1961 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1961 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 29th in the National Football League.

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record
1	September 17	at Dallas Cowboys	L 24–27	0–1
2	September 24	New York Giants	L 14–17	0–2
3	October 1	at Los Angeles Rams	L 14–24	0–3
4	October 8	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 16–21	0–4
5	October 15	Washington Redskins	W 20–0	1–4
6	October 22	Cleveland Browns	L 28–30	1–5
7	October 29	San Francisco 49ers	W 20–10	2–5
8	November 5	at Cleveland Browns	W 17–13	3–5
9	November 12	Dallas Cowboys	W 37–7	4–5
10	November 19	at New York Giants	L 21–42	4–6
11	November 26	St. Louis Cardinals	W 30–27	5–6
12	December 3	Philadelphia Eagles	L 24–35	5–7
13	December 10	at Washington Redskins	W 30–14	6–7
14	December 17	at St. Louis Cardinals	L 0–20	6–8

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 17, 1961): Dallas Cowboys

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	14	0	10	24
Cowboys	7	3	7	10	27

at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 23,500
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Dallas – Clarke 44 pass from LeBaron (Green kick)
• Pittsburgh – Johnson 1 run (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 44 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Dallas – FG Green 15
• Dallas – Howton 45 pass from LeBaron (Green kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 12
• Pittsburgh – Sample 39 interception return (Layne kick)
• Dallas – Bieski 17 pass from Meredith (Green kick)
• Dallas – FG Green 27

Week 2 (Sunday September 24, 1961): New York Giants

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

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 35,587
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Johnson 1 run (Tracy kick)
• New York Giants – Shofner 16 pass from Conerly (Summerall kick)
• New York Giants – FG Summerall 19
• New York Giants – Morrison 5 pass from Tittle (Summerall kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 4 pass from Layne (Tracy kick)

Week 3 (Sunday October 1, 1961): Los Angeles Rams

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	14	0	0	14
Rams	7	7	0	10	24

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 40,070
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Los Angeles – Bratkowski 2 run (Villanueva kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 20 pass from Bukich (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Johnson 5 run (Layne kick)
• Los Angeles – Phillips 15 pass from Ryan (Villanueva kick)
• Los Angeles – Matson 96 pass from Ryan (Villanueva kick)
• Los Angeles – FG Villanueva 15

Week 4 (Sunday October 8, 1961): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	7	0	6	16
Eagles	0	7	7	7	21

at Franklin Field, Philadelphia

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 60,671
• Referee: George Rennix
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 23
• PIttsburgh – Bukich 1 run (Michaels kick)
• Philadelphia – Retzlaff 17 pass from Jurgensen (Walston kick)
• Philadelphia – Peaks 1 run (Walston kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 13 pass from Bukich (kick failed)
• Philadelphia – Retzlaff 2 pass from Jurgensen (Walston kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 15, 1961): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	0	0	0	0
Steelers	17	0	0	3	20

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 15,072
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Carpenter 8 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 23 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 13
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 36

Week 6 (Sunday October 22, 1961): Cleveland Browns

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	3	7	3	17	30
Steelers	0	0	14	14	28

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 29,266
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Cleveland – FG Groza 24
• Cleveland – Mitchell 6 run (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 12 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Tracy 1 run (Michaels kick)
• Cleveland – FG Groza 36
• Cleveland – Mitchell 9 run (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – Tracy 1 run (Michaels kick)
• Cleveland – Mitchell 18 run (Groza kick)
• Cleveland – FG Groza 12
• Pittsburgh – Dial 88 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 29, 1961): San Francisco 49ers

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	7	3	0	10
Steelers	17	0	3	0	20

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 21,686
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Johnson 30 run (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Tracy 11 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 16
• San Francisco – Stickles 50 pass from Brodie (Davis kick)
• San Francisco – FG Davis 20
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 24

Week 8 (Sunday November 5, 1961): Cleveland Browns

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	10	7	17
Browns	7	0	3	3	13

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 62,723
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Cleveland – J. Brown 3 run
• Cleveland – FG Groza 27
• Pittsburgh – Bukich 1 run (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 10
• Cleveland – FG Groza 37
• Pittsburgh – Schnelker 26 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 12, 1961): Dallas Cowboys

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	13	7	10	37
Cowboys	0	7	0	0	7

at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 17,519
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Johnson 1 run (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 28
• Dallas – Perkins 11 run (Green kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 19
• Pittsburgh – Dial 73 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Butler 71 interception (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 15 pass from Bikich (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 47

Week 10 (Sunday November 19, 1961): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	7	14	14	42
Steelers	7	0	0	14	21

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 62,592
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Dial 15 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
• New York Giants – Walton 9 pass from Tittle (Summerall kick)
• New York Giants – Gaiters 3 run (Summerall kick)
• New York Giants – Webster 23 pass from Tittle (Summerall kick)
• New York Giants – Rote 20 pass from Tittle (Summerall kick)
• New York Giants – Rote 9 pass from Gaiters (Summerall kick)
• Pittsburgh – Carpenter 13 pass from Hoak (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 3 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
• New York Giants – Webster 32 run (Summerall kick)

Week 11 (Sunday November 26, 1961): St. Louis Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	13	0	0	14	27
Steelers	0	13	14	0	27

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 17,090
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• St. Louis – Norton 47 interception return (kick failed)
• St. Louis – Randle 3 pass from Etcheverry (Perry kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 18
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 36
• Pittsburgh – Schnelker 11 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Sample 55 punt return (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Johnson 2 run (Michaels kick)
• St. Louis – Crow 61 pass from Guglielmi (Conrad kick)
• St. Louis – Norton 37 interception return (Conrad kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 18

Week 12 (Sunday December 3, 1961): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	14	7	7	7	35
Steelers	7	3	7	7	24

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 21,653
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Philadelphia – Walston 17 pass from Jurgensen (Walston kick)
• Philadelphia – Peaks 1 run (Walston kick)
• Pittsburgh – Carpenter 7 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 37
• Philadelphia – Lucas 7 pass from Jurgensen (Walston kick)
• Philadelphia – Brown 66 punt return (Walston kick)
• Pittsburgh – Johnson 7 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Schnelker 8 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
• Philadelphia – Brown 42 run (Walston kick)

Week 13 (Sunday December 10, 1961): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	3	14	6	30
Redskins	0	7	0	7	14

at D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C.

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 21,134
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Mack 10 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
• Washington – Dugan 9 pass from Snead (Aveni kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 42
• Pittsburgh – Carpenter 40 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
• Pittsburgh – Mack 6 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
• Washington – Dugan 11 pass from Izo (Aveni kick)
• Pittsburgh – Dial 5 pass from Layne (kick failed)

Week 14 (Sunday December 17, 1961): St. Louis Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	0	0	0
Cardinals	7	0	6	7	20

at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 16,298
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• St. Louis – Randle 3 pass from Etcheverry (Perry kick)
• St. Louis – Stacy 25 fumble run (kick failed)
• St. Louis – Crow 15 pass from Etcheverry (Perry kick)

Standings

NFL Eastern Conference
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STK
New York Giants	10	3	1	.769	9–2–1	368	220	T1
Philadelphia Eagles	10	4	0	.714	8–4	361	297	W1
Cleveland Browns	8	5	1	.615	8–3–1	319	270	T1
St. Louis Cardinals	7	7	0	.500	7–5	279	267	W3
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	8	0	.429	5–7	295	287	L1
Dallas Cowboys	4	9	1	.308	2–9–1	236	380	L4
Washington Redskins	1	12	1	.077	1–10–1	174	392	W1

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

References