1958 Pittsburgh Steelers season NFL team season
The 1958 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 26th in the National Football League . Coming off a 6–6 result in 1957, the Steelers moved to a new venue, the University of Pittsburgh's 60,000 seat Pitt Stadium , a significantly larger facility than the 40,000 seat Forbes Field . Despite the superior accommodations, the Steelers never in 1958 drew more than the 31,130 fans they brought out to their season opener.
Background
Layne trade
After the second game of the season, Steelers coach Buddy Parker arranged a trade on October 6 that sent quarterback Earl Morrall and two draft picks to the Detroit Lions for quarterback Bobby Layne .[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] hall of famer .
Ticketing and attendance
With optimistic expectations about the growth of the NFL, the Steelers moved to a new larger facility for the 1958 season, the University of Pittsburgh's Pitt Stadium . Designed for football rather than baseball, the Pitt facility offered seating for 60,000 — dwarfing the 40,000 seat capacity of venerable Forbes Field .[ 4] Cleveland Browns — one of the best teams in the league during the decade of the 1950s — with 31,130 ticketed people through the gate.[ 5]
The Steelers priced tickets in three price tiers in 1958 — $3.00 seats, $5.00 seats, and $6.00 seats.[ 6] [ 6]
Pre-season
Schedule
Game
Date
Opponent
Result
Record
Venue
Location
Attendance
Sources
1
August 16
vs. Cleveland Browns
L 0–10
0–1
Rubber Bowl
Akron, OH
27,202
[ 7]
2
August 20
at Green Bay Packers
W 3–0
1–1
County Stadium
Milwaukee, WI
17,294
[ 8]
3
August 30
Chicago Bears
L 10–17
1–2
Pitt Stadium
Pittsburgh
16,029
[ 9]
4
September 6
vs. Baltimore Colts
W 13–10
2–2
Civic Stadium
Buffalo, NY
8,661
[ 10]
5
September 12
vs. Chicago Cardinals
L 7–21
2–3
Busch Stadium
St. Louis, MO
25,302
[ 11]
6
September 21
Los Angeles Rams
L 6–31
2–4
Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles
26,396
[ 12]
Regular season
Schedule
Game
Date
Opponent
Result
Record
Venue
Attendance
Recap
Sources
1
September 28
at San Francisco 49ers
L 20–23
0–1
Kezar Stadium
51,856
Recap
[ 13]
2
October 5
Cleveland Browns L 12–45
0–2
Pitt Stadium
31,130
Recap
3
October 12
Philadelphia Eagles W 24–3
1–2
Pitt Stadium
23,153
Recap
4
October 19
at Cleveland Browns
L 10–27
1–3
Cleveland Stadium
66,852
Recap
5
October 26
at New York Giants
L 6–17
1–4
Yankee Stadium
25,007
Recap
6
November 2
Washington Redskins W 24–16
2–4
Pitt Stadium
19,525
Recap
7
November 9
at Philadelphia Eagles
W 31–24
3–4
Franklin Field
26,306
Recap
8
November 16
New York Giants W 31–10
4–4
Pitt Stadium
30,030
Recap
9
November 23
at Chicago Cardinals
W 27–20
5–4
Comiskey Park
15,946
Recap
10
November 30
Chicago Bears
W 24–10
6–4
Pitt Stadium
20,094
Recap
11
December 7
at Washington Redskins
T 14–14
6–4–1
Griffith Stadium
23,370
Recap
12
Chicago Cardinals W 38–21
7–4–1
Pitt Stadium
16,660
Recap
Note: Conference opponents in Bold .
Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Game summaries
Total
Steelers
0
7
13
0
20
49ers
7
0
6
10
23
at Kezar Stadium , San Francisco, California
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 32,150Referee: Scoring Drives:
San Francisco – McElhenny 2 run (Soltau kick)
Pittsburgh – Mathews 10 pass from Morrall (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 22
Pittsburgh – Younger 1 run (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 23
San Francisco – Pace 11 run (kick blocked)
San Francisco – Brodie 1 run (Soltau kick)
San Francisco – FG Soltau 22
Total
Browns
7
17
14
7
45
Steelers
0
10
0
2
12
at Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 31,130Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives:
Cleveland – Brown 23 run (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Mitchell 21 pass from Plum (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Brewster 8 pass from Plum (Groza kick)
Pittsburgh – Tracy 1 run (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 31
Cleveland – FG Groza 32
Cleveland – Brown 59 run (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Brown 3 run (Groza kick)
Cleveland – P. Carpenter 4 pass from Ninowski (Groza kick)
Pittsburgh – Safety, Ninowski tackled by Stautner in end zone
Total
Eagles
3
0
0
0
3
Steelers
14
7
3
0
24
at Forbes Field , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 23,153Referee: Scoring Drives:
Total
Steelers
7
0
0
3
10
Browns
7
14
0
6
27
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium , Cleveland, Ohio
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 66,852Referee: TV announcers: Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Mathews 64 pass from Tracy (Miner kick)
Cleveland – Brown 27 pass from Plum (Groza kick)
Cleveland – Brown 48 run (Plum kick)
Cleveland – Renfro 36 pass from Plum (Plum kick)
Cleveland – Mitchell 7 pass from Plum (kick failed)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 47
Total
Steelers
0
3
3
0
6
Giants
7
3
0
7
17
at Yankee Stadium , Bronx, New York
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 25,007Referee: Scoring Drives:
New York Giants – Karilivacz 23 fumble run (Summerall kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 27
New York Giants – FG Summerall 34
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 39
New York Giants – Heinrich 1 run (Summerall kick)
Total
Redskins
3
3
0
10
16
Steelers
0
14
0
10
24
at Forbes Field , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 19,525Referee: Scoring Drives:
Washington – FG Baker 13
Pittsburgh – Orr 19 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – Younger 2 run (Miner kick)
Washington – FG Baker 27
Pittsburgh – Mathews 62 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Washington – FG Baker 32
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 43
Washington – Walton 26 pass from Guglielmi (Baker kick)
Total
Steelers
3
14
14
0
31
Eagles
7
3
7
7
24
at Franklin Field , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 26,306Referee: Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 38
Philadelphia – Retzlaff 18 pass from Barnes (Walston kick)
Pittsburgh – Tracy 13 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – Tracy 25 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Philadelphia – FG Walston 16
Philadelphia – Barnes 3 run (Walston kick)
Pittsburgh – Mathews 34 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – Tracy 40 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Philadelphia – McDonald 10 pass from Van Brocklin (Walston kick)
Total
Giants
7
3
0
0
10
Steelers
0
7
14
10
31
at Forbes Field , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 30,030Referee: Scoring Drives:
New York Giants – Gifford 1 run (Summerall kick)
New York Giants – FG Summerall 42
Pittsburgh – Layne 1 run (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – Tracy 9 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – Glick 37 fumble run (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 43 (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – Layne 1 run (Miner kick)
Total
Steelers
10
10
0
7
27
Cardinals
10
3
7
0
20
at Comiskey Park , Chicago, Illinois
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 15,946Referee: Scoring Drives:
Chicago Cardinals – Matson 101 kick return (Conrad kick)
Pittsburgh – Elter 5 run (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 37
Chicago Cardinals – FG Conrad 38
Pittsburgh – Elter 8 run (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 30
Chicago Cardinals – FG Conrad 12
Chicago Cardinals – Matson 1 run (Conrad kick)
Pittsburgh – Orr 78 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Total
Bears
0
0
0
10
10
Steelers
7
3
0
14
24
at Forbes Field , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 20,094Referee: Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Tracy 30 run (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 22
Chicago Bears – Jewett 13 pass from Brown (Blanda kick)
Chicago Bears – FG Blanda 34
Pittsburgh – Orr 48 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – Tracy 18 run (Miner kick)
Total
Steelers
0
0
7
7
14
Redskins
0
14
0
0
14
at Griffith Stadium , Washington, DC
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 23,370Referee: Scoring Drives:
Washington – Bosseler 7 run (Baker kick)
Washington – Bosseler 2 run (Baker kick)
Pittsburgh – Orr 55 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – McClairen 28 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Total
Cardinals
0
7
14
0
21
Steelers
0
17
7
14
38
at Pitt Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Sunny, cold (the water pipes in Pitt Stadium froze)Game attendance: 16,660Referee: Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Orr 36 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Chicago Cardinals – Matson 92 kick return (Conrad kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Miner 13
Pittsburgh – Layne 17 run (Miner kick)
Chicago Cardinals – Watkins 48 pass from Reynolds (Conrad kick)
Pittsburgh – Orr 17 pass from Layne (Miner kick)
Chicago Cardinals – Matson 1 run (Conrad kick)
Pittsburgh – Orr 72 pass from Tracy (Miner kick)
Pittsburgh – Reynolds 5 run (Miner kick)
References
^ Livingston, Pat (October 7, 1958). "Layne takes over as Steeler QB" . Pittsburgh Press . p. 27. ^ Sell, Jack (October 7, 1958). "Steelers get Layne for Morrall" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . ^ "Lions send Bobby Layne to Steelers for Morrall" . Youngstown Vindicator . (Ohio). Associated Press. October 7, 1958. p. 21.^ Arnold Zeitlin/Associated Press, "Quarterbacks Poser for NFL Coaches," Elmira [NY] Telegram, Sept. 7, 1958, p. 6-D.
^ "Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers - October 5th, 1958," Pro Football Reference, www.pro-football-reference.com^ a b Ray Byrne and Ed Kiely (eds.), Pittsburgh Steelers 1958 (26th year): Press, Radio & TV Guide. Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club, 1958, p. 2.
^ Don Plath, "27,202 See Browns Topple Steelers: Defense Shines in 10–0 Win," Akron Beacon-Journal, Aug. 17, 1958, p. B1.
^ Art Daley, "Late Steeler FG Tips Packers in Downpour, 3–0: Pitt Interception Sets Up Last Second Miner Boot," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Aug. 21, 1958, p. 35.
^ Jimmy Miller, "'Confused' Steelers Lose to Bears," Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, Aug. 31, 1958, sports pp. 1, 3 .
^ Cameron C. Snyder, "Steelers Down Colts in Buffalo Exhibition, 13–10: Morrall Hurls Pair of Touchdown Passes During Second Period," Baltimore Sun, Sept. 7, 1958, sports pp. 1, 5 .
^ Joe Pollack, "Cardinals Sweep to 21–7 Victory Over Steelers: McHan-to-Nagler Passes Pile Up Two TDs Before 25,302," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Sept. 13, 1958, p. 9.
^ Cal Whorton, "Arnett Stars as Rams Rout Steelers, 31–6," Los Angeles Times, Sept. 22, 1958, section 4, pp. 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-rams-sock-steelers/162980227/ 3 .
^ Bob Brachman, "Brodie Rallies 49ers to 23–20 Victory: Soltau's Field Goal Decisions Steelers," San Francisco Examiner, Sept. 29, 1958, sect. 2, pp. 5, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-49ers-rally-t/162989005/ 8 .
Formerly the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933–1939)
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