1953 Pittsburgh Steelers season
1953 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Joe Bach |
Home field | Forbes Field |
Results | |
Record | 6–6 |
Division place | 4th NFL Eastern |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
The 1953 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 21st in the National Football League.
Regular season
[edit]Schedule
[edit]Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 27 | at Detroit Lions | L 21–38 | 0–1 |
2 | October 3 | New York Giants | W 24–14 | 1–1 |
3 | October 11 | Chicago Cardinals | W 31–28 | 2–1 |
4 | October 17 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 7–23 | 2–2 |
5 | October 24 | Green Bay Packers | W 31–14 | 3–2 |
6 | November 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 7–35 | 3–3 |
7 | November 8 | at Cleveland Browns | L 16–34 | 3–4 |
8 | November 15 | at New York Giants | W 14–10 | 4–4 |
9 | November 22 | Cleveland Browns | L 16–20 | 4–5 |
10 | November 29 | Washington Redskins | L 9–17 | 4–6 |
11 | December 6 | at Chicago Cardinals | W 21–17 | 5–6 |
12 | December 13 | at Washington Redskins | W 14–13 | 6–6 |
Game summaries
[edit]Week 1 (Sunday September 27, 1953): Detroit Lions
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Lions | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 20,675
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Detroit – Carpenter 73 interception (Walker kick)
- Pittsburgh – Nickel 14 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick)
- Detroit – Gedman 1 run (Walker kick)
- Detroit – FG Walker 40
- Pittsburgh – Mathews 1 fumble run (Bolkovac kick)
- Detroit – Hart 49 pass from Layne (Walker kick)
- Detroit – Walker 8 pass from Hoernschmeyer (Walker kick)
- Detroit – Hoernschemeyer 29 pass from Layne (Walker kick)
- Pittsburgh – Nickel 15 pass from Marchibroda (Bolkovac kick)
Week 2 (Saturday October 3, 1953): New York Giants
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Steelers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 31,500
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- New York Giants – Clay 2 pass from Conerly (Clay kick)
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 93 kick return (Bolkovac kick)
- New York Giants – Long 55 pass from Conerly (Clay kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Bolkovac 35
- Pittsburgh – Nickel 4 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – Bolkovac 14 fumble run (Bolkovac kick)
Week 3 (Sunday October 11, 1953): Chicago Cardinals
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cardinals | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 31 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 25,953
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Chicago Cardinals – Olszewski 1 run (Summerall kick)
- Pittsburgh – Rogel 1 run (Bolkovac kick)
- Chicago Cardinals – Nagler 34 pass from Root (Summerall kick)
- Chicago Cardinals – Nagler 6 pass from Root (Summerall kick)
- Chicago Cardinals – Stonesifer 3 pass from Trippi (Summerall kick)
- Pittsburgh – Mathews 19 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – Rogel 4 run (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – Barker 4 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Bolkovac 28
Week 4 (Saturday October 17, 1953): Philadelphia Eagles
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Eagles | 0 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 23 |
at Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 18,681
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Philadelphia – Pihos 28 pass from Burk (kick blocked)
- Pittsburgh – Mathews 23 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick)
- Philadelphia – FG Walston 11
- Philadelphia – Giancanelli 16 pass from Thomason (Walston kick)
- Philadelphia – Ziegler 1 run (Walston kick)
Week 5 (Saturday October 24, 1953): Green Bay Packers
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Packers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Steelers | 7 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 22,918
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – Finks 4 run (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Bolkovac 40
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 6 run (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – Brandt 2 run (Bolkovac kick)
- PIttsburgh – Brandt 1 run (Bolkovac kick)
- Green Bay – Parilli 1 run (Cone kick)
- Green Bay – Cone 5 pass from Rote (Cone kick)
Week 6 (Sunday November 1, 1953): Philadelphia Eagles
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eagles | 14 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 27,547
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
- Philadelphia – Gianganelli 7 run (Walston kick)
- Philadelphia – Williams 48 run (Walston kick)
- Philadelphia – Walston 21 pass from Thomason (Walston kick)
- Pittsburgh – Mathews 11 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick)
- Philadelphia – Pihos 26 pass from Thomason (Walston kick)
- Philadelphia – Giancanelli 8 pass from Thomason (Walston kick)
Week 7 (Sunday November 8, 1953): Cleveland Browns
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
Browns | 0 | 24 | 0 | 10 | 34 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 35,592
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Bolkovac 27
- Pittsburgh – Mathews 2 run (kick failed)
- Cleveland – Carpenter 7 run (Groza kick)
- Cleveland – FG Groza 20
- Cleveland – Renfro 44 run (Groza kick)
- Pittsburgh – Mathews 77 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick)
- Cleveland – Renfro 79 blocked field goal return (Groza kick)
- Cleveland – Lavelli 17 pass from Graham (Groza kick)
- Cleveland – FG Groza 14
Week 8 (Sunday November 15, 1953): New York Giants
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Giants | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 20,411
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – Dodrill 16 fumble run (Bolkovac kick)
- New York Giants – Gifford 6 pass from Conerly (Gifford kick)
- New York Giants – FG Clay 20
- Pittsburgh – Butler 33 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick)
Week 9 (Sunday November 22, 1953): Cleveland Browns
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Browns | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
Steelers | 9 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 32,904
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
- Cleveland – Renfro 54 pass from Graham (Groza kick)
- Pittsburgh – Finks 1 run (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – Safety, Lahr tackled in end zone by Mathews
- Cleveland – FG Groza 50
- Cleveland – Brewster 31 pass from Graham (Groza kick)
- Cleveland – FG Groza 41
- Pittsburgh – Mathews 1 run (Bolkovac kick)
Week 10 (Sunday November 29, 1953): Washington Redskins
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
Steelers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 17,206
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – Safety, Heath tackled by Ferry in end zone
- Washington – Taylor 5 pass from LeBaron (Dudley kick)
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 5 run (Bolkovac kick)
- Washington – FG Dudley 41
- Washington – Rykovich 5 pass from LeBaron (Dudley kick)
Week 11 (Sunday December 6, 1953): Chicago Cardinals
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 14,138
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
- Chicago Cardinals – Olszewski 1 run (Summerall kick)
- Chicago Cardinals – FG Summerall 12
- Pittsburgh – Brandt 1 run (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – Nickel 6 pass from Mackrides (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – Mackrides 2 run (Bolkovac kick)
- Chicago Cardinals – Paul 5 pass from Romanik (Summerall kick)
Week 12 (Sunday December 13, 1953): Washington Redskins
[edit]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
Redskins | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 22,057
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
- Washington – Dekker 34 pass from LeBaron
- Washington – FG Dudley 39
- Washington – FG Dudley 20
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 23 lateral from Mathews (Bolkovac kick)
- Pittsburgh – Butler 5 interception (Bolkovac kick)
Standings
[edit]NFL Eastern Conference | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
Cleveland Browns | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 9–1 | 348 | 162 | L1 | |
Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 4 | 1 | .636 | 6–3–1 | 352 | 215 | W1 | |
Washington Redskins | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 6–3–1 | 208 | 215 | L1 | |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 5–5 | 211 | 263 | W2 | |
New York Giants | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 3–7 | 179 | 277 | L2 | |
Chicago Cardinals | 1 | 10 | 1 | .091 | 0–10 | 190 | 337 | W1 |
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.