1981 San Diego Chargers season Schedule Schedule

| Week | Date_ | Opponent | Result_ | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7, 1981 | at Cleveland Browns | W 44–14 | 78904 |
| 2 | September 13, 1981 | Detroit Lions | W 28–23 | 51264 |
| 3 | September 20, 1981 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 42–31 | 63866 |
| 4 | September 27, 1981 | at Denver Broncos | L 42–24 | 74822 |
| 5 | October 4, 1981 | Seattle Seahawks | W 24–10 | 51463 |
| 6 | October 11, 1981 | Minnesota Vikings | L 33–31 | 50708 |
| 7 | October 18, 1981 | at Baltimore Colts | W 43–14 | 41921 |
| 8 | October 25, 1981 | at Chicago Bears | L 20–17 | 52906 |
| 9 | November 1, 1981 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 22–20 | 51307 |
| 10 | November 8, 1981 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 40–17 | 51259 |