# 1953 Pittsburgh Steelers season

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.

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record |
| 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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Lions | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Steelers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 31 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 23 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Steelers | 7 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 14 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Browns | 0 | 24 | 0 | 10 | 34 |
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

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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Steelers | 9 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Steelers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Redskins | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
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

NFL Eastern Conference :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Cleveland Browns | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 9–1 | 348 | 162 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 4 | 1 | .636 | 6–3–1 | 352 | 215 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 6–3–1 | 208 | 215 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 5–5 | 211 | 263 | W2 |
| New York Giants | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 3–7 | 179 | 277 | L2 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 1 | 10 | 1 | .091 | 0–10 | 190 | 337 | W1 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
NFL Western Conference :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Detroit Lions | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 8–2 | 271 | 205 | W6 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 8–2 | 372 | 237 | W4 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8 | 3 | 1 | .727 | 7–3 | 366 | 236 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | 8 | 1 | .273 | 2–7–1 | 218 | 262 | L2 |
| Baltimore Colts | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–8 | 182 | 350 | L7 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2 | 9 | 1 | .182 | 2–7–1 | 200 | 338 | L5 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.