1961 Pittsburgh Steelers season

1961 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head Coach	Buddy Parker
Home Field	Forbes Field
Results
Record	6–8
Place	5th NFL Eastern
Playoff Finish	did not qualify
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1960	1962

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	Result
1	September 17, 1961	at Dallas Cowboys		L 27–24
2	September 24, 1961	New York Giants		L 17–14
3	October 1, 1961	at Los Angeles Rams		L 24–14
4	October 8, 1961	at Philadelphia Eagles		L 21–16
5	October 15, 1961	Washington Redskins		W 20–0
6	October 22, 1961	Cleveland Browns		L 30–28
7	October 29, 1961	San Francisco 49ers		W 20–10
8	November 5, 1961	at Cleveland Browns		W 17–13
9	November 12, 1961	Dallas Cowboys		W 37–7
10	November 19, 1961	at New York Giants		L 42–21
11	November 26, 1961	St. Louis Cardinals		W 30–27
12	December 3, 1961	Philadelphia Eagles		L 35–24
13	December 10, 1961	at Washington Redskins		W 30–14
14	December 17, 1961	at St. Louis Cardinals		L 20–0

Game summaries

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

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

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

• 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	OT
Steelers	3	7	0	6	16
Eagles	0	7	7	7	21

at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• 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	OT
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	OT
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	OT
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	OT
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	OT
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	OT
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	OT
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	OT
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	OT
Steelers	7	3	14	6	30
Redskins	0	7	0	7	14

at D.C. Stadium, Washington, DC

• 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	OT
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
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
New York Giants	10	3	1	.769	368	220	T-1
Philadelphia Eagles	10	4	0	.714	361	297	W-1
Cleveland Browns	8	5	1	.615	319	270	T-1
St. Louis Cardinals	7	7	0	.500	279	267	W-3
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	8	0	.429	295	287	L-1
Dallas Cowboys	4	9	1	.308	236	380	L-4
Washington Redskins	1	12	1	.077	174	392	W-1