# 1949 Pittsburgh Steelers season

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 | October 3 | Washington Redskins | L 14–27 | 1–1 | Forbes Field | Recap |
| 3 | October 8 | 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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Steelers | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 6 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 27 |
| Steelers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Giants | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Steelers | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 3 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 27 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 30 |
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Eagles | 10 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Bears | 7 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 30 |
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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 27 |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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

NFL Eastern Division :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 8–0 | 364 | 134 | W8 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 4–4 | 224 | 214 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 287 | 298 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 4 | 7 | 1 | .364 | 3–4–1 | 268 | 339 | L1 |
| New York Bulldogs | 1 | 10 | 1 | .091 | 1–6–1 | 153 | 368 | L5 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
NFL Western Division :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8 | 2 | 2 | .800 | 6–1–1 | 360 | 239 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 332 | 218 | W6 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 4–3–1 | 360 | 301 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 2–6 | 237 | 259 | W2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 1–7 | 114 | 329 | L6 |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.