1950 Pittsburgh Steelers season explained

Team:	Pittsburgh Steelers
Year:	1950
Record:	6–6
Division Place:	3rd (tied) American
Coach:	John Michelosen
Owner:	Rooney family
Stadium:	Forbes Field
Ap All-Pros:	Joe Geri (1st team)
Playoffs:	Did not qualify
Shortnavlink:	Steelers seasons

The 1950 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 18th season in the National Football League (NFL). It was the team's third season under head coach John Michelosen who had led the team to a combined 10–13–1 record over the previous two years.^[1]

Despite finishing last in the league in scoring, the team compiled a 6–6 record which left them tied for third place among the six teams in the NFL's American Conference.^[2] The Steelers were the league's only team that employed the single wing; most of the league's other franchises had switched to the T formation.^[3]

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 17	New York Giants	L 7–18	0–1	Forbes Field	Recap
2	September 24	at Detroit Lions	L 7–10	0–2	Briggs Stadium	Recap
3	October 1	at Washington Redskins	W 26–7	1–2	Griffith Stadium	Recap
4		Cleveland Browns	L 17–30	1–3	Forbes Field	Recap
5	October 15	at New York Giants	W 17–6	2–3	Polo Grounds	Recap
6	October 22	Philadelphia Eagles	L 10–17	2–4	Forbes Field	Recap
7	October 29	at Cleveland Browns	L 7–45	2–5	Cleveland Stadium	Recap
8	November 5	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 9–7	3–5	Shibe Park	Recap
9	November 12	Baltimore Colts	W 17–7	4–5	Forbes Field	Recap
10	Bye
11	November 23	at Chicago Cardinals	W 28–17	5–5	Comiskey Park	Recap
12	December 3	Washington Redskins	L 7–24	5–6	Forbes Field	Recap
13	December 10	Chicago Cardinals	W 28–7	6–6	Forbes Field	Recap
Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.

Standings

Game summaries

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time: 2:00 pm^[3]
Game weather: Clear, mid- to high-sixties^[4]
Game attendance: 24,699^[5]
Referee: John Glascott (University of Pennsylvania)^[3]
Radio announcer: Joe Tucker (WPIT)^[3]
TV announcer: not televised

Scoring Drives:

New York Giants – Safety, Hartley tackled in end zone by Roberts
Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Geri kick)
New York Giants – Safety, punt snapped out of end zone
New York Giants – Landry 37 fumble run (Poole kick)
New York Giants – DeRogatis fumble recovery in end zone (Poole kick)

at University of Detroit Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

Game time: 2:00 pm^[6]
Game weather: cold and dreary^[7]
Game attendance: 18,707^[7]
Referee: Yans Wallace^[7]
Radio announcer: Joe Tucker (WPIT)^[6]
TV announcer: not televised

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – Nickel 43 pass from Gage (Geri kick)
Detroit – Walker 11 pass from Layne (Walker kick)
Detroit – FG Walker 20

at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC

Game time: 2:00pm^[8]
Game weather: Hot, sunny^[9]
Game attendance: 25,008^[9]
Referee: Sam Giangreco^[9]
Radio announcer: Joe Tucker (WPIT)^[6]
TV announcer: not televised

Scoring Drives:

Washington – Taylor 70 pass from Gilmer (Dudley kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Geri 40
Pittsburgh – Gage 5 run (Geri kick)
Pittsburgh – Nickel 28 pass from Geri (Geri kick)

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time: evening^[10]
Game weather:
Game attendance: 35,399^[10]
Referee:
TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – Geri 30-yard FG
Cleveland – Graham 1 run (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Graham 1 run (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Jones 7 run (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Safety, Chandnois tackled in end zone by Kissell
Pittsburgh – Seabright 13 pass from Geri (Geri kick)
Cleveland – Jones 48 run (Groza kick)
Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Geri kick)

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 21,725
Referee:
TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – Nickel 58 pass from Geri (Geri kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Geri 21
New York Giants – Scott 33 pass from Conerly (kick failed)
Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Geri kick)

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time: 2:00pm^[11]
Game weather:
Game attendance: 35,662
Referee:
TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Philadelphia – Willey 41 interception (Patton kick)
Pittsburgh – Rogel 64 pass from Geri (Geri kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Geri 24
Philadelphia – FG Patton 23
Philadelphia – Van Buren 5 run (Patton kick)

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 40,714
Referee:
TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Cleveland – Graham 1 run (Groza kick)
Cleveland – FG Groza 13
Cleveland – Motley 33 pass from Graham (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Motley 69 run (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Phelps 14 run (Groza kick)
Pittsburgh – Gage 29 pass from Gasparella (Geri kick)
Cleveland – Jones 80 pass from Graham (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Gillom 38 pass from Lewis (Groza kick)

at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 24,629
Referee:
TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – FG Geri 11
Philadelphia – Van Buren 1 run (Patton kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Geri 36
Pittsburgh – FG Geri 13

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 24,141
Referee:
TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – FG Geri 37
PIttsburgh – Rogel 15 run (Geri kick)
Pittsburgh – Gage 1 run (Geri kick)
Baltimore – Spaniel 15 run (Grossman kick)

at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 11,622
Referee:
TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – Geri 5 run (Geri kick)
Chicago Cardinals – FG Harder 18
Pittsburgh – Geri 4 run (Geri kick)
Pittsburgh – Nuzum 1 run (Geri kick)
Pittsburgh – Gage 13 run (Geri kick)
Chicago Cardinals – Shaw 45 pass from Hardy (Harder kick)
Chicago Cardinals – Polsfoot 22 pass from Hardy (Harder kick)

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 19,741
Referee:
TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Washington – Dudley 96 punt return (Dudley kick)
Washington – Saenz 34 pass from Baugh (Dudley kick)
Washington – FG Dudley 15
Washington – Goode 5 run (Dudley kick)
Pittsburgh – Nickel 65 pass from Geri (Geri kick)

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 18,301
Referee:
TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Chicago Cardinals – Shaw 7 pass from Hardy (Harder kick)
Pittsburgh – Rogel 40 run (Geri kick)
Pittsburgh – Geri 33 pass from Gasparella (Geri kick)
Pittsburgh – Nuzum 10 lateral from Nickel after 68 pass from Geri (Geri kick)
Pittsburgh – Gage 48 pass from Gasparella (Geri kick)

Notes and References

Web site: Franchise Encyclopedia: Pittsburgh Steelers . . January 26, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120122015827/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/ . January 22, 2012 . live . mdy .
Web site: 1950 Pittsburgh Steelers season . . January 26, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120207094235/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/1950.htm . February 7, 2012 . live . mdy .
News: Sell. Jack. Steelers set for league inaugural. January 26, 2012. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 16, 1950. 12.
News: The Weather. January 26, 2012. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 18, 1950. 4.
News: Sell. Jack. Steelers lose on fumbles, 18–7. January 26, 2012. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 18, 1950. 22, 24.
News: Livingston. Pat. Steelers play Lions in Detroit. January 26, 2012. Pittsburgh Press. September 24, 1950. 44.
News: Sell. Jack. Lion rally beats Steelers, 10–7. January 26, 2012. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 25, 1950. 18, 20.
News: Livingston. Pat. Steelers must win to stay in race. January 26, 2012. Pittsburgh Press. October 1, 1950. 46.
News: Sell. Jack. Steelers top Redskins for first victory. January 26, 2012. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 2, 1950. 1, 28.
News: Browns rebound, 30–17. January 26, 2012. Milwaukee Sentinel. October 8, 1950. AP. B-1.
News: Eagles preparing for tough battle Sunday. January 26, 2012. Beaver Valley Times. October 18, 1950. 14.