1953 Pittsburgh Steelers season

NFL team season March 2026 November 2013 March 2026 1953-Steelers-mediaguide.jpg Pittsburgh Steelers 1953 6–6 4th NFL Eastern Joe Bach Forbes Field Did not qualify Steelers seasons The 1953 Pittsburgh Steelers season marked the franchise's 21st year in the National Football League (NFL). The club finished with a record of 6 wins and 6 losses, 4th place in the league's Eastern Conference.Franchise Encyclopedia: Pittsburgh Steelers https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/ Pro-Football-Reference.com March 3, 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20120122015827/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/ January 22, 2012 live mdy Regular season Schedule Game Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Sources 1 September 27 at Detroit Lions L 21–38 0–1 2 October 3 New York Giants W 24–14 1–1 3 October 11 Chicago Cardinals W 31–28 2–1 4 October 17 at Philadelphia Eagles L 7–23 2–2 5 October 24 Green Bay Packers W 31–14 3–2 6 November 1 Philadelphia Eagles L 7–35 3–3 7 November 8 at Cleveland Browns L 16–34 3–4 8 November 15 at New York Giants W 14–10 4–4 9 November 22 Cleveland Browns L 16–20 4–5 10 November 29 Washington Redskins L 9–17 4–6 11 December 6 at Chicago Cardinals W 21–17 5–6 12 December 13 at Washington Redskins W 14–13 6–6 Game summaries Week 1 (Sunday September 27, 1953): Detroit Lions Steelers 7 7 0 7 Lions 7 17 7 7 at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 20,675 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring drives: Detroit – Carpenter 73 interception (Walker kick) Pittsburgh – Nickel 14 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick) Detroit – Gedman 1 run (Walker kick) Detroit – FG Walker 40 Pittsburgh – Mathews 1 fumble run (Bolkovac kick) Detroit – Hart 49 pass from Layne (Walker kick) Detroit – Walker 8 pass from Hoernschmeyer (Walker kick) Detroit – Hoernschemeyer 29 pass from Layne (Walker kick) Pittsburgh – Nickel 15 pass from Marchibroda (Bolkovac kick) Week 2 (Saturday October 3, 1953): New York Giants Giants 7 7 0 0 Steelers 7 3 0 14 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 31,500 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring drives: New York Giants – Clay 2 pass from Conerly (Clay kick) Pittsburgh – Chandnois 93 kick return (Bolkovac kick) New York Giants – Long 55 pass from Conerly (Clay kick) Pittsburgh – FG Bolkovac 35 Pittsburgh – Nickel 4 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – Bolkovac 14 fumble run (Bolkovac kick) Week 3 (Sunday October 11, 1953): Chicago Cardinals Cardinals 7 14 7 0 Steelers 0 7 7 17 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 25,953 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring drives: Chicago Cardinals – Olszewski 1 run (Summerall kick) Pittsburgh – Rogel 1 run (Bolkovac kick) Chicago Cardinals – Nagler 34 pass from Root (Summerall kick) Chicago Cardinals – Nagler 6 pass from Root (Summerall kick) Chicago Cardinals – Stonesifer 3 pass from Trippi (Summerall kick) Pittsburgh – Mathews 19 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – Rogel 4 run (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – Barker 4 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – FG Bolkovac 28 Week 4 (Saturday October 17, 1953): Philadelphia Eagles Steelers 0 0 7 0 Eagles 0 0 6 17 at Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 18,681 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring drives: Philadelphia – Pihos 28 pass from Burk (kick blocked) Pittsburgh – Mathews 23 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick) Philadelphia – FG Walston 11 Philadelphia – Giancanelli 16 pass from Thomason (Walston kick) Philadelphia – Ziegler 1 run (Walston kick) Week 5 (Saturday October 24, 1953): Green Bay Packers Packers 0 0 7 7 Steelers 7 10 14 0 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 22,918 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives: Pittsburgh – Finks 4 run (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – FG Bolkovac 40 Pittsburgh – Chandnois 6 run (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – Brandt 2 run (Bolkovac kick) PIttsburgh – Brandt 1 run (Bolkovac kick) Green Bay – Parilli 1 run (Cone kick) Green Bay – Cone 5 pass from Rote (Cone kick) Week 6 (Sunday November 1, 1953): Philadelphia Eagles Eagles 14 7 0 14 Steelers 0 7 0 0 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 27,547 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives: Philadelphia – Gianganelli 7 run (Walston kick) Philadelphia – Williams 48 run (Walston kick) Philadelphia – Walston 21 pass from Thomason (Walston kick) Pittsburgh – Mathews 11 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick) Philadelphia – Pihos 26 pass from Thomason (Walston kick) Philadelphia – Giancanelli 8 pass from Thomason (Walston kick) Week 7 (Sunday November 8, 1953): Cleveland Browns Steelers 9 7 0 0 Browns 0 24 0 10 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 35,592 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives: Pittsburgh – FG Bolkovac 27 Pittsburgh – Mathews 2 run (kick failed) Cleveland – Carpenter 7 run (Groza kick) Cleveland – FG Groza 20 Cleveland – Renfro 44 run (Groza kick) Pittsburgh – Mathews 77 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick) Cleveland – Renfro 79 blocked field goal return (Groza kick) Cleveland – Lavelli 17 pass from Graham (Groza kick) Cleveland – FG Groza 14 Week 8 (Sunday November 15, 1953): New York Giants Steelers 7 0 0 7 Giants 0 0 7 3 at Polo Grounds, New York, New York Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 20,411 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives: Pittsburgh – Dodrill 16 fumble run (Bolkovac kick) New York Giants – Gifford 6 pass from Conerly (Gifford kick) New York Giants – FG Clay 20 Pittsburgh – Butler 33 pass from Finks (Bolkovac kick) Week 9 (Sunday November 22, 1953): Cleveland Browns Browns 7 10 3 0 Steelers 9 0 0 7 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 32,904 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives: Cleveland – Renfro 54 pass from Graham (Groza kick) Pittsburgh – Finks 1 run (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – Safety, Lahr tackled in end zone by Mathews Cleveland – FG Groza 50 Cleveland – Brewster 31 pass from Graham (Groza kick) Cleveland – FG Groza 41 Pittsburgh – Mathews 1 run (Bolkovac kick) Week 10 (Sunday November 29, 1953): Washington Redskins Redskins 0 7 0 10 Steelers 2 0 0 7 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 17,206 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives: Pittsburgh – Safety, Heath tackled by Ferry in end zone Washington – Taylor 5 pass from LeBaron (Dudley kick) Pittsburgh – Chandnois 5 run (Bolkovac kick) Washington – FG Dudley 41 Washington – Rykovich 5 pass from LeBaron (Dudley kick) Week 11 (Sunday December 6, 1953): Chicago Cardinals Steelers 0 0 7 14 Cardinals 7 0 3 7 at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 14,138 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives: Chicago Cardinals – Olszewski 1 run (Summerall kick) Chicago Cardinals – FG Summerall 12 Pittsburgh – Brandt 1 run (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – Nickel 6 pass from Mackrides (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – Mackrides 2 run (Bolkovac kick) Chicago Cardinals – Paul 5 pass from Romanik (Summerall kick) Week 12 (Sunday December 13, 1953): Washington Redskins Steelers 0 0 0 14 Redskins 7 3 3 0 at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 22,057 Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives: Washington – Dekker 34 pass from LeBaron Washington – FG Dudley 39 Washington – FG Dudley 20 Pittsburgh – Chandnois 23 lateral from Mathews (Bolkovac kick) Pittsburgh – Butler 5 interception (Bolkovac kick) Standings Roster 1953 Pittsburgh Steelers  7 Jim Finks 13 Bill Mackrides 27 Jim Brandt S 49 Lynn Chandnois 39 Leo Elter y 25 Ray Mathews S 33 Fran Rogel 89 Ed Barker American football y S 81 Elbie Nickel 88 George Sulima 72 Bob Gaona y T 65 George Hughes American football T 64 Marv McFadden y G 66 John Schweder G/MG 61 Lou Tepe y C 56 Bill Walsh American football, born 1927 C 83 John Alderton American football y DE 60 Dale Dodrill MG 78 Lou Ferry DT 84 Bill McPeak DE 77 Tom Palmer y no DT 70 Ernie Stautner DT 82 George Tarasovic DE 57 Dick Flanagan OLB 63 Darrell Hogan MLB 62 Marv Matuszak y OLB 80 Jack Butler American football CB/WR 35 Tom Calvin S/RB 26 Art DeCarlo y CB 24 Claude Hipps S 89 Nick Bolkovac K/DT 18 Pat Brady gridiron football P -- Rudy Andabaker G (Military) -- Ed Kissell S/K (Military) -- Pete Ladygo G (IR) 7px 14 Ted Marchibroda y QB (Military) -- Ed Modzelewski RB (Military) References External links 1953 Pittsburgh Steelers at jt-sw.com 1953 Pittsburgh Steelers at Pro-Football-Reference.com 1953 Pittsburgh Steelers at ProFootballArchives.com Category:Pittsburgh Steelers seasons Pittsburgh Steelers Pitts