The 1949 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 17th in the National Football League, and the second season with John Michelosen as head coach. The team finished the season with a record of 6–5-1, improving slightly from the previous season record of 4–8, but again failing to qualify for the playoffs.
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 25 New York Giants W 28–7 1–0 Forbes Field Recap 2 Washington Redskins L 14–27 1–1 Forbes Field Recap 3 Detroit Lions W 14–7 2–1 Forbes Field Recap 4 October 16 at New York Giants W 21–17 3–1 Polo Grounds Recap 5 October 23 New York Bulldogs W 24–13 4–1 Forbes Field Recap 6 October 30 Philadelphia Eagles L 7–38 4–2 Forbes Field Recap 7 November 6 at Washington Redskins L 14–27 4–3 Griffith Stadium Recap 8 November 13 Los Angeles Rams T 7–7 4–3–1 Forbes Field Recap 9 November 20 at Green Bay Packers W 30–7 5–3–1 Wisconsin State Fair Park Recap 10 November 27 at Philadelphia Eagles L 17–34 5–4–1 Shibe Park Recap 11 December 4 at Chicago Bears L 21–30 5–5–1 Wrigley Field Recap 12 December 11 at New York Bulldogs W 27–0 6–5–1 Polo Grounds Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1 (Sunday September 25, 1949): New York Giants
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 20,957 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Pittsburgh – Nickel 52 pass from Gage (Glamp kick) Pittsburgh – Nuzum 9 run (Glamp kick) Pittsburgh – Samuel 31 run (Glamp kick) Pittsburgh – Geri 2 run (Glamp kick) New York Giants – Poole 13 pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick)
Week 2 (Monday October 3, 1949): Washington Redskins
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 30,000 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Washington – Taylor 24 pass from Baugh (kick failed) Pittsburgh – Shipkey 2 run (Glamp kick) Pittsburgh – Nuzum 27 run (Glamp kick) Washington – Sandifer 35 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick) Washington – Taylor 58 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick) Washington – Goode 1 run (Poillon kick)
Week 3 (Saturday October 8, 1949): Washington Redskins
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 21,355 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick) Pittsburgh – Shipkey 2 run (Glamp kick) Detroit – Doll 95 interception (Dudley kick)
Week 4 (Sunday October 16, 1949): New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 29,911 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Pittsburgh – Geri 3 run (Glamp kick) New York Giants – FG Agajanian 38 New York Giants – Scott 4 run (Agajanian kick) New York Giants – Scott 2 run (Agajanian kick) Pittsburgh – Samuelson 26 fumble run (Glamp kick) Pittsburgh – Jansante 29 pass from Finks (Glamp kick)
Week 5 (Sunday October 23, 1949): New York Bulldogs
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 22,042 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Pittsburgh – Nuzum 25 run (Glamp kick) New York Bulldogs – Layne 1 run (Scollard kick) Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 17 Pittsburgh – Geri 3 run (Glamp kick) New York Bulldogs – FG Scollard 27 New York Bulldogs – FG Scollard 25 Pittsburgh – Nuzum 6 run (Glamp kick)
Week 6 (Sunday October 30, 1949): Philadelphia Eagles
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 37,903 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Philadelphia – FG Patton 48 Philadelphia – Van Buren 1 run (Muha kick) Philadelphia – Scott 70 punt return (Muha kick) Philadelphia – Van Buren 6 run (Muha kick) Pittsburgh – Jansante 35 pass from Finks (Glamp kick) Philadelphia – Thompson 1 run (Muha kick) Philadelphia – Pihos 15 pass from Mackrides (Muha kick)
Week 7 (Sunday November 6, 1949): Washington Redskins
at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Washington – Taylor 51 pass from Gilmer (Poillon kick) Pittsburgh – Finks 5 run (Glamp kick) Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick) Washington – Stout 74 run (Poillon kick) Washington – Stout 1 run (kick failed) Washington -Dowda 1 run (Poillon kick)
Week 8 (Sunday November 13, 1949): Los Angeles Rams
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 20,510 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Pittsburgh – Geri 18 run (Glamp kick) Los Angeles – Gehrke 1 run (Waterfield kick)
Week 9 (Sunday November 20, 1949): Green Bay Packers
at City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Pittsburgh – Jansante 47 pass from Geri (Geri kick) Pittsburgh – Nuzum 64 run (Geri kick) Green Bay – Girard 1 run (Fritsch kick) Pittsburgh – Safety, Girard's punt blocked out of end zone by Samuelson Pittsburgh – Nuzum 8 pass from Geri (Geri kick) Pittsburgh – Gage 3 run (Geri kick)
Week 10 (Sunday November 27, 1949): Philadelphia Eagles
at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 22,191 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Philadelphia – Armstrong 13 pass from Thompson (Patton kick) Pittsburgh – Nuzum 67 pass from Geri (Geri kick) Philadelphia – FG Patton 16 Pittsburgh – FG Geri 34 Philadelphia – Ferrante 3 pass from Thompson (Patton kick) Philadelphia – Parmer 1 run (Patton kick) Philadelphia – FG Patton 13 Pittsburgh – Nickel 40 pass from Gage (Geri kick)
Week 11 (Sunday December 4, 1949): Chicago Bears
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 36,071 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Chicago Bears – Rykovick 20 pass from Lujack (Lujack kick) Pittsburgh – Nickel 48 pass from Geri (Geri kick) Chicago Bears – Hoffman 3 run (Lujack kick) Chicago Bears – FG Blanda 33 Chicago Bears – Rykovich 1 run (kick failed) Chicago Bears – Rykovich 1 run (Lujack kick) Pittsburgh – Gage 97 run (Geri kick) Pittsburgh – Gage 6 run (Geri kick)
Week 12 (Sunday December 11, 1949): New York Bulldogs
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 4,028 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (kick failed) Pittsburgh – Jansante 44 pass from Geri (Geri kick) Pittsburgh – Geri 1 run (Geri kick) Pittsburgh – Finks 17 pass from Seabright (Geri kick)
Standings
Roster 1949 Pittsburgh Steelers final roster Backs Jim Finks RB/CB Bobby Gage RB/CB Joe Geri RB/CB/K Bob Hanlon CB/RB Howard Hartley S/RB Joe Hollingsworth FB/OLB Frank Minini RB/CB/S Jerry Nuzum RB/CB George Papach FB/LB Don Samuel RB/CB Charley Seabright FB
Receivers Val Jansante Bob Long Elbie Nickel Linemen/Linebackers Bob Balog OLB/C Pete Barbolak T/DT Bob Davis DE Darrell Hogan MLB Bill McPeak DE Charley Mehelich DE Red Moore G/MG Leo Nobile MLB/G Carl Samuelson DT/T Jerry Shipkey OLB/FB Frank Sinkovitz OLB Steve Suhey G Walt Szot DT Bill Walsh C Jack Wiley T Frank Wydo T/DT
Rookies in italics
References