Team: | Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) |
Year: | 1939 |
Record: | 1–9–1 |
Division Place: | 4th (tied) NFL Eastern |
Coach: | John McNally, Walt Kiesling |
Owner: | Art Rooney |
Stadium: | Forbes Field |
Radio: | KDKA |
Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
Pro Bowlers: | Byron Gentry |
Next: | 1940 (Steelers) |
Teamdisplay: | Pittsburgh Pirates |
Shortnavlink: | Pirates seasons |
The 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the franchise's seventh season as a professional football club in the National Football League (NFL). The Pirates brought John McNally back for his third year, however, after finishing with a 2–9 record, Owner Art Rooney provided him with support by signing Walt Kiesling during the offseason. Despite this, the Pirates experienced their worst season yet, placing last in the league with a 1–9–1 record. The team just barely tallied a number in the win column, but during Week 11, they beat the Philadelphia Eagles. It was their first win at home in 9 games at Forbes Field (Week 10, 1937). It was also the final season for the franchise before becoming the "Steelers" the following season.
See main article: 1939 NFL draft.
Draft order | Player name | Position | College | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Round | Choice | Overall | |||||
1 | 2 | 2 | Sidney "Sid" Luckman | Quarterback | Columbia | Traded pick to Chicago | |
2 | 1 | 11 | Clarence "Pug" Manders | Drake | Traded pick to Brooklyn | ||
3 | 2 | 17 | Billy Patterson | Back | Baylor | Played 1 season for Steelers in 1940 | |
4 | 1 | 26 | Hugh McCullough | Defensive back | Pittsburgh | Played 1 season for Pirates in 1939 | |
5 | 2 | 32 | Ernie Wheeler | Back | North Dakota State | Played for Cards and Steelers in 1939 | |
6 | 1 | 41 | Sam Boyd | End | Baylor | Played 3 seasons for Pirates/Steelers | |
7 | 2 | 52 | Eddie Palumbo | Back | Detroit | ||
8 | 1 | 61 | Ole Nelson | End | Michigan State | ||
9 | 2 | 72 | Steve Petro | Guard | Pittsburgh | Played for Dodgers | |
10 | 1 | 81 | Jack Lee | Back | Carnegie Mellon | ||
11 | 2 | 92 | Lou Tomasetti | Back | Bucknell | ||
12 | 1 | 101 | Denny Cochran | Back | Saint Louis | Played 3 seasons for Pirates/Steelers | |
13 | 2 | 112 | Fabian Hoffman | End | Pittsburgh | ||
14 | 1 | 121 | Ed Clary | Back | South Carolina | ||
15 | 2 | 132 | John Tosi | Center | Niagara | ||
16 | 1 | 141 | Al Lezouski | Guard | Pittsburgh | ||
17 | 2 | 152 | Ed Longhi | Center | Notre Dame | ||
18 | 1 | 161 | Dave Shirk | End | Kansas | ||
19 | 2 | 172 | Frank Peters | End | Washington | ||
20 | 1 | 181 | Tom Sheldrake | End | Washington |
Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | at Brooklyn Dodgers | L 7–12 | 0–1 | Ebbets Field | Recap | |||
2 | September 24 | Chicago Cardinals | L 0–10 | 0–2 | Forbes Field | Recap | ||
3 | Chicago Bears | L 0–32 | 0–3 | Forbes Field | Recap | |||
4 | October 8 | New York Giants | L 7–14 | 0–4 | Forbes Field | Recap | ||
5 | October 15 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–44 | 0–5 | Griffith Stadium | Recap | ||
6 | October 22 | Washington Redskins | L 14–21 | 0–6 | Forbes Field | Recap | ||
7 | October 29 | at Cleveland Rams | T 14–14 | 0–6–1 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Recap | ||
8 | at Brooklyn Dodgers | L 13–17 | 0–7–1 | Ebbets Field | Recap | |||
9 | November 19 | at New York Giants | L 7–23 | 0–8–1 | Polo Grounds | Recap | ||
10 | November 23 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 14–17 | 0–9–1 | Philadelphia Municipal Stadium | Recap | ||
11 | November 26 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 24–12 | 1–9–1 | Forbes Field | Recap | ||
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York
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at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Between this game and the next, the Pirates shoehorned in a midseason exhibition game against the McKeesport Olympics, in McKeesport on October 4. The Pirates won that game, 9–6.[1]
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC
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at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
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at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York
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at Polo Grounds, New York, NY
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at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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