January 3, 1981
AFC: San Diego Chargers 20, Buffalo Bills 14
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- Scoring
- SD - field goal Benirschke 22 SD 3-0
- BUF - Leaks 1 run (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 3-7
- BUF - Lewis 9 pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 3-14
- SD - Joiner 9 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) BUF 10-14
- SD - field goal Benirschke 22 BUF 13-14
- SD - Smith 50 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) SD 20-14
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With 2:08 left in the game, Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts threw the 50-yard winning touchdown pass to receiver Ron Smith to defeat the Bills, 20-14. Buffalo jumped to a 14-3 halftime lead with running back Roosevelt Leaks' 1-yard touchdown run and quarterback Joe Ferguson's 9-yard pass to Frank Lewis. However, San Diego took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 70 yards to score on quarterback Dan Fouts' 9-yard touchdown completion to Charlie Joiner. Then early in the fourth quarter, the Chargers added a field goal to make it 14-13. San Diego took over at their own 31-yard line with less than 4 minutes remaining, but Buffalo cornerback Charles Romes almost intercepted Fouts on the play before the winning touchdown. 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.
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Minnesota Vikings 16
| Game information |
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- Scoring
- MIN - White 30 pass from Kramer (Danmeier kick) MIN 7-0
- MIN - Brown 1 run (Danmeier kick) MIN 14-0
- PHI - Carmichael 9 pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) MIN 14-7
- PHI - Montgomery 8 run (Franklin kick) 14-14
- MIN - Safety, Jaworski tackled in end zone by Blair and Martin MIN 16-14
- PHI - Montgomery 5 run (Franklin kick) PHI 21-16
- PHI - field goal Franklin 33 PHI 24-16
- PHI - Harrington 2 run (Franklin kick) PHI 31-16
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The Eagles forced 8 turnovers in the second half en route to a 31-16 victory. The Vikings scored 14 unanswered points in the first half with wide receiver Sammy White's 30-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Tommy Kramer and 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. Minnesota scored a safety when Jaworski was sacked in the end zone, but Montgomery then scored on a 5-yard rushing touchdown. Then the Vikings lost two fumbles, which led to 10 points for the Eagles, and Kramer threw interceptions on each of his team's final 4 drives.
January 4, 1981
AFC: Oakland Raiders 14, Cleveland Browns 12
| Game information |
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- Scoring
- CLE - Bolton 42 interception return (kick blocked) CLE 6-0
- OAK - van Eeghen 1 run (Bahr kick) OAK 7-6
- CLE - field goal Cockroft 30 CLE 9-7
- CLE - field goal Cockroft 30 CLE 12-7
- OAK - van Eeghen 1 run (Bahr kick) OAK 14-12
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In a play that has become to be known as Red Right 88, Browns quarterback Brian Sipe's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Raiders safety Mike Davis with 41 seconds left in the game to preserve Oakland's 14-12 victory. Instead of opting for a game winning field goal, Cleveland decided to attempt a passing play because Browns kicker Don Cockroft had previously missed two of four field goal attempts, had another aborted following a bad snap, and had one extra point blocked. In addition, the field was frozen and slippery.
With the game-time temperature at 4 °F (−16 °C), the coldest NFL game since the Ice Bowl of December 31, 1967, Cleveland scored first when Ron Bolton returned an interception 42 yards to the end zone. However, Cockroft's ensuing extra point was blocked by Ted Hendricks and the Raiders responded by driving 64 yards to score on a 1 yard touchdown run by Mark van Eeghen. Cockroft made two field goals in the third quarter, but in the fourth period, Oakland marched 80 yards to score on van Eeghen's second touchdown.
The quarterbacks of both teams were completely dominated throughout the game. Sipe was held to just 13 of 40 completions for 183 yards and intercepted 3 times, while Oakland's Jim Plunkett completed only 14 of 30 passes for 149 yards, with 2 interceptions.
NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, Atlanta Falcons 27
| Game information |
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- Scoring
- ATL - field goal Mazzetti 38 ATL 3-0
- ATL - Jenkins 60 pass from Bartkowski (Mazzetti kick) ATL 10-0
- DAL - field goal Septien 38 ATL 10-3
- DAL - DuPree 5 pass from White (Septien kick) 10-10
- ATL - Cain 1 run (Mazzetti kick) ATL 17-10
- ATL - Andrews 12 pass from Bartkowski (Mazzetti kick) ATL 24-10
- DAL - Newhouse 1 run (Septien kick) ATL 24-17
- ATL - field goal Mazzetti 34 ATL 27-17
- DAL - Pearson 14 pass from White (Septien kick) ATL 27-24
- DAL - Pearson 23 pass from White (kick failed) DAL 30-27
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The Cowboys scored 3 touchdowns in the fourth quarter to come from behind and defeat the Falcons 30-27. Atlanta jumped to a 10-3 lead, aided by quarterback Steve Bartkowski's 60-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Alfred Jenkins. In the second quarter, Dallas recovered a fumble in Atlanta territory and tied the game quarterback Danny White's 5-yard touchdown completion to tight end Billy Joe Dupree. However, the Falcons responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Lynn Cain to take a 17-10 lead. Then after forcing a punt, Atlanta mounted another drive into Dallas territory, but defensive back Steve Wilson intercepted a pass from Bartkowski and the score remained 17-10 at halftime.
Dallas started out the second half with a drive to midfield, but lost the ball on a play that initially appeared to go in their favor. Running back Preston Pearson caught a short pass from Danny White and took off for a big gain, but linebacker Joel Williams, who initially pressured White into making the pass, managed to chase Pearson down and force a fumble on the 15-yard line. After recovering the fumble, Atlanta stormed down the field and increased their lead to 24-10 with Bartkowski's 12-yard touchdown pass to running back William Andrews.
Starting a drive with 3:38 left in the third quarter, Dallas mounted an 85-yard drive that ended with Robert Newhouse's 1-yard touchdown run with 13:50 left in the game. Dallas subsequently forced a punt, but Atlanta safety Tom Pridemore intercepted a pass from White and returned it 22 yards to the Cowboys 37-yard line, setting up an Atlanta field goal to increase the lead 27-17. Dallas then marched 62 yards to score on Drew Pearson's 14-yard touchdown reception with 3:04 left in the game. Then two plays after ensuing the kickoff, Dallas lineman Ed "Too Tall" Jones appeared to jump offsides, which would have given the Falcons a first down, but managed to maintain his footing and avoid crossing the line of scrimmage before the snap. As a result, his sudden movement threw off Atlanta's offense and he ended up making a key tackle to end the drive and force a punt. Following the punt, Dallas advanced 70 yards to score on Pearson's 23-yard touchdown catch with 47 seconds left.
Charlie Waters fumbled the snap on the extra point attempt, keeping the score at 30-27 and giving Atlanta a chance to drive for a tying field goal. But the Falcons turned the ball over on downs before they could move it out of their own territory.
Jenkins finished the game with 4 receptions for 155 yards.
The game is featured as one of the NFL's Greatest Games as the Duel in Dixie.
