# 1948 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1948 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 16th season in the National Football League (NFL). The team finished the season with a record of 4–8, failing to qualify for the playoffs. This season marked the first played with John Michelosen as head coach.

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 26 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–17 | 0–1 | Griffith Stadium | 32,084 | Recap |
| 2 | October 3 | Boston Yanks | W 24–14 | 1–1 | Forbes Field | 26,215 | Recap |
| 3 | October 10 | Washington Redskins | W 10–7 | 2–1 | Forbes Field | 28,969 | Recap |
| 4 | October 17 | at Boston Yanks | L 7–13 | 2–2 | Fenway Park | 7,208 | Recap |
| 5 | October 24 | at New York Giants | L 27–34 | 2–3 | Polo Grounds | 13,443 | Recap |
| 6 | October 31 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 7–34 | 2–4 | Forbes Field | 32,474 | Recap |
| 7 | November 7 | Green Bay Packers | W 38–7 | 3–4 | Forbes Field | 26,058 | Recap |
| 8 | November 14 | Chicago Cardinals | L 7–24 | 3–5 | Forbes Field | 33,364 | Recap |
| 9 | November 21 | at Detroit Lions | L 14–17 | 3–6 | Briggs Stadium | 16,189 | Recap |
| 10 | November 28 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 0–17 | 3–7 | Shibe Park | 26,001 | Recap |
| 11 | December 5 | New York Giants | W 38–28 | 4–7 | Forbes Field | 27,645 | Recap |
| 12 | December 12 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 14–31 | 4–8 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 27,967 | Recap |

## Standings

NFL Eastern Division :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 7–1 | 376 | 156 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 5–3 | 291 | 287 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–5 | 297 | 388 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–5 | 200 | 243 | L1 |
| Boston Yanks | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 174 | 372 | W1 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
NFL Western Division :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK |
| Chicago Cardinals | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 7–1 | 395 | 226 | W10 |
| Chicago Bears | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 7–1 | 375 | 151 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 3–5 | 327 | 269 | W3 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 154 | 290 | L7 |
| Detroit Lions | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 1–7 | 200 | 407 | L3 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

### Game summaries
#### Game 1 (Sunday September 26, 1948): Washington Redskins

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Redskins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 32,084
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Washington – Castiglia 22 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick)
* Pittsburgh – Clement 28 run (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – Glamp 38 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
* Washington – Turley 33 fumble run (Poillon kick)
* Washington – FG Poillon 28

#### Game 2 (Monday October 3, 1948): Boston Yanks

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Yanks | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 26,216
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Boston – Paschal 15 pass from Youel (Zimmerman kick)
* Boston – Pritko 33 fumble run (Zimmerman kick)
* Pittsburgh – Nickel 24 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 35
* Pittsburgh – Seabright 7 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – Mosley 3 run (Glamp kick)

#### Game 3 (Sunday October 10, 1948): Washington Redskins

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 28,969
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Clement 3 run (Glamp kick)
* Washington – Crisler 19 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 13

#### Game 4 (Sunday October 17, 1948): Boston Yanks

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Yanks | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 7,208
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Boston – Heywood 14 fumble run (kick failed)
* Boston – Seno 22 pass from Zimmerman (Zimmerman kick)
* Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick)

#### Game 5 (Sunday October 24, 1948): New York Giants

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 6 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
| Giants | 13 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 13,443
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* New York – Sultatis 2 run (Williams kick)
* Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (kick failed)
* New York – White 54 lateral from Cheverko after 35 kick return (kick failed)
* New York – Roberts 49 pass from Conerly (Williams kick)
* Pittsburgh – Jansante 12 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – Jansante 66 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)
* New York – Sulaitis 34 pass from Conerly (Williams kick)
* New York – Conerly 1 run (Williams kick)

#### Game 6 (Sunday October 31, 1948): Philadelphia Eagles

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 34 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 32,474
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
* Philadelphia – FG Patton 42
* Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick)
* Philadelphia – Van Buren 20 run (Patton kick)
* Philadelphia – Ferrante 7 pass from Thompson (Patton kick)
* Philadelphia – Pritchard 55 punt return (Patton kick)
* Philadelphia – FG Patton 23
* Philadelphia – Pritchard 18 fumble run (Patton kick)

#### Game 7 (Sunday November 7, 1948): Green Bay Packers

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Steelers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 26,058
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Jansante 7 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 33
* Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – Evans 14 run (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – Glamp 55 run (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – Compagno 82 interception (Glamp kick)
* Green Bay – Goodnight 19 pass from Girard (Fritsch kick)

#### Game 8 (Sunday November 14, 1948): Chicago Cardinals

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 14 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 33,364
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Chicago Cardinals – Kutner 42 pass from Mallouf (Harder kick)
* Chicago Cardinals – Trippi 67 punt return (Harder kick)
* Pittsburgh – Shipkey 67 punt return (Glamp kick)
* Chicago Cardinals – Harder 8 run (Harder kick)
* Chicago Cardinals – FG Yablonski 41

#### Game 9 (Sunday November 21, 1948): Detroit Lions

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 16,189
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Shipkey 1 run (Glamp kick)
* Detroit – Dudley 19 pass from Enke (Pregulman kick)
* Detroit – FG Pregulman 33
* Detroit – Dudley 28 fumble run (Pregulman kick)
* Pittsburgh – Papach 2 run (Glamp kick)

#### Game 10 (Sunday November 28, 1948): Philadelphia Eagles

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eagles | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 22,001
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Philadelphia – Pritchard 5 run (Patton kick)
* Philadelphia – Pihos 13 pass from Thompson (Patton kick)
* Philadelphia – FG Patton 31

#### Game 11 (Sunday December 5, 1948): New York Giants

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Steelers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 38 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 27,645
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Evans 9 run (Glamp kick)
* New York – Minisi 6 run (Younce kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 40
* Pittsburgh – Glamp 3 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)
* New York – Roberts 18 pass from Conerly (Younce kick)
* Pittsburgh – Shipkey 2 run (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – Cifers 2 run (Glamp kick)
* Pittsburgh – Morales 36 fumble run (Glamp kick)
* New York – Johnson 11 pass from Conerly (Younce kick)
* New York – Swiacki 11 pass from Conerly (Younce kick)

#### Game 12 (Sunday December 12, 1948): Los Angeles Rams

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Rams | 0 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 27,967
* Referee:
* TV announcers:
Scoring drives:
* Los Angeles – Hickey 21 pass from Hardy (Waterfield kick)
* Los Angeles – Hubbell 8 pass from Hardy (Waterfield kick)
* Pittsburgh – Papach 1 run (Glamp kick)
* Los Angeles – Fears 29 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
* Los Angeles – FG Waterfield 47
* Los Angeles – Magnani 16 pass from Hardy (Gehrke kick)
* Pittsburgh – Papach 28 pass from Evans (Glamp kick)