| 1980 National Football League season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | |||
| Duration | September 7, 1980 - December 22, 1980 | ||
| Playoffs | |||
| Start date | December 28, 1980 | ||
| AFC Champions | Oakland Raiders | ||
| NFC Champions | Philadelphia Eagles | ||
| Super Bowl XV | |||
| Date | January 25, 1981 | ||
| Site | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana | ||
| Champions | Oakland Raiders | ||
| Pro Bowl | |||
| Date | February 1, 1981 | ||
| Site | Aloha Stadium | ||
National Football League seasons
| |||
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.
After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws. A verdict in the trial would not be decided until before the 1982 NFL season.
Meanwhile, the season ended with Super Bowl XV when the Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles.
Major rule changes[]
- When efforts are made by the offense to conserve time, 10 seconds will be run off the clock before the ball is permitted to be put back into play.[1]
- Players are prohibited from striking, swinging, or clubbing to the head, face, or neck. The personal foul could be called whether or not the initial contact was made below the neck.
- A "Guidelines for Captains" section was added to the rules.
Division Races[]
Starting in 1978, ten teams qualified for the playoffs: the winners of each of the divisions, and two wild-card teams in each conference. These are the leaders for each playoff slot, week by week. Teams listed in Week 16 indicate playoff participants.
National Football Conference[]
| Week | NFC East | NFC Central | NFC West | Wild Card | Wild Card | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 teams | 1-0 | 4 teams | 1-0 | San Francisco | 1-0 | ||||
| 2 | Philadelphia | 2-0 | Detroit, Tampa Bay | 2-0 | San Francisco | 2-0 | ||||
| 3 | Philadelphia | 3-0 | Detroit | 3-0 | San Francisco | 3-0 | Dallas, Tampa Bay, Minnesota | 2-1 | ||
| 4 | Philadelphia, Dallas | 3-1 | Detroit | 4-0 | San Francisco | 3-1 | Philadelphia, Dallas | 3-1 | 4 teams | 2-2 |
| 5 | Philadelphia, Dallas | 4-1 | Detroit | 4-1 | San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta | 3-2 | Philadelphia, Dallas | 4-1 | San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta | 3-2 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, Dallas | 5-1 | Detroit | 5-1 | Los Angeles | 4-2 | Philadelphia, Dallas | 5-1 | Minnesota, San Francisco, Atlanta | 3-3 |
| 7 | Philadelphia | 6-1 | Detroit | 5-2 | Los Angeles | 5-2 | Dallas | 5-2 | Atlanta | 4-3 |
| 8 | Philadelphia | 7-1 | Detroit | 5-3 | Los Angeles, Atlanta | 5-3 | Dallas | 6-2 | Los Angeles, Atlanta | 5-3 |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 8-1 | Detroit | 6-3 | Los Angeles, Atlanta | 6-3 | Dallas | 7-2 | Los Angeles, Atlanta | 6-3 |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 9-1 | Detroit | 6-4 | Atlanta | 7-3 | Dallas | 7-3 | Los Angeles | 6-4 |
| 11 | Philadelphia | 10-1 | Detroit, Minnesota | 6-5 | Atlanta | 8-3 | Dallas | 8-3 | Los Angeles | 7-4 |
| 12 | Philadelphia | 11-1 | Detroit | 7-5 | Atlanta | 9-3 | Dallas | 9-3 | Los Angeles | 8-4 |
| 13 | Philadelphia | 11-2 | Detroit, Minnesota | 7-6 | Atlanta | 10-3 | Dallas | 10-3 | Los Angeles | 9-4 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, Dallas | 11-3 | Minnesota | 8-6 | Atlanta | 11-3 | Philadelphia, Dallas | 11-3 | Los Angeles | 9-5 |
| 15 | Philadelphia | 12-3 | Minnesota | 9-6 | Atlanta | 12-3 | Dallas | 11-4 | Los Angeles | 10-5 |
| 16 | Philadelphia | 12-4 | Minnesota | 9-7 | Atlanta | 12-4 | Dallas | 12-4 | Los Angeles | 11-5 |
American Football Conference[]
| Week | AFC East | AFC Central | AFC West | Wild Card | Wild Card | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 teams | 1-0 | Pittsburgh | 1-0 | San Diego, Oakland | 1-0 | ||||
| 2 | Buffalo | 2-0 | Pittsburgh | 2-0 | San Diego | 2-0 | ||||
| 3 | Buffalo | 3-0 | Pittsburgh, Houston | 2-1 | San Diego | 3-0 | Pittsburgh, Houston, Miami, New England, Oakland | 2-1 | ||
| 4 | Buffalo | 4-0 | Pittsburgh, Houston | 3-1 | San Diego | 4-0 | Pittsburgh, Houston, Miami, New England | 3-1 | Baltimore, Cleveland, Oakland, Seattle | 2-2 |
| 5 | Buffalo | 5-0 | Pittsburgh | 4-1 | San Diego | 4-1 | New England | 4-1 | Miami, Baltimore, Houston, Seattle | 3-2 |
| 6 | Buffalo, New England | 5-1 | Pittsburgh | 4-2 | San Diego | 4-2 | Buffalo, New England | 5-1 | Baltimore | 4-2 |
| 7 | New England | 6-1 | Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Houston | 4-3 | San Diego | 5-2 | Buffalo | 5-2 | 6 teams | 4-3 |
| 8 | Buffalo, New England | 6-2 | Cleveland, Houston | 5-3 | San Diego, Oakland | 5-3 | Buffalo, New England | 6-2 | Cleveland, Houston, San Diego, Oakland | 5-3 |
| 9 | New England | 7-2 | Cleveland, Houston | 6-3 | San Diego, Oakland | 6-3 | Buffalo, Cleveland, Houston, San Diego, Oakland | 6-3 | Baltimore, Pittsburgh | 5-4 |
| 10 | Buffalo, New England | 7-3 | Cleveland, Houston | 7-3 | Oakland | 7-3 | Buffalo, New England, Cleveland, Houston | 7-3 | Pittsburgh, San Diego | 6-4 |
| 11 | Buffalo | 8-3 | Houston | 8-3 | Oakland | 8-3 | New England, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, San Diego | 7-4 | Miami, Baltimore, Denver | 6-5 |
| 12 | Buffalo | 9-3 | Cleveland, Houston | 8-4 | San Diego, Oakland | 8-4 | New England, Cleveland, Houston, San Diego, Oakland | 8-4 | Pittsburgh, Denver | 7-5 |
| 13 | Buffalo | 9-4 | Cleveland | 9-4 | San Diego, Oakland | 9-4 | San Diego, Oakland | 9-4 | New England, Pittsburgh, Houston | 8-5 |
| 14 | Buffalo | 10-4 | Cleveland | 10-4 | San Diego, Oakland | 9-5 | San Diego, Oakland, Houston | 9-5 | New England, Pittsburgh | 8-6 |
| 15 | Buffalo | 10-5 | Cleveland, Houston | 10-5 | San Diego, Oakland | 10-5 | Cleveland, Houston, San Diego, Oakland | 10-5 | New England, Pittsburgh | 9-6 |
| 16 | Buffalo | 11-5 | Cleveland | 11-5 | San Diego | 11-5 | Oakland | 11-5 | Houston | 11-5 |
Final standings[]
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
x - clinched wild card berth, y - clinched division title
| AFC East | |||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Buffalo Bills | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 320 | 260 | Details |
| New England Patriots | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 441 | 325 | Details |
| Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 266 | 305 | Details |
| Baltimore Colts | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 355 | 387 | Details |
| New York Jets | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 302 | 395 | Details |
| AFC Central | |||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | |
| y-Cleveland Browns | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 357 | 310 | Details |
| x-Houston Oilers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 295 | 251 | Details |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 352 | 313 | Details |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 244 | 312 | Details |
| AFC West | |||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | |
| y-San Diego Chargers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 418 | 327 | Details |
| x-Oakland Raiders | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 364 | 306 | Details |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 319 | 336 | Details |
| Denver Broncos | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 310 | 323 | Details |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 291 | 408 | Details |
| NFC East | |||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Philadelphia Eagles | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 384 | 222 | Details |
| x-Dallas Cowboys | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 454 | 311 | Details |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 261 | 293 | Details |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 299 | 350 | Details |
| New York Giants | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 249 | 425 | Details |
| NFC Central | |||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | |
| y-Minnesota Vikings | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 317 | 308 | Details |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 334 | 272 | Details |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 304 | 264 | Details |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 271 | 341 | Details |
| Green Bay Packers | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 231 | 371 | Details |
| NFC West | |||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | |
| y-Atlanta Falcons | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 405 | 272 | Details |
| x-Los Angeles Rams | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 424 | 289 | Details |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 320 | 415 | Details |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 291 | 487 | Details |
Tiebreakers[]
- Cleveland finished ahead of Houston in the AFC Central based on better conference record (8-4 to Oilers' 7-5).
- San Diego finished ahead of Oakland in the AFC West based on better net points in division games (plus 60 net points to Raiders' plus 37).
- San Diego was the top AFC playoff seed based on better conference record than Cleveland and Buffalo (9-3 to Browns' 8-4 and Bills' 8-4).
- Cleveland was the second AFC playoff seed based on better record against common opponents (5-2 to Bills' 5-3).
- Oakland was the first AFC Wild Card based on better conference record than Houston (9-3 to Oilers' 7-5).
- Kansas City finished ahead of Denver in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
- Philadelphia finished ahead of Dallas in the NFC East based on better net points in division games (plus 84 net points to Cowboys' plus 50).
- Atlanta was the top NFC playoff seed based on head-to-head victory over Philadelphia (1-0).
- Minnesota finished ahead of Detroit in the NFC Central based on better conference record (8-4 to Lions' 9-5).
- Tampa Bay finished ahead of Green Bay in the NFC Central based on better head-to-head record (1-0-1 to Packers' 0-1-1).
Playoffs[]
- Home team in capitals
AFC[]
- Wild-Card playoff: OAKLAND 27, Houston 7
- Divisional playoffs: SAN DIEGO 20, Buffalo 14; Oakland 14, CLEVELAND 12
- AFC Championship: Oakland 34, SAN DIEGO 27 at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California, January 11, 1981
NFC[]
- Wild-Card playoff: DALLAS 34, Los Angeles 13
- Divisional playoffs: PHILADELPHIA 31, Minnesota 16; Dallas 30, ATLANTA 27
- NFC Championship: PHILADELPHIA 20, Dallas 7 at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 11, 1981
Super Bowl[]
- Super Bowl XV: Oakland (AFC) 27, Philadelphia (NFC) 10, at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, January 25, 1981
Awards[]
| Most Valuable Player | Brian Sipe, Quarterback, Cleveland |
| Coach of the Year | Chuck Knox, Buffalo |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Earl Campbell, Running Back, Houston Oilers |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Lester Hayes, Cornerback, Oakland |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Billy Sims, Running Back, Detroit |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Buddy Curry & Al Richardson, Linebackers, Atlanta |
Footnotes[]
- ↑ Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (First Edition ed.). 1997. p. 1585. ISBN 0-06-270170-3.
References[]
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1971-1980 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- 1980 season in details
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)