1953 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1953 Pittsburgh Steelers season marked the franchise's 21st year in the National Football League (NFL). The club finished with a record of 6 wins and 6 losses, 4th place in the league's Eastern Conference.

1953 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head coach	Joe Bach
Home stadium	Forbes Field
Results
Record	6–6
Division place	4th NFL Eastern
Playoffs	Did not qualify
← 1952 Steelers seasons 1954 →

Regular season

Schedule

Game	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap	Sources
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

Week 1 (Sunday September 27, 1953): Detroit Lions

	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

	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

	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

	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

	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

	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

	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

	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

	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

	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

	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

	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

NFL Eastern Conference
view talk edit	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.

NFL Western Conference
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Detroit Lions	10	2	0	.833	8–2	271	205	W6
San Francisco 49ers	9	3	0	.750	8–2	372	237	W4
Los Angeles Rams	8	3	1	.727	7–3	366	236	W2
Chicago Bears	3	8	1	.273	2–7–1	218	262	L2
Baltimore Colts	3	9	0	.250	2–8	182	350	L7
Green Bay Packers	2	9	1	.182	2–7–1	200	338	L5

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References