In a highly disappointing season filled with a number of key injuries at different stretches during the campaign, the Browns finished the year with five straight losses for their longest losing streak since 1975 in a skid that saw them lose seven of their final eight games.
FB Mike Pruitt rushed for more than 1,000 yards (1,103) for the third straight year in 1981, and caught 63 passes for the second season in a row.
Tight end Ozzie Newsome set a team record (since broken) for receptions with 69 and had the second-most receiving yards in Browns history at the time with 1,002.
[1] Ironically, through 2024 the 1981 Browns are the only team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to have beaten both eventual Super Bowl participants, the Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers and the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, while finishing with a losing record.
Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams [3] at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Turnovers