1959 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1959 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 27th in the National Football League.

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record
1	September 26	Cleveland Browns	W 17–7	1–0
2	October 4	Washington Redskins	L 17–23	1–1
3	October 11	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 24–28	1–2
4	October 18	at Washington Redskins	W 27–6	2–2
5	October 25	New York Giants	L 16–21	2–3
6	November 1	at Chicago Cardinals	L 24–45	2–4
7	November 8	Detroit Lions	T 10–10	2–4–1
8	November 15	at New York Giants	W 14–9	3–4–1
9	November 22	at Cleveland Browns	W 21–20	4–4–1
10	November 29	Philadelphia Eagles	W 31–0	5–4–1
11	December 6	at Chicago Bears	L 21–27	5–5–1
12	December 13	Chicago Cardinals	W 35–20	6–5–1

Game summaries

Week 1 (Saturday September 26, 1959): Cleveland Browns

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	7	0	0	7
Steelers	0	0	10	7	17

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 33,844
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Cleveland – Plum 1 run (Groza kick) CLE 7–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Layne 26 CLE 7–3
• Pittsburgh – Orr 20 pass from Layne (Layne kick)PIT 10–7
• Pittsburgh – Brewster 19 pass from Layne (Bobby PIT 17-7ne kick)

Week 2 (Sunday October 4, 1959): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	3	6	14	0	23
Steelers	0	0	10	7	17

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 26,750
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Washington – FG Baker 25 WSH 3–0
• Washington – FG Baker 47 WSH 3–0
• Washington – FG Baker 48 WSH 9–0
• Washington – Anderson 70 pass from Gugliemi (Baker kick) WSH 16–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Layne 32 WSH 16–3
• Washington – Walton 26 pass from Gugliemi (Baker kick)WSH 23–3
• Pittsburgh – Brewster 30 pass from Layne (Bobby WSH 23-10 NEKICK)
• Pittsburgh – Krutko 2 run (Layne kick)WSH 23–17

Week 3 (Sunday October 11, 1959): Philadelphia Eagles

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Steelers	Passing	Bobby Layne	18/33, 209 Yds, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Tom Tracy	11 Rush, 33 Yds
	Receiving	Tom Tracy	4 Rec, 70 Yds, TD
Eagles	Passing	Norm Van Brocklin	13/27, 172 Yds, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Clarence Peaks	14 Rush, 42 Yds
	Receiving	Tommy McDonald	4 Rec, 66 Yds, TD

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP PIT PHI 1 Steelers Bobby Layne 10-yard touchdown run, Bobby Layne kick good 7 0 1 Eagles Billy Ray Barnes 3-yard touchdown run, Bobby Walston kick good 7 7 2 Eagles Punt returned 58 yards for touchdown by Art Powell, Bobby Walston kick good 7 14 2 Steelers 12-yard field goal by Bobby Layne 10 14 3 Eagles Norm Van Brocklin 1-yard touchdown run, Bobby Walston kick good 10 21 3 Steelers Tom Tracy 11-yard touchdown reception from Bobby Layne, Bobby Layne kick good 17 21 4 Eagles Tommy McDonald 18-yard touchdown reception from Norm Van Brocklin, Bobby Walston kick good 17 28 4 Steelers Jimmy Orr 17-yard touchdown reception from Bobby Layne, Bobby Layne kick good 24 28 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 24 28

Week 4 (Sunday October 18, 1959): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	14	7	0	6	27
Redskins	6	0	0	0	6

at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 28,218
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Krutko 1 run (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Tarasovic 38 fumble run (Layne kick)
• Washington – FG Baker 30
• Washington – FG Baker 39
• Pittsburgh – Krutko 4 run (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Layne 23
• Pittsburgh – FG Layne 22

Week 5 (Sunday October 25, 1959): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	14	0	0	7	21
Steelers	10	0	3	3	16

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 33,596
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Layne 37
• New York Giants – Gifford 77 pass from Conerly (Summerall kick)
• New York Giants – Gifford 28 pass from Conerly (Summerall kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 35 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Layne 19
• New York Giants – Huff 5 fumble run (Summerall kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Layne 17

Week 6 (Sunday November 1, 1959): Chicago Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	10	7	7	24
Cardinals	14	21	0	10	45

at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance:
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Week 7 (Sunday November 8, 1959): Detroit Lions

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	0	0	3	10
Steelers	0	0	3	7	10

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 24,614
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Detroit – Rote 1 run (Perry kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Layne 29
• Detroit – FG Martin 27
• Pittsburgh – Tracy 20 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

Week 8 (Sunday November 15, 1959): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	7	0	7	14
Giants	0	6	3	0	9

at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 66,786
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• New York Giants – FG Summerall 21
• New York Giants – FG Summerall 27
• Pittsburgh – Orr 4 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• New York Giants – FG Summerall 29
• Pittsburgh – Tracy 45 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 22, 1959): Cleveland Browns

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	14	0	7	21
Browns	0	6	0	14	20

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 68,563
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Tracy 4 run (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Tracy 1 run (Layne kick)
• Cleveland – Renfro 30 pass from Plum (kick failed)
• Cleveland – Renfro 28 pass from Plum (Groza kick)
• Cleveland – Renfro 70 pass from Plum (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – Nagler 17 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

Week 10 (Sunday November 29, 1959): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	0	0	0	0
Steelers	3	7	7	14	31

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 22,191
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Layne 17
• Pittsburgh – Dial 12 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Orr 19 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Tracy 23 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Nagler 2 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

Week 11 (Sunday December 5, 1959): Chicago Bears

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	6	14	7	0	27
Steelers	0	7	7	7	21

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 41,476
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Chicago Bears – Casares 3 run (kick failed)
• Chicago Bears – Casares 1 run (Aveni kick)
• Chicago Bears – Casares 1 run (Aveni kick)
• Pittsburgh – Tracy 2 run (Layne kick)
• Chicago Bears – Casares 1 run (Aveni kick)
• Pittsburgh – Krutko 7 run (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 25 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

Week 12 (Sunday December 12, 1959): Chicago Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	6	0	7	7	20
Steelers	0	28	7	0	35

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 19,011
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Chicago Cardinals – FG Conrad 37
• Chicago Cardinals – FG Conrad 20
• Pittsburgh – Layne 9 run (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 35 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 11 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Tracy 16 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Chicago Cardinals – Conrad 21 pass from Hill (Conrad kick)
• Pittsburgh – Orr 16 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Chicago Cardinals – Crow 7 pass from Hill (Conrad kick)

Standings

NFL Eastern Conference
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STK
New York Giants	10	2	0	.833	8–2	284	170	W4
Philadelphia Eagles	7	5	0	.583	6–4	268	278	L1
Cleveland Browns	7	5	0	.583	6–4	270	214	W1
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	5	1	.545	6–4	257	216	W1
Washington Redskins	3	9	0	.250	2–8	185	350	L5
Chicago Cardinals	2	10	0	.167	2–8	234	324	L6

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

References