1980–81 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 1980 season began on December 28, 1980. The postseason tournament concluded with the Oakland Raiders defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV, 27–10, on January 25, 1981, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Participants
Bracket
Schedule
In the United States, CBS televised the NFC playoff games, while NBC broadcast the AFC games and Super Bowl XV.Wild card playoffs
Sunday, December 28, 1980
NFC: Dallas Cowboys 34, Los Angeles Rams 13
The Cowboys avenged both a 38–14 loss to the Rams two weeks earlier, and their upset defeat in the previous year's NFC Divisional playoff as Dallas running back Tony Dorsett rushed for 160 yards, caught three passes for 28 yards, and scored two touchdowns to lead his team to victory.A 14-yard punt return by Dallas running back James Jones set up kicker Rafael Septién's 28-yard field goal to give the Cowboys a 3-0 lead. The Rams responded by driving 73 yards to score on running back Jewerl Thomas' 1-yard run. However, the ensuing extra point was blocked and Septién later made a 29-yard field goal to tie the game at 6.
In the second quarter, Los Angeles drove 80 yards in six plays to score on Vince Ferragamo's 21-yard touchdown pass to receiver Preston Dennard, who finished the game with six receptions for 117 yards, but the Cowboys tied the game before halftime by moving the ball 71 yards on a drive that ended with Dorsett's 12-yard rushing touchdown.
After the game was tied at halftime, 13–13, Dallas coach Tom Landry went to a 5-man defensive front and they dropped various combinations into seven and eight man coverage to confuse the Rams potent passing game. The result was a combination of pressure on Ferragamo, who completed just five of 13 second half passes for 49 yards and was intercepted three times.
Danny White threw touchdown passes on Dallas' first three drives of the second half. His 37-yard completion to tight end Jay Saldi set up a score on a 10-yard pass to Dorsett, who caught the ball at the 7 and dragged Rams defenders Johnnie Johnson and Rod Perry all the way into the end zone. Then Cowboys corner Aaron Mitchell picked off a pass from Ferragamo and returned it 12 yards, setting off a 70-yard Dallas drive that ended with White's 35-yard touchdown completion to Butch Johnson. Now with a comfortable lead, Dallas put the game away early in the fourth quarter, driving 95 yards, including a 23-yard burst by Dorsett, to go up 34-13 on White's 11-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson.
Dallas then turned to a potent rushing attack to chew up time and keep the Rams offense off the field. By the end of the game, Dallas rushed 46 times for a franchise playoff record 338 yards, while also setting a franchise record for total yards with 528 and holding the Rams to 260. Jones finished the game with three kickoff returns for 72 yards, five punt returns for 81 yards, and another 38 yards on five carries.
This was the sixth postseason meeting between the Rams and Cowboys. Dallas previously won three of the five meetings.
| Dallas leads 3–2 in all-time playoff games |
AFC: Oakland Raiders 27, Houston Oilers 7
Even though the Oilers recorded more yards, more first downs, and more time of possession, the Raiders scored on big plays to win 27–7. This game was notable in that the Oilers starting quarterback was Ken Stabler, who had spent 10 years as Oakland's quarterback before he was traded to Houston prior to this season. Houston's offense also featured future hall of fame tight end Dave Casper, who had played for Oakland since 1974 until he was traded to the Oilers in week 6.Houston running back Earl Campbell lost a fumble on the first play of the game, which was recovered by Oakland safety Mike Davis, setting up Oakland kicker Chris Bahr's 47-yard field goal. After several more possessions, Stabler's 22-yard pass to Ronnie Coleman and a 15-yard run by Campbell got the Oilers moving on a 55-yard, 9-play drive that ended with Campbell's 1-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett completed a 37-yard pass to running back Kenny King before finishing the 59-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Todd Christensen, giving the Raiders a 10-7 lead which they took into halftime.
Houston mounted a scoring threat in the third quarter, but Raiders cornerback Lester Hayes intercepted Stabler in the end zone. Neither team would score again until the fourth quarter, when Oakland moved the ball 80 yards in four plays, with Plunkett completing a 33-yard pass to Cliff Branch before finding Arthur Whittington in the end zone for a 44-yard score. Later on, his 21-yard completion to running back Mark van Eeghen sparked a 55-yard drive that set up Bahr's 37-yard field goal. With about six minutes left in the game, Hayes returned an interception 20 yards to the end zone to clinch the Raiders' victory. This would the last playoff game Oakland would host until 2000.
Stabler threw for 243 yards, but was intercepted twice and sacked seven times. Campbell rushed for 91 yards and a score. Hayes had two interceptions, three pass deflections, and two sacks.
After the game, Oilers linebacker Thomas Henderson was so upset he threw several pieces of his equipment into the stands, including his shoes. "If I wouldn't have been arrested for indecent exposure, I would have thrown them my jock strap", he said later.
This was the third postseason meeting between the Oilers and Raiders. Oakland won both previous meetings back when both teams were in the AFL.
| Oakland leads 2–0 in all-time playoff games |
Divisional playoffs
Saturday, January 3, 1981
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Minnesota Vikings 16
The Eagles forced eight turnovers, seven in the second half, en route to a 31–16 victory, while also holding the Vikings to just 215 total yards, with a mere 36 on the ground. It marked a bitter repeat for Minnesota, who had lost to the Eagles 42-7 during the regular season.The Vikings scored 14 unanswered points in the first half, starting with wide receiver Sammy White's 30-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Tommy Kramer. Then after a punt, they drove 69 yards in 10 plays to score on running back Ted Brown's 1-yard touchdown run. However, Philadelphia scored before halftime by finishing off an 85-yard drive with quarterback Ron Jaworski's 9-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Harold Carmichael. The Eagles then tied the game on the opening possession of the second half with Wilbert Montgomery's 8-yard touchdown run.
Then the wave of turnovers began. First, Kramer threw a pass that was intercepted by Roynell Young on the Eagles 7-yard line. Minnesota then scored a safety when Jaworski was sacked in the end zone by Matt Blair and Doug Martin, but Reggie Wilkes recovered a fumbled punt return by Vikings running back Eddie Payton on the Minnesota 18 that set up Montgomery's 5-yard touchdown run, putting the Eagles up 21-16. With 16 seconds left in the third quarter, Eagles defensive end Carl Hairston forced a recovered a fumble from Kramer on the Vikings 44-yard line. But this opportunity was wasted as Montgomery fumbled the ball back to Minnesota on the next play.
Early in the fourth quarter, Ken Clarke of the Eagles recovered a fumble from Doug Paschal, which was soon countered by Jaworski's interception to John Turner. A few plays later, Herm Edwards intercepted a pass from Kramer, only to see this later nullified by Jaworski's interception to Tom Hannon. With 9:16 left in regulation, Eagles linebacker Frank LeMaster returned an interception from Kramer seven yards to the Vikings 15, leading to Tony Franklin's 33-yard field goal to increase the Eagles lead to 24-16. Then on the Vikings next drive, Edwards intercepted another pass and returned it 14 yards to the Minnesota 31, leading to Perry Harrington's 1-yard rushing touchdown to make the final score 31-16. On the last play of the game, Young intercepted a pass from Kramer in the end zone.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Vikings and Eagles.
AFC: San Diego Chargers 20, Buffalo Bills 14
Although San Diego outgained Buffalo in total yards, 397 to 244, they still found themselves trailing for most of the game. With 2:08 left in the fourth quarter, Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts threw the game-winning 50-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ron Smith to defeat the Bills, 20–14. This was San Diego's first postseason win since 1963 and their first playoff win as an NFL team.San Diego scored first with a 22-yard field goal by Rolf Benirschke on their opening drive. But the Bills stormed back with two unanswered touchdowns. First they responded to the field goal by driving 72 yards, aided by a 37-yard pass interference penalty on linebacker Ray Preston, to score on Roosevelt Leaks' 1-yard touchdown run. Late in the second quarter, Charles Romes forced a fumble from Charlie Joiner that defensive back Bill Simpson recovered for Buffalo on the Chargers 33-yard line. The Bills then drove to a 14-3 lead in four plays, as Joe Ferguson completed an 18-yard pass to Frank Lewis and then found him in the end zone for a 9-yard score.
However, San Diego took the second half kickoff and quickly racked up yardage with an 18-yard run by Chuck Muncie and a 45-yard completion from Fouts to Joiner. Fouts eventually finished the 70-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Joiner, making the score 14-10. Then late in the third quarter, the Chargers forced the Bills to punt from their own 8-yard line and got the ball with great field position on the Buffalo 49. Fouts then led the team to the 1, but a penalty pushed them back and they ended up settling for Rolf Benirschke's 22-yard field goal to make it 14–13.
Buffalo had a great chance to put the game away when Lou Piccone blocked a Chargers punt that was recovered by linebacker Ervin Parker on the San Diego 38. But safety Glen Edwards intercepted a pass from Ferguson on the San Diego 9-yard line to keep the Bills from scoring. With 6:17 left in regulation, Buffalo got another chance to get a decisive score when they recovered a fumbled punt return from Mike Fuller. But two plays later, defensive tackle Fred Dean dropped Joe Cribbs for a 1-yard loss on third and 1, and then Nick Mike-Mayer missed a 49-yard field goal attempt, giving the ball back to San Diego with 3:59 left.
After driving to midfield, the Chargers faced third and 10 with 2:08 remaining. Buffalo sent safety Steve Freeman on a blitz for the next play, leaving Smith, San Diego's No. 3 receiver, one on one with Simpson. Earlier in the game, Simpson had knocked the ball out of Smith's hands during a catch attempt and then picked it off in mid air. But this time, Smith managed to get one step ahead of Simpson, make the catch, and evade his desperate diving tackle attempt, leaving Simpson face down on the turf as he raced 50 yards for a touchdown. Edwards sealed the victory for the Chargers after the ensuing kickoff by recording his second interception from Ferguson with 1:16 left in the game.
After the game, it was revealed that Ferguson had been playing with a fractured ankle, suffered three weeks earlier in a game against the New England Patriots. He finished the day with 180 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted three times. Fouts threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. His top target was receiver John Jefferson, who caught seven passes for 102 yards. Prior to this game, Ron Smith had caught only 7 passes during the season, and his 50-yard game winning score was his only catch of the game.
This was the third postseason meeting between the Bills and Chargers. Buffalo won both prior meetings when both teams resided in the AFL.
| Buffalo leads 2–0 in all-time playoff games |