The 1981 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's sixth season with the National Football League (NFL). The Seahawks got off to a terrible start, losing six of their first seven games, on the way to a 6–10 season. Seattle opened their season at Cincinnati, and held a 21–0 lead before the Bengals rallied for an improbable 27–21 win. This loss was a portent into the season. Later in the season, the Seahawks would go on to lose a 24–3 3rd quarter lead at home to the Raiders, ultimately losing 32–31. Seven of their 10 losses were by two possessions or more.