The 1981 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 21st in the National Football League, their 15th under head coach Bud Grant, and their final season at Metropolitan Stadium. They finished with a 7–9 record, and missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The Vikings attempted 709 passes in 1981 (44.3 per game), a league record that stood for 30 years until it was broken by the 2012 Detroit Lions.

Offseason

1981 draft

Notes

Roster

Preseason

Regular season

After opening the season with back-to-back losses, the Vikings ran off five straight wins and sat near the top of the NFC at midseason. After splitting their next four games, the Vikings were 7–4 and poised for a playoff run—however, they lost their last five games to close out the year. The Vikings were led by quarterback Tommy Kramer, who enjoyed the most productive season of his career, throwing for 3,912 yards and 26 touchdowns. However, Kramer also threw 24 interceptions in 1981. The Vikings set an NFL record for pass attempts with 709. A trio of offensive standouts paced the Vikings in 1981 at the skill positions. Running back Ted Brown was the team's main ball carrier, rushing for 1,063 yards, and also came in third in the NFL with 83 pass receptions; he scored eight touchdowns. Veteran wide receiver Sammy White also eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career (1,001) and tight end Joe Senser, who would later become a color analyst on radio for the Vikings, logged 1,004 yards receiving with eight touchdowns; Senser went to the Pro Bowl for the 1981 season.

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 2: vs Oakland Raiders

Week 3: vs Detroit Lions

Week 6: at San Diego Chargers

Week 7: vs Philadelphia Eagles

Week 9: at Denver Broncos

Week 10: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 11: vs New Orleans Saints

Week 16: vs Kansas City Chiefs

Standings

Statistics

Team leaders

League rankings