1951 Pittsburgh Steelers season
NFL team season
- ← 1950
- Steelers seasons
- 1952 →
The 1951 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 19th in the National Football League.
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 1 | New York Giants | T 13–13 | 0–0–1 |
| 2 | October 7 | at Green Bay Packers | L 33–35 | 0–1–1 |
| 3 | October 14 | San Francisco 49ers | L 24–28 | 0–2–1 |
| 4 | October 21 | at Cleveland Browns | L 0–17 | 0–3–1 |
| 5 | October 28 | at Chicago Cardinals | W 28–14 | 1–3–1 |
| 6 | November 4 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 13–34 | 1–4–1 |
| 7 | November 11 | Green Bay Packers | W 28–7 | 2–4–1 |
| 8 | November 18 | Washington Redskins | L 7–22 | 2–5–1 |
| 9 | November 25 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 17–13 | 3–5–1 |
| 10 | December 2 | at New York Giants | L 0–14 | 3–6–1 |
| 11 | December 9 | Cleveland Browns | L 0–28 | 3–7–1 |
| 12 | December 16 | at Washington Redskins | W 20–10 | 4–7–1 |
Game summaries
Week 1 (Monday October 1, 1951): New York Giants
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Steelers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 27,984
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Geri 31
- New York Giants – FG Poole 11
- New York Giants – Scott 56 pass from Tidwell (Poole kick)
- Pittsburgh – Geri 1 run (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Geri 26
- New York Giants – FG Poole 21
Week 2 (Sunday October 7, 1951): Green Bay Packers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 23 | 10 | 0 | 33 |
| Packers | 21 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
at City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 8,324
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Green Bay – Grimes 18 run (Cone kick)
- Green Bay – Mann 40 pass from Rote (Cone kick)
- Green Bay – Pelfrey 20 pass from Thomason (Cone kick)
- Green Bay – Rote 1 run (Cone kick)
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 33 pass from Ortmann (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 2 run (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Rogel 1 run (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Safety, Cloud tackled by Mehelich in end zone
- Pittsburgh – Finks 25 interception (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Geri 26
- Green Bay – Mann 16 pass from Rote (Cone kick)
Week 3 (Sunday October 14, 1951): San Francisco 49ers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 7 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 28 |
| Steelers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 27,307
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
'Scoring drives:
- San Francisco – Cason 65 interception (Soltau kick)
- Pittsburgh – Nickel 77 pass from Geri (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Geri 16
- San Francisco – Monachino 7 run (Soltau kick)
- San Francisco – Perry 4 pass from Albert (Soltau kick)
- San Francisco – Schabarum 8 run (Soltau kick)
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 8 pass from Mathews (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Nickel 22 pass from Mathews (Geri kick)
Week 4 (Sunday October 21, 1951): Cleveland Browns
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Browns | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 32,409
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Cleveland – Gillom 38 fumble run (Groza kick)
- Cleveland – FG Groza 25
- Cleveland – Lahr 27 interception (Groza kick)
Week 5 (Sunday October 28, 1951): Chicago Cardinals
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 28 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 14,773
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – Jansante 46 pass from Geri (Geri kick)
- Chicago Cardinals – Cross 1 run (Patton kick)
- Chicago Cardinals – Cross 7 run (Patton kick)
- Pittsburgh – Geri 49 pass from Chandnois (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Nickel 33 pass from Ortmann (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Butler 52 interception (Geri run)
Week 6 (Sunday November 4, 1951): Philadelphia Eagles
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 34 |
| Steelers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 19,649
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Geri 22
- Pittsburgh – Shipkey 20 interception (Geri kick)
- Philadelphia – Walston 26 pass from Burk (Waltson kick)
- Philadelphia – Pihos 12 pass from Burk (Walston kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Geri 40
- Philadelphia – S. Van Buren 2 run (kick failed)
- Philadelphia – Cowhig 25 fumble run (Walston kick)
- Philadelphia – Sandifer 30 pass from Burk (Walston kick)
Week 7 (Sunday November 11, 1951): Green Bay Packers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Steelers | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 20,080
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 13 run (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Nuzum 3 run (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Geri 3 run (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Minarik 35 pass from Chandnois (Geri kick)
- Green Bay – Mann 20 pass from Rote (Cone kick)
Week 8 (Sunday November 18, 1951): Washington Redskins
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 22 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 15,060
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Washington – Goode 2 run (kick blocked)
- Pittsburgh – Mathews 68 punt return (Geri kick)
- Washington – FG Dudley 30
- Washington – FG Dudley 37
- Washington – FG Dudley 37
- Washington – Goode 10 run (Dudley kick)
Week 9 (Sunday November 25, 1951): Philadelphia Eagles
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Eagles | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 15,537
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Geri 24
- Pittsburgh – Rogel 1 run (Geri kick)
- Philadelphia – Pihos 16 pass from Burk (kick blocked)
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 37 pass from Ortmann (Geri kick)
- Philadelphia – Parmer 15 run (Walston kick)
Week 10 (Sunday December 2, 1951): New York Giants
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Giants | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 19,196
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- New York Giants – Landry 9 fumble run (Poole kick)
- New York Giants – Schnellbacher 46 interception (Poole kick)
Week 11 (Sunday December 9, 1951): Cleveland Browns
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 24,229
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Cleveland – Carpenter 24 run (Groza kick)
- Cleveland – Motley 8 run (Groza kick)
- Cleveland – Lavelli 7 pass from Graham (Groza kick)
- Cleveland – Taseff 3 run (Groza kick)
Week 13 (Sunday December 16, 1951): Washington Redskins
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Redskins | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 18,969
- Referee:
- TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
- Washington – FG Dudley 15
- Washington – Tereshinski 16 pass from Baugh (Dudley kick)
- Pittsburgh – Chandnois 40 pass from Finks (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Rogel 3 run (Geri kick)
- Pittsburgh – Geri 4 run (kick failed)
Standings
| NFL American Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Cleveland Browns | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 9–0 | 331 | 152 | W11 | |
| New York Giants | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 7–2–1 | 254 | 161 | W4 | |
| Washington Redskins | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 4–5 | 183 | 296 | L1 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4 | 7 | 1 | .364 | 3–5–1 | 183 | 235 | W1 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–6 | 234 | 264 | L2 | |
| Chicago Cardinals | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 0–8 | 210 | 287 | W1 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
