1948 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1948 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 16th season in the National Football League (NFL). The team finished the season with a record of 4–8, failing to qualify for the playoffs. This season marked the first played with John Michelosen as head coach.

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record
1	September 26	at Washington Redskins	L 14–17	0–1
2	October 3	Boston Yanks	W 24–14	1–1
3	October 10	Washington Redskins	W 10–7	2–1
4	October 17	at Boston Yanks	L 7–13	2–2
5	October 24	at New York Giants	L 27–34	2–3
6	October 31	Philadelphia Eagles	L 7–34	2–4
7	November 7	Green Bay Packers	W 38–7	3–4
8	November 14	Chicago Cardinals	L 7–24	3–5
9	November 21	at Detroit Lions	L 14–17	3–6
10	November 28	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 0–17	3–7
11	December 5	New York Giants	W 38–28	4–7
12	December 12	at Los Angeles Rams	L 14–31	4–8

Game summaries

Week 2 (Sunday September 26, 1948): Washington Redskins

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

at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 32,084
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Washington – Castiglia 22 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick)
• Pittsburgh – Clement 28 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Glamp 38 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
• Washington – Turley 33 fumble run (Poillon kick)
• Washington – FG Poillon 28

Week 3 (Monday October 3, 1948): Boston Yanks

	1	2	3	4	Total
Yanks	7	7	0	0	14
Steelers	0	7	3	14	24

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 26,216
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Boston – Paschal 15 pass from Youel (Zimmerman kick)
• Boston – Pritko 33 fumble run (Zimmerman kick)
• Pittsburgh – Nickel 24 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 35
• Pittsburgh – Seabright 7 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Mosley 3 run (Glamp kick)

Week 4 (Sunday October 10, 1948): Washington Redskins

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

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 28,969
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Clement 3 run (Glamp kick)
• Washington – Crisler 19 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 13

Week 5 (Sunday October 17, 1948): Boston Yanks

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	0	7	7
Yanks	6	0	0	7	13

at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 7,208
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Boston – Heywood 14 fumble run (kick failed)
• Boston – Seno 22 pass from Zimmerman (Zimmerman kick)
• Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick)

Week 6 (Sunday October 24, 1948): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	6	7	14	0	27
Giants	13	7	7	7	34

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 13,443
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• New York – Sultatis 2 run (Williams kick)
• Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (kick failed)
• New York – White 54 lateral from Cheverko after 35 kick return (kick failed)
• New York – Roberts 49 pass from Conerly (Williams kick)
• Pittsburgh – Jansante 12 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Jansante 66 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)
• New York – Sulaitis 34 pass from Conerly (Williams kick)
• New York – Conerly 1 run (Williams kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 31, 1948): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	3	14	0	17	34
Steelers	0	7	0	0	7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 32,474
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Philadelphia – FG Patton 42
• Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick)
• Philadelphia – Van Buren 20 run (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – Ferrante 7 pass from Thompson (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – Pritchard 55 punt return (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – FG Patton 23
• Philadelphia – Pritchard 18 fumble run (Patton kick)

Week 8 (Sunday November 7, 1948): Green Bay Packers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	0	0	0	7	7
Steelers	7	17	7	7	38

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 26,058
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Jansante 7 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 33
• Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Evans 14 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Glamp 55 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Compagno 82 interception (Glamp kick)
• Green Bay – Goodnight 19 pass from Girard (Fritsch kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 14, 1948): Chicago Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	14	7	0	3	24
Steelers	7	0	0	0	7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 33,364
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Chicago Cardinals – Kutner 42 pass from Mallouf (Harder kick)
• Chicago Cardinals – Trippi 67 punt return (Harder kick)
• Pittsburgh – Shipkey 67 punt return (Glamp kick)
• Chicago Cardinals – Harder 8 run (Harder kick)
• Chicago Cardinals – FG Yablonski 41

Week 10 (Sunday November 21, 1948): Detroit Lions

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	0	0	7	14
Lions	0	10	0	7	17

at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 16,189
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick)
• Detroit – Dudley 19 pass from Enke (Pregulman kick)
• Detroit – FG Pregulman 33
• Detroit – Dudley 28 fumble run (Pregulman kick)
• Pittsburgh – Papach 2 run (Glamp kick)

Week 11 (Sunday November 28, 1948): Philadelphia Eagles

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

at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 22,001
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Philadelphia – Pritchard 5 run (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – Pihos 13 pass from Thompson (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – FG Patton 31

Week 12 (Sunday December 5, 1948): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	0	7	14	28
Steelers	7	10	0	21	38

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 27,645
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Evans 9 run (Glamp kick)
• New York – Minisi 6 run (Younce kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 40
• Pittsburgh – Glamp 3 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)
• New York – Roberts 18 pass from Conerly (Younce kick)
• Pittsburgh – Shipkey 2 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Cifers 2 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Morales 36 fumble run (Glamp kick)
• New York – Johnson 11 pass from Conerly (Younce kick)
• New York – Swiacki 11 pass from Conerly (Younce kick)

Week 13 (Sunday December 12, 1948): Los Angeles Rams

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	7	7	14
Rams	0	14	7	10	31

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 27,967
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Los Angeles – Hickey 21 pass from Hardy (Waterfield kick)
• Los Angeles – Hubbell 8 pass from Hardy (Waterfield kick)
• Pittsburgh – Papach 1 run (Glamp kick)
• Los Angeles – Fears 29 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
• Los Angeles – FG Waterfield 47
• Los Angeles – Magnani 16 pass from Hardy (Gehrke kick)
• Pittsburgh – Papach 28 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)

Standings

NFL Eastern Division
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	PF	PA	STK
Philadelphia Eagles	9	2	1	.818	7–1	376	156	W1
Washington Redskins	7	5	0	.583	5–3	291	287	W1
New York Giants	4	8	0	.333	3–5	297	388	L2
Pittsburgh Steelers	4	8	0	.333	3–5	200	243	L1
Boston Yanks	3	9	0	.250	2–6	174	372	W1

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

References