grant, Washington
C  Walter Brett, Washington--replaced by C Tom Banks, St. Louis
C  Mark Markovich, Detroit--replaced by T Ron Yary, Minnesota
G  Herbert Scott, Dallas
G  John Watson, San Francisco
G  Melvin Jackson, Green Bay--replaced by G Ed White, Minnesota
T  Keith Fahnhorst, San Francisco--replaced by C John Hill, New Orleans
DE George Martin, New York
DE Rich Hucke, New Orleans--replaced by DT Gary Jeter, Green Bay
DE Steve Baumgartner, New Orleans--replaced by DT Alan Page, Minnesota
DE Dave Pureifory, Green Bay
LB Al Harris, Chicago--replaced by LB Isiah Robertson, Los Angeles
LB Waymond Bryant, Chicago
LB Ross Brupbacher, Chicago--replaced by LB Harold McClinton, Washington
LB Ken Bordelon, Washington--replaced by LB Jim Merlo, New Orleans
LB Clay Matthews, Tampa Bay
CB Willie Buchanan, Green Bay
CB Walter Tullis, Washington--replaced by CB Rolland Lawrence, Atlanta
CB Monte Jackson, Los Angeles
CB Allan Ellis, Chicago
S  Jeff Nixon, Washington
S  Lawrence Johnson, Dallas
S  Kim Anderson, San Francisco--replaced by S James Hunter, Detroit
K  Steve Mike-Mayer, San Francisco
P  Rusty Jackson, Los Angeles
PR/KR  Rickey Watts, Green Bay
NFL81 rookie reserves  FB Randy McMillan, San Francisco; DE Howie Long, San Francisco; HB James Wilder, New York; HB Stump Mitchell, New York; S Kenny Easley, Dallas; CB Everson Walls, Dallas; S Ronnie Lott, Detroit; LB Rickey Jackson, Green Bay; WR Charlie Brown, Green Bay

Atlanta at St. Louis

Since making the Super Bowl in 1978 the Falcons have struggled to find themselves.  At times they will look like the team that made such an exciting run through the NFC, but for the most part they look like a mediocre team that no one expects to be competitive.  They are making a change at quarterback hoping to spark some life by putting 4th year Guy Benjamin at the healm.  But the heart of the run in 1978 came from the defense and there the team will be essentially the same that they put out last season.  They are a fairly young squad, so there is a chance that they will show improvement.  Who knows with a resparked offense and an improving defense the Falcons could make a run at the playoffs. 

The Cardinals found life again last season with an improved defense and offense, but they still were missing consistency.  They haven't had a good running game for the last five years and need some kind of ground game to help their aging quarterback, Jim Hart.  Because of their struggles to control the ball, they put a lot of pressure on their defense and these guys are an odd mix of old and young.  They are definitely in a transitional phase with the team and it is hard to imagine them getting it together to compete for the top of the NFC, but they could be good enough to grab a playoff spot. 

New York Jets 16 at New England 7

The Jets looked like a playoff team.  Their defense completely contained the Patriots, not an easy task, and their offense continuously moved the ball on the Patriots defense, again not an easy thing to do.  It really should have been a blowout, but the Jets struggled to finish the deal inside the 20.  This kept the game close.  If John Smith hadn't missed both field goal attempts, it would have been even closer. 

New York
Vince Evans 20/34 311yds 1Int
Clark Gaines 17car/52yds 1TD
Ronnie Moore 10tt/5rec/62yds
Willie Scott 5tt/2rec/70yds
Bob Martin 5 tackles 1 sack
Dennis Thurman 11 tackles
Raymond Clayborn 3 tackles 4 knockdowns

New England
Steve Grogan 10/23 111yds
Don Calhoun 13car/52yds 1TD
Darryl Stingley 4tt/2rec/20yds
Mike Haynes 6 tackles 2 knockdowns 1Int

New York Jets at New England

The Jets stunned everyone last year with their push to the playoffs.  Most everyone had written them off around week 8, but they were fantastic in the second half of the season, especially their defense.  But their inspiration has always come from Joe Namath.  He seemed to year after year dig into his talented arm and pull out wins, but now he's gone and no one is quite sure what this team will be without him.  Vince Evans out of USC will be their new starter and everyone is anxious to see how he does filling Namath's shoes.  They will be depending a lot more on their running game and their defense for sure.

The Patriots will be back with essentially their same team, which is a good thing for Patriots fans.  They are certainly not an old team and should be right back where they left off last season.  For the Patriots it's always the same dilemma, will Steve Grogan be consistent enough to get them to the Super Bowl.  They are expected to make the playoffs, but can they go further than they have in the past.  In his seventh season, Patriot fans are expecting to see Grogan find his groove and take this team to the AFC Championship. 

Los Angeles 10 at New York Giants 7

Well the Giants still have a good defense, holding the defending NFC champs to just 10 points, but the NFC champs have a great defense and the newly rennovated Giants offense didn't do much.  

Los Angeles
James Harris 16/28 182yds 1TD
Lawrence McCutcheon 21car/62yds
Mike Cobb 3tt/3rec/37yds
John Barefield 8 tackles

New York
Joe Reed 11/22 222yds 1TD
Chuck Muncie 20car/51yds 1Fumble
John Jefferson 6tt/2rec/110yds 1TD
Zac Henderson 10 tackles

Los Angeles at New York Giants

It's a whole new Giants team that will take the field in 1981. With a new coach, Ed Biles; a new quarterback, Joe Reed; and a new starting half back, Chuck Muncie, Giants fans are hoping to get past the allusive .500 mark and make the playoffs. Their defense has certainly been there, so they'll need to see a big improvement from their offense if they hope to get over that hurdle.

On the surface the Rams are trotting out the same team they've had for the past five years. You see James Harris, Lawrence McCutcheon, Jack and Jim Youngblood and it all appears the same. But when you look across the roster you see that the Rams are quite young. They've done an excellent job of rotating in fresh blood and staying atop the NFC. There is no reason to think they can't return to the Super Bowl in 1981.

Buffalo 13 at Baltimore 14

With 43 seconds left in the game Bert Jones hit Doug Marsh for a 4yd touchdown pass to clinch the win.  The Bills would drive to the Colts 35 yard line, but time would run out before they could get a chance at a game winning field goal.  The Bills looked to be the better team forcing turnovers and moving the ball well, but they struggled to score.  OJ Simpson looked slow for the Bills and slowed down as the game progressed.  Billy Sims on the other hand looked better than last season, and got stronger as the game progressed.  If Bert Jones and the passing game can play better the Colts may turn out to be a dangerous team.

Baltimore
Bert Jones 11/20 160yds 1TD 2Ints
Billy Sims 27car/143yds
Johnny Davis 1tt/1rec/44yds
Stan White 7 tackles 1 sack

Buffalo
Joe Ferguson 20/31 202yds
OJ Simpson 24car/60yds 1TD
Reuben Gant 9tt/8rec/84yds
John Anderson 10 tackles

Buffalo at Baltimore

Baltimore completely collapsed last season and went from being one of the best teams in the AFC to just a mediocre bunch. It was their offense that fell apart. Maybe they had pushed their rookie running sensation, Billy Sims, too much early on, but the whole offense seemed to just run out of steam. It lead to a coaching change in Baltimore and fans are expecting a big improvement this season.

Meanwhile Buffalo surprised everyone last year by cotinuing to be a danger in the East. They fell just short of the playoffs, but no one had really expected that much out of them. They are older now, and again everyone is writing them off, but it's hard to tell what will happen with this team. Their defense was very good last season, and as long as they continue to play well on defense they continue to be a threat in the East.

Dallas 6 at Detroit 13

Well Dallas fans have to be happy with the play of their defense, but certainly not with the play of their offense.  Turnovers and blown scoring opportunities doomed the Cowboys, but the Lions managed to grab a win in a game where they didn't play very well on offense.  Like Dallas though the Lions have been plagued the past few seasons by poor defensive play, so it was good for them to get a defensive win.

Detroit
Greg Landry 9/17 157yds
Ottis Anderson 5car/50yds
Dexter Bussey 27car/45yds
Ray Rhodes 4tt/1rec/62yds
Garth Ten Napel 7 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown 1 fumble recovery
James Hunter 5 tackles 1 sack
Gary Shugrue 10 tackles

Dallas
Roger Staubach 11/18 166yds
Earl Campbell 16car/65yds
Drew Pearson 7tt/4rec/94yds 1Fumble
Thomas Henderson 8 tackles 1 sack
Kenny Easley 10 tackles

Dallas at Detroit

The Cowboys complete collapse last season led to the firing of Tom Landry and the hiring of Ted Marchibroda. Many people feel that Dallas has the talent to win, but just can't seem to put it together. For the last few seasons it's been their defense that has killed them and a lot of work has gone in during the offseason to bolster the defense.

Detroit meanwhile is aging, but still competing making the playoffs with a end of the season push last year. Their defense and running games have been struggling and they put much of their offseason effort of fixing these two problem areas.

?

Cleveland 3 at Houston 21

It wasn't close, but at least the Browns can say their defense is much improved.  They managed to hold the Oilers to under 300 total net yards and only 13 first downs.  But their offense was non-existent and the Oilers fairly dominated the game.

Houston
Dan Pastorini 14/27 193yds 1TD
Ronnie Coleman 22car/73yds 2TDs
Billy Johnson 5tt/2rec/55yds
Barry Krauss 5 tackles 2 sacks
George Andrews 5 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

Cleveland
Dave Mays 18/39 185yds 1Int
Brian Duncan 12car/6yds
Gary Parris 10tt/3rec/33yds
Tom Fleming 9tt/3rec/44yds
Gary Gorrell 10 tackles 1 knockdown
Art Still 6 tackles 1 sack

Cleveland at Houston

Cleveland had a very disappointing 1980 season, and faced making major changes in the offseason with a new head coach.  No one is really expecting much from them this season, but people are expecting the new coach, Dan Reeves, to begin to turn things around.   Houston, on the other hand, who was so dominant last season is expected to bounce back and be just as potent this season.  After get bumped off in the AFC Championship Game last season they will be looking to go all the way in 1981.

Chicago 8 at Green Bay 26

A good win for the Packers.  Their defense was dominating as expected and their offense was surprisingly good.  The Bears offense didn't seem to have a clue what to do, and were simply overwhelmed.  It was noted last season that in games where the Bears could run the ball they won, but when they drop behind and are forced to rely on their passing game, they lose.

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 14/21 124yds
David Overstreet 25car/97yds 1TD
Pat Curran 7tt/5rec/51yds
Dan Bunz 3 tackles 2 sacks 1 knockdown 1safety
Dan Hampton 3 tackles 4 sacks
Mark Gastineau 1 tackle 3 sacks
Gary Jeter 4 sacks

Chicago
Bob Avellini 20/43 231yds 1TD
Roland Harper 2car/4yds
James Scott 11tt/6rec/70yds
Darrol Ray 9 tackles

Chicago at Green Bay

Both of these teams showed great improvement last season.  The Packers won the Central Division, but the Packers have one great problem, their offense,  and no one feels like they did anything to improve their offense in the offseason.  Now perhaps the management sees potential there that everyone else is missing, but without improvement to their offense it is hard to imagine the Packers ever getting deeper than the second round of the playoffs, no matter how good their defense is.  The Bears were in a similar boat last season.  Their defense really carried them to an improved record, but they weren't that good and with no offense to speak of everyone was looking for them to make some big changes in the offense during the offseason.  But like the Packers they focused on their defense.  It's hard to imagine they made enough changes to improve much over their performance of last season.   

Pittsburgh 34 at Cincinnati 14

Held to only seven first downs and under 200 yards of total net offense, the Bengals were destroyed at home by a Steelers team who looked nothing like the team that struggled all of last season.  The Steelers amassed 30 first downs and over 500yds of total net offense. 

Pittsburgh
Terry Bradshaw 21/38 348yds 3TDs 1Int
Franco Harris 25car/110yds 1Fumble
Lynn Swann 13tt/7rec/100yds
Jack Lambert 6 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

Cincinnati
Ken Anderson 11/26 179yds 1TD 1Int
Archie Griffin 12car/29yds
Isaac Curtis 11tt/7rec/118yds 1TD 1Fumble
Tommy Casanova 6 tackles 1 knockdown
Bo Harris 5 tackles 1 sack 2 knockdowns
Danny Johnson 10 tackles

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

Both of these teams struggled last season.  Cincinnati struggled to find their leader on offense, Pittsburgh struggled just to be competitive at times.  From the outside it looks like both teams need major overhauls, but maybe not.  They each had their moments last season and maybe with the few tweaks made things will change.  The Steelers have the biggest potential change with their number one, Lawrence Taylor, being given reign over the defense.  If he's as good as everyone anticipates he may change their fortunes.   

Minnesota 3 at Tampa Bay 19

On their 2nd play from scrimmage, Steve Spurrier hit John McKay for 55yds, setting up a 5yd Charles Alexander touchdown and starting off an easy win for the Bucs. It was not such a good start for the Vikings who looked pretty good, but made critical errors and gave up big plays getting none of their own. 

Tampa Bay
Steve Spurrier 12/22 185yds 1TD 1Int
Charles Alexander 21car/45yds 1TD
John McKay 6tt/4rec/86yds 1TD
Richard Wood 3 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown 1 safety
Clay Matthews 11 tackles

Minnesota
Mike Rieker 15/32 165yds
Chuck Foreman 11car/59yds
Terry Egerdahl 5tt/4rec/60yds 1Fumble
Jeff Siemon 2 tackles 3 knockdowns 1Int

Minnesota at Tampa Bay

For the past few seasons Tampa Bay seemed to be on the verge of breaking through, the way the Packers did last season, but so far their improved play hasn't netted them a lot of wins.  It did, howerver, net them the number one pick in the draft wher they took Rich Campbell a quarterback out of California.  Everyone knows they have been needing a quarterback, not everyone is sure a rookie is the answer to turning things around.  As things stand right now Steve Spurrier, in his 15th season, still has the starting job.  While everyone was looking for the Bucs to surge in 1980, everyone was looking for the Vikings to collapse.  But they still fought for a playoff spot, and now many are starting to wonder if they'll be able to rebuild while never truly falling to the bottom.  They are turning to 4th year Mike Rieker at quarterback, which is a big enough change, but it's their defense that seems fairly young all of a sudden.  How well their young guys do on defense will probably determine how well the Vikings are able to bounce back and compete once again for the Division title. 

Post-camp transactions

Tampa Bay
---------
Released Gary Dunn, DT
Released Randy Coffield, LB
Acquired Robbie Martin, WR, rookie from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
Acquired Glen Titensor, G, rookie from Brigham Young

Oakland
-------
Released Bob Gagliano, QB
Released Randy McMillan, FB, second-round draft choice
Released Dean Miraldi, T, third-round draft choice
Acquired Scot Brantley, LB, on waivers from Colts
Acquired Cody Jones, DT, on waivers from 49ers
Acquired Larry Lee, G, rookie from UCLA

Seattle
-------
Released Scott Pelluer, LB, Seahawks' third-round draft choice
Acquired Donnell Thompson, DE, Chargers' first-round draft choice

Denver
------
Released Craig Penrose, QB
Released Ron Lee, FB
Acquired Mickey Shuler, TE, on waivers from 49ers
Acquired Joe Moreino, DE, on waivers from Dolphins

Minnesota
---------
Released Dan Pesnick, DT
Acquired John Swain, CB, rookie from Miami (Florida)

Atlanta
-------
Released Tom Flick, QB, first-round draft choice
Released Tony Collins, HB, second-round draft choice
Acquired Gary Dunn, DT, on waivers from Buccaneers
Acquired Eric Sanders, C, rookie from Nevada-Reno

Chicago
-------
Released Darryl Jenkins, HB
Released Steve Kiner, LB
Released Jeff Griffin, S, third-round draft choice
Acquired Jim Stuckey, DE, on waivers from Eagles
Acquired Leslie Frazier, CB, rookie from Alcorn State

Cincinnati
----------
Released Steve Fuller, QB
Released David Overstreet, HB, first-round draft choice
Acquired Bobby Kemp, CB, rookie from Cal State-Fullerton
Acquired John Goodman, DE, on waivers from Eagles

New YorkAFC
-----------
Released Mark Reed, QB, third-round draft choice
Released Rickey Anderson, HB
Released Rich Caster, TE
Acquired Kirk Springs, CB, rookie from Miami (Ohio)
Acquired Rulon Jones, DE, on waivers from Eagles
Acquired Dan Pesnick, DT, on waivers from Vikings

Philadelphia
------------
Released Bill Troup, QB
Released Jim Stuckey, DE
Released John Goodman, DE
Released Rulon Jones, DE
Acquired Bobby Jackson, CB, on waivers from Bengals
Acquired Ron Wooten, G, rookie from North Carolina
Acquired Frank Giddens, T, rookie from New Mexico
Acquired Dwayne Crump, CB, on waivers from Cardinals

St. Louis
---------
Released Billy Donckers, QB
Released Joe Senser, TE
Released Larry Brown, TE
Acquired Jeff Griffin, S, Bears' third-round draft choice
Acquired Irvin Phillips, S, Dolphins' third-round draft choice
Acquired Perry Harrington, FB, on waivers from Saints

Buffalo
-------
Released Richard Turner, DT, second-round draft choice
Acquired Steve Alvers, C, rookie from Taft

San Diego
---------
Released Donnell Thompson, DE, Chargers' first-round draft choice
Acquired Bob Ferrell, FB, on waivers from Saints

Kansas City
-----------
Released Sidney Thornton, HB
Released Will Harrell, HB
Released Jack Novak, TE
Released Don Blackmon, LB, Chiefs' third-round draft choice
Acquired Mark May, G, Saints' first-round draft choice
Acquired Frank Case, DE, rookie from Penn State
Acquired Bill Neill, DT, 49ers' second-round draft choice
Acquired John Scully, G, rookie from Notre Dame

New Orleans
-----------
Released Bob Ferrell, FB
Released Perry Harrington, FB
Released Mark May, G, Saints' first-round draft choice
Acquired Frank Wattelet, CB, rookie from Kansas
Acquired Keith Krepfle, TE, on waivers from 49ers
Acquired Horace Perkins, CB, on waivers from Colts

Detroit
-------
Released Andra Franklin, FB, Lions' third-round draft choice
Acquired Bill Troup, QB, on waivers from Eagles

Green Bay
---------
Released Troy Archer, DE
Acquired Tim Huffman, G, rookie from Notre Dame
Acquired David Overstreet, HB, Bengals' first-round draft choice

New England
-----------
Released Mike Ford, QB, Patriots' third-round draft choice
Released James Brooks, HB, Patriots' first-round draft choice
Acquired Dean Miraldi, T, Raiders' third-round draft choice
Acquired Richard Turner, DT, Bills' second-round draft choice

San Francisco
-------------
Released Mickey Shuler, TE
Released Keith Krepfle, TE
Released Chuck Bradley, TE
Released Bill Neill, DT, 49ers' second-round draft choice
Acquired Rickey Anderson, HB, on waivers from Jets
Acquired Craig Penrose, QB, on waivers from Broncos
Acquired Randy McMillan, FB, Raiders' second-round draft choice
Acquired John Choma, G, rookie from Virginia

Washington
----------
Released James Wilder, HB, Redskins' first-round draft choice
Released Jarvis Redwine, HB, Redksins' second-round draft choice
Acquired Troy Archer, DE, on waivers from Packers
Acquired Darryl Grant, C, rookie from Rice

Houston
-------
Released Rusty Lisch, QB
Released Whip Walton, LB
Acquired Ron Lee, FB, on waivers from Broncos
Acquired Les Studdard, C, rookie from Texas

Los Angeles
-----------
Released Eric Hipple, QB
Released David Hughes, FB, Rams' second-round draft choice
Acquired Billy Ard, G, rookie from Wake Forest
Acquired Edwin Bailey, G, rookie from South Carolina State

Miami
-----
Released Joe Moreino, DE
Released Larry Gordon, LB
Released Irvin Phillips, S, Dolphins' third-round draft choice
Acquired Gordon Jolley, T, on waivers from Buccaneers
Acquired Odis McKinney, CB, on waivers from Raiders
Acquired Tim Irwin, T, rookie from Tennessee

 

New York Giants
-----
Released Monroe Eley, FB
Released Bob Schmitt, LB
Acquired James Wilder, HB, Redskins' first-round draft choice
Acquired Jeff Schuh, LB, rookie from Minnesota

 

Dallas
-----
Released Henry Laws, CB
Released Percy Howard, WR
Acquired Everson Walls, rookie from Grambling State
Acquired Don Smerek, rookie from Nevada-Reno

 

Cleveland
-----
Released Steve Holden, WR
Released Gerald Irons, LB
Acquired Willie Tullis, CB, rookie from Troy State
Acquired Glen Redd, rookie from Brigham Young

 

Baltimore
-----
Released Mario Cage, FB
Released Freddie Scott, WR
Acquired James Brooks, HB, Patriots' first-round draft choice
Acquired Todd Christensen, TE, on waivers from Lions

 

 

 

On to NFL81 training camp

Buccaneers, 3-13, fifth in NFC Central

 

Draftees: 1 QB Rich Campbell, California; 29 T Keith Van Horne, Southern California; 57 TE Hoby Brenner, Southern California

 

Other key signee: WR Ed Marshall, Giants

 

 

Steelers, 4-12, fourth in AFC Central

 

Retiree: LB Jimmy Gunn

 

Trade: C Ted Peterson to Giants for T Mike Gibbons

 

Draftees: 2 LB Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina; 30 LB Jim Collins, Syracuse; 58 LB Al Washington, Ohio State

 

 

Browns, 4-12, third in AFC Central

 

Retirees: QB Dan Manucci, CB Clarence Scott, CB Ron Bolton, S Thom Darden, DE Bob Bell

 

Trades: QB Brian Sipe to Seattle for QB Bobby Sessions, C Brian Murray to San Francisco for HB Tony Reed

 

Draftees: 3 QB Neil Lomax, Portland State; 31 CB Hanford Dixon, Southern Mississippi; 59 S/CB Eric Wright, Missouri

 

Other key signees: LB Bryan Hinkle, Oregon; G/T Russ Grimm, Pittsburgh, K Rex Robinson, Georgia; DT Dave Pear, Buccaneers; LB Eddie Johnson, Louisville

 

 

Raiders, 6-10, fifth in AFC West

 

Retirees: S Gary Woolford, WR Mike Siani, DT Horace Jones, LB Steve Zabel, CB Skip Thomas

 

Trade: HB Charles White to Dallas for WR Glenn Starks

 

Draftees: 4 HB George Rogers, South Carolina; 32 FB Randy McMillan, Pittsburgh; 60 T Dean Miraldi, Utah

 

Other key signees: S Ray Oldham, Lions; QB Bob Gagliano, Utah State; LB Charlie Hall, Browns; CB Mike Nelms, Bills

 

 

Seahawks, 6-10, fourth in AFC West

 

Trade: QB Bobby Sessions to Cleveland for QB Brian Sipe

 

Draftees: 5 DT John Harty, Iowa; 33 LB Robin Sendlein, Texas; 61 LB Scott Pelluer, Washington

 

 

Broncos, 6-10, third in AFC West

 

Retiree: WR Haven Moses

 

Trade: HB Earl Campbell and P Leroy Clark to Dallas for QB/P Danny White

 

Draftees: 6 HB Freeman McNeil, UCLA; 34 WR David Verser, Kansas; 62 WR Mark Nicholls, San Jose State

 

Other key signee: WR Ricky Feacher, Browns

 

 

Vikings, 6-10, fourth in NFC Central

 

Retirees: DT Alan Page, FB Bob Groce, CB Tom Myers, S Chuck Crist

 

Draftees: 7 DT Ben Rudolph, Long Beach State; 35 DT Greg Meisner, Oklahoma; 63 S Chris Williams, Louisiana State

 

Other key signee: CB Mark Washington, Cowboys

 

 

Falcons, 6-9-1, fifth in NFC West

 

Retirees: C Jeff Van Note, S Ray Brown, S Ray Easterling, DT Mike Lewis

 

Draftees: 8 QB Tom Flick, Washington; 36 HB Tony Collins, East Carolina; 64 DE Frank Warren, Auburn

 

Other key signee: S Randy Hughes, Browns

 

 

Colts, 7-9, fifth in AFC East

 

Retirees: C Lee Gross, S Jackie Wallace, WR Glenn Doughty, CB Bruce Laird, HB Don McCauley

 

Trades: WR Don Westbrook to Washington for C Randy Clark, WR Freddie Solomon to New Orleans for WR Mike Friede, FB Roosevelt Leaks to Kansas City for G Steve Knutson

 

Draftees: 9 QB Brad Wright, New Mexico; 37 T Brian Holloway, Stanford; 65 G Curt Marsh, Washington

 

Other key signees: S Lloyd Burrus, Maryland; DE Cleveland Crosby, Bengals; DE Dexter Manley, Oklahoma State; S Todd Bell, Ohio State; S Johnnie Poe, Missouri; LB Dave Ahrens, Wisconsin; DE Jeff Merrow, Broncos; DT Gary Don Roberts, Seahawks; CB William Judson, South Carolina State

 

 

Bears, 7-9, third in NFC Central

 

Retirees: CB Mark Burke, DT Ron Rydalch, T Jeff Sevy

 

Draftees: 10 LB E.J. Junior, Alabama; 38 CB Bobby Butler, Florida State; 66 S Jeff Griffin, Utah

 

 

Bengals, 7-9, second in AFC Central

 

Retirees: TE Bob Trumpy, C Bob Johnson, DE Ken Johnson, CB Bernard Jackson

 

Draftees: 11 HB David Overstreet, Oklahoma; 39 TE Gary Lewis, Texas-Arlington; 67 WR Cris Collinsworth, Florida

 

Other key signee: DE Ken E. Johnson, Seahawks

 

 

Jets, 8-8, third in AFC East, playoffs participants

 

Retirees: QB Joe Namath, C Wayne Mulligan, WR Jerome Barkum, LB John Ebersole, DT Bob Pollard

 

Draftees: 12 TE Willie Scott, South Carolina; 40 QB Mark Herrmann, Purdue; 68 QB Mark Reed, Morehead State (Minnesota)

 

Other key signees: HB Larry Poole, Browns; LB Dan Lloyd, Giants; LB Dewey McClain, Colts

 

 

Eagles, 8-8, fifth in NFC East

 

Retirees: S Artimus Parker, CB Larry Marshall, S John Outlaw, WR Harold Carmichael, CB Al Clark, G Wade Key

 

Draftees: 13 CB Ted Watts, Texas Tech; 41 S Dennis Smith, Southern California; S Carlton Williamson, Pittsburgh

 

Other key signees: QB Bill Troup, Colts; WR Marshall Johnson, Colts; TE Pete Holohan, Notre Dame

 

 

Giants, 8-8, fourth in NFC East

 

Retirees: QB Craig Morton, FB Marsh White, DT Jim Pietzrak, LB Pat Hughes

 

Trades: HB Tony Dorsett to New Orleans for HB Chuck Muncie, WR Ray Rhodes to Detroit for QB Joe Reed, T Mike Gibbons to Pittsburgh for C Ted Peterson, S Fred Cooper to New England for CB Bob Young

 

Draftees: 14 DT Robert Geathers, South Carolina State; 42 C Rick Donnalley, North Carolina; 70 CB/S Anthony Washington, Fresno State

 

Other key signees: FB Monroe Eley, Lions; LB Byron Hunt, Southern Methodist; HB Stump Mitchell, The Citadel

 

 

Cardinals, 8-8, third in NFC East

 

Retirees: G Bob Young, FB Wayne Morris, S Marty Akins, S Jeff Severson, FB Larry Schreiber

 

Draftees: 15 TE Dave Young, Purdue; 43 TE Clay Brown, Brigham Young; 71 WR Mardye McDole, Mississippi State

 

Other key signees: QB Mike Phipps, Browns; CB Beasley Reece, Cowboys; CB Estus Hood, Colts

 

 

Bills, 8-8, fourth in AFC East

 

Retirees: C Mike Montler, T Dave Foley

 

Draftees: 16 DE Keith Gary, Oklahoma; 44 DT Richard Turner, Oklahoma; 72 WR Byron Franklin, Auburn

 

 

Cowboys, 8-7-1, second in NFC East

 

Retirees: G Blaine Nye, S Cliff Harris, TE Jim Mandich, S Benny Barnes, CB Craig Clemons, DT Bill Gregory

 

Trades: QB/P Danny White to Denver for HB Earl Campbell and P Leroy Clark, WR Glenn Starks to Oakland for HB Charles White

 

Draftees: 17 S Kenny Easley, UCLA; 45 S Russell Gary, Nebraska; 73 LB Guy Frazier, Wyoming

 

Other key signees: C Dwight Stephenson, Chargers; WR Ron Fellows, Missouri; DE Bob Simpson, Seahawks; LB David Little, Florida; G Craig Wolfley, Lions; QB Rick Trocano, Pittsburgh; LB Avon Riley, UCLA

 

 

Chargers, 9-7, second in AFC West, playoffs participants

 

Retiree: WR Charlie Joiner

 

Draftees: 18 DE Donnell Thompson, North Carolina; 46 TE Marvin Harvey, Southern Mississippi; 74 WR Doug Donley, Ohio State

 

 

Chiefs, 9-7, first in AFC West, playoffs participants

 

Retirees: FB MacArthur Lane, CB Kerry Reardon, DE Wilbur Young

 

Trade: G Steve Knutson to Baltimore for FB Roosevelt Leaks

 

Draftees: 19 LB Hugh Green, Pittsburgh; 47 DT Johnny Robinson, Louisiana Tech; 75 LB Don Blackmon, Tulsa

 

Other key signee: QB Fred Besana, Buccaneers

 

 

Saints, 10-5-1, second in NFC West, playoffs participants

 

Retirees: WR Don Herrmann, CB Ernie Jackson, QB Bobby Douglass

 

Trades: WR Mike Friede to Baltimore for WR Freddie Solomon, HB Chuck Muncie to Giants for HB Tony Dorsett

 

Draftees: 20 G Mark May, Pittsburgh; 48 T Leonard Mitchell, Houston; 76 QB Wade Wilson, Texas A&M-Commerce

 

 

Lions, 9-6-1, second in NFC Central, playoffs participants

 

Retiree: QB Ed Luther

 

Trade: QB Joe Reed to Giants for WR Ray Rhodes

 

Draftees: 21 S Ronnie Lott, Southern California; 49 FB Booker Moore, Penn State; 77 FB Andra Franklin, Nebraska

 

 

Packers, 9-6-1, first in NFC Central, playoffs participants

 

Retirees: G Gale Gillingham, TE Charlie Sanders, HB I.M. Hipp, C Larry McCarren, DE Clarence Williams, FB John Brockington, LB Jim Carter

 

Draftees: 22 DE Curtis Green, Alabama State; 50 LB Rickey Jackson, Pittsburgh; 78 LB Derrie Nelson, Nebraska

 

Other key signees: TE Pat Curran, Chargers; WR Charlie Brown, South Carolina State; WR Mike Wilson, Washington State

 

 

Patriots, 10-6, second in AFC East, playoffs participants

 

Retirees: T Leon Gray, DT John Grant, DE Tony McGee, C Bill Lenkaitis, T Bob McKay

 

Trade: CB Bob Young to Giants for S Fred Cooper

 

Draftees: 23 HB James Brooks, Auburn; 51 FB Marvin Barber, Minnesota; 79 QB Mike Ford, Southern Methodist

 

Other key signees: WR Ken Margerum, Stanford; LB Charles McShane, Cowboys

 

 

49ers, 10-5-1, second in NFC West, playoffs participants

 

Retirees: HB Tony Nathan, G Andy Mauer, QB Marty Domres

 

Trade: HB Tony Reed to Cleveland for C Brian Murray

 

Draftees: 24 DE Howie Long, Villanova; 52 DT Bill Neill, Pittsburgh; 80 DE Robert Cobb, Arizona

 

 

Redskins, 11-5, first in NFC East, NFC runners-up

 

Retirees: LB Rusty Tillman, LB Carl Gersbach

 

Trade: C Randy Clark to Baltimore for WR Don Westbrook

 

Draftees: 25 HB James Wilder, Missouri; 53 HB Jarvis Redwine, Nebraska; 81 LB John Gillen, Illinois

 

 

Oilers, 13-3, first in AFC Central, AFC runners-up

 

Retirees: T Stan Brock, LB Robert Brazile, C Ron Lou, DT John Little, FB Fred Willis

 

Draftees: 26 LB Mel Owens, Michigan; 54 DT Jerry Boyarsky, Pittsburgh; 82 DT Pete Kugler, Penn State

 

Other key signee: QB Rusty Lisch, Chiefs

 

 

Rams, 11-5, first in NFC West, NFC champs and NFL80 runners-up

 

Retirees: G Tom Mack, WR Ron Jessie, S Dave Elmendorf, LB Jack Reynolds

 

Draftees: 27 HB Joe Delaney, Northwest State (Louisiana); 55 FB David Hughes, Boise State; 83 T Randy Van Divier, Washington

 

 

Dolphins, 11-4-1, first in AFC East, AFC and NFL80 champs

 

Retirees: DE Mack Mitchell, LB Greg Collins, LB Bob Matheson, T Wayne Moore, CB Charlie Babb, FB Don Nottingham

 

Draftees: 28 LB Mike Singletary, Baylor;  56 LB Lyman White, Louisiana State; S Irvin Phillips, Arkansas Tech

 

Other key signees: WR Malcolm Barnwell, Buccaneers; WR Jim C. Jensen, Boston