# 1959 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1959 Pittsburgh Steelers season marked the franchise's 27th year in the National Football League (NFL). The team won one fewer game than it did the previous year, finishing with a record of 6 wins, 5 losses, and 1 tie.

## Regular season

In 1959 the Steelers offered seats at four price levels — $6.00, $5.00, $4.00, and $3.00. No season prices for the six game slate were published.

### Schedule

| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 26 | Cleveland Browns | W 17–7 | 1–0 | Forbes Field | 33,844 | Recap |
| 2 | October 4 | Washington Redskins | L 17–23 | 1–1 | Forbes Field | 26,750 | Recap |
| 3 | October 11 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 24–28 | 1–2 | Franklin Field | 27,343 | Recap |
| 4 | October 18 | at Washington Redskins | W 27–6 | 2–2 | Griffith Stadium | 28,218 | Recap |
| 5 | October 25 | New York Giants | L 16–21 | 2–3 | Forbes Field | 33,596 | Recap |
| 6 | November 1 | at Chicago Cardinals | L 24–45 | 2–4 | Soldier Field | 23,187 | Recap |
| 7 | November 8 | Detroit Lions | T 10–10 | 2–4–1 | Forbes Field | 24,614 | Recap |
| 8 | November 15 | at New York Giants | W 14–9 | 3–4–1 | Yankee Stadium | 66,786 | Recap |
| 9 | November 22 | at Cleveland Browns | W 21–20 | 4–4–1 | Cleveland Stadium | 68,563 | Recap |
| 10 | November 29 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 31–0 | 5–4–1 | Forbes Field | 22,191 | Recap |
| 11 | December 6 | at Chicago Bears | L 21–27 | 5–5–1 | Wrigley Field | 41,476 | Recap |
| 12 | December 13 | Chicago Cardinals | W 35–20 | 6–5–1 | Forbes Field | 19,011 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text. |||||||||

### Game summaries
#### Week 1 (Saturday September 26, 1959): Cleveland Browns

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 33,844
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Cleveland – Plum 1 run (Groza kick) CLE 7–0
* Pittsburgh – FG Layne 26 CLE 7–3
* Pittsburgh – Orr 20 pass from Layne (Layne kick) PIT 10–7
* Pittsburgh – Brewster 19 pass from Layne (Layne kick) PIT 17-7

#### Week 2 (Sunday October 4, 1959): Washington Redskins

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 3 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 23 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 26,750
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Washington – FG Baker 25 WSH 3–0
* Washington – FG Baker 47 WSH 3–0
* Washington – FG Baker 48 WSH 9–0
* Washington – Anderson 70 pass from Gugliemi (Baker kick) WSH 16–0
* Pittsburgh – FG Layne 32 WSH 16–3
* Washington – Walton 26 pass from Gugliemi (Baker kick)WSH 23–3
* Pittsburgh – Brewster 30 pass from Layne (Layne kick) WSH 23-10
* Pittsburgh – Krutko 2 run (Layne kick) WSH 23–17

#### Week 3 (Sunday October 11, 1959): Philadelphia Eagles

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Eagles | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 27,343
* Referee: Bud Brubaker
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Steelers – Bobby Layne 10 run (Layne kick), PIT 7–0
* Eagles – Billy Ray Barnes 3 run (Walston kick), TIE 7–7
* Eagles – Art Powell 58 punt return (Walston kick), PHI 14–7
* Steelers – FG Bobby Lane 12, PHI 14–10
* Eagles – Norm Van Brocklin 1 run (Walston kick), PHI 21–10
* Steelers – Tom Tracy 11 pass from Layne (Layne kick), PHI 21–17
* Eagles – Tommy McDonald 18 pass from Van Brocklin (Walston kick), PHI 28–17
* Steelers – Jimmy Orr 17 pass from Layne (Layne kick), PHI 28–24
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Steelers | Passing | Bobby Layne | 18/33, 209 Yds, 2 TD, INT |
| Steelers | Rushing | Tom Tracy | 11 Rush, 33 Yds |
| Steelers | Receiving | Tom Tracy | 4 Rec, 70 Yds, TD |
| Eagles | Passing | Norm Van Brocklin | 13/27, 172 Yds, TD, 2 INT |
| Eagles | Rushing | Clarence Peaks | 14 Rush, 42 Yds |
| Eagles | Receiving | Tommy McDonald | 4 Rec, 66 Yds, TD |

#### Week 4 (Sunday October 18, 1959): Washington Redskins

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 14 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Redskins | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 28,218
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Krutko 1 run (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – Tarasovic 38 fumble run (Layne kick)
* Washington – FG Baker 30
* Washington – FG Baker 39
* Pittsburgh – Krutko 4 run (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Layne 23
* Pittsburgh – FG Layne 22

#### Week 5 (Sunday October 25, 1959): New York Giants

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Steelers | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 33,596
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – FG Layne 37
* New York Giants – Gifford 77 pass from Conerly (Summerall kick)
* New York Giants – Gifford 28 pass from Conerly (Summerall kick)
* Pittsburgh – Dial 35 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Layne 19
* New York Giants – Huff 5 fumble run (Summerall kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Layne 17

#### Week 6 (Sunday November 1, 1959): Chicago Cardinals

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Cardinals | 14 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 45 |
at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance:
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

#### Week 7 (Sunday November 8, 1959): Detroit Lions

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 24,614
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Detroit – Rote 1 run (Perry kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Layne 29
* Detroit – FG Martin 27
* Pittsburgh – Tracy 20 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

#### Week 8 (Sunday November 15, 1959): New York Giants

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Giants | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 66,786
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* New York Giants – FG Summerall 21
* New York Giants – FG Summerall 27
* Pittsburgh – Orr 4 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
* New York Giants – FG Summerall 29
* Pittsburgh – Tracy 45 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

#### Week 9 (Sunday November 22, 1959): Cleveland Browns

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Browns | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 68,563
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Tracy 4 run (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – Tracy 1 run (Layne kick)
* Cleveland – Renfro 30 pass from Plum (kick failed)
* Cleveland – Renfro 28 pass from Plum (Groza kick)
* Cleveland – Renfro 70 pass from Plum (Groza kick)
* Pittsburgh – Nagler 17 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

#### Week 10 (Sunday November 29, 1959): Philadelphia Eagles

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steelers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 22,191
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – FG Layne 17
* Pittsburgh – Dial 12 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – Orr 19 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – Tracy 23 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – Nagler 2 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

#### Week 11 (Sunday December 5, 1959): Chicago Bears

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 6 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 41,476
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Chicago Bears – Casares 3 run (kick failed)
* Chicago Bears – Casares 1 run (Aveni kick)
* Chicago Bears – Casares 1 run (Aveni kick)
* Pittsburgh – Tracy 2 run (Layne kick)
* Chicago Bears – Casares 1 run (Aveni kick)
* Pittsburgh – Krutko 7 run (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – Dial 25 pass from Layne (Layne kick)

#### Week 12 (Sunday December 12, 1959): Chicago Cardinals

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 6 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Steelers | 0 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 19,011
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Chicago Cardinals – FG Conrad 37
* Chicago Cardinals – FG Conrad 20
* Pittsburgh – Layne 9 run (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – Dial 35 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – Dial 11 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
* Pittsburgh – Tracy 16 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
* Chicago Cardinals – Conrad 21 pass from Hill (Conrad kick)
* Pittsburgh – Orr 16 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
* Chicago Cardinals – Crow 7 pass from Hill (Conrad kick)

## Standings

NFL Eastern Conference :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| New York Giants | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 8–2 | 284 | 170 | W4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 6–4 | 268 | 278 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 6–4 | 270 | 214 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 6–4 | 257 | 216 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–8 | 185 | 350 | L5 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 2–8 | 234 | 324 | L6 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
NFL Western Conference :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Baltimore Colts | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 9–1 | 374 | 251 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 6–4 | 252 | 196 | W7 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 5–5 | 255 | 237 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 6–4 | 248 | 246 | W4 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 8 | 1 | .273 | 2–8 | 203 | 275 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 2–8 | 242 | 315 | L8 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.