1956 Pittsburgh Steelers season

1956 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head coach	Walt Kiesling
Home field	Forbes Field
Results
Record	5–7
Division place	5th NFL Eastern
Playoff finish	did not qualify

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	Result
1	September 30, 1956	Washington Redskins		W 30–13
2	October 6, 1956	Cleveland Browns		L 14–10
3	October 14, 1956	Philadelphia Eagles		L 35–21
4	October 21, 1956	at New York Giants		L 38–10
5	October 28, 1956	at Cleveland Browns		W 24–16
6	November 4, 1956	New York Giants		L 17–14
7	November 11, 1956	at Philadelphia Eagles		L 14–7
8	November 18, 1956	Chicago Cardinals		W 14–7
9	November 25, 1956	at Chicago Cardinals		L 38–27
10	December 2, 1956	Los Angeles Rams		W 30–13
11	December 9, 1956	at Detroit Lions		L 45–7
12	December 16, 1956	at Washington Redskins		W 23–0

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 30, 1956): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	6	0	7	13
Steelers	7	7	9	7	30

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 27,718
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Chandnois 2 run (Glick kick)
• Washington – FG Baker 42
• Pittsburgh – Marchibroda 1 run (Glick kick)
• Washington – FG Baker 41
• Pittsburgh – FG Glick 27
• Pittsburgh – Chandnois 17 pass from Marchibroda (kick blocked)
• Pittsburgh – Chandnois 5 run (Glick kick)
• Washington – Meilinger 13 pass from LeBaron (Baker kick)

Week 2 (Saturday October 6, 1956): Cleveland Browns

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	7	0	7	14
Steelers	0	10	0	0	10

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 35,398
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Cleveland – Ratterman 1 run (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Glick 30
• Pittsburgh – Chandnois 1 run (Glik kick)
• Cleveland – Modzelewski 13 run (Groza kick)

Week 3 (Sunday October 14, 1956): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	7	21	0	7	35
Steelers	0	0	7	14	21

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 31,375
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Philadelphia – Schaefer 1 run (Walston kick)
• Philadelphia – Walston 51 pass from Thomason (Walston kick)
• Philadelphia – Bell 28 interception (Walston kick)
• Philadelphia – Bredice 40 pass from Thomason (Walston kick)
• Pittsburgh – Perry 15 pass from Marchibroda (Glick kick)
• Pittsburgh – Mathews 64 pass from Marchibroda (Glick kick)
• Pittsburgh – Mathews 20 pass from Marchibroda (Glick kick)
• Philadelphia – Keller 51 run (Walston kick)

Week 4 (Sunday October 21, 1956): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	0	0	7	10
Giants	0	17	14	7	38

at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 48,108
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Glick 35
• New York Giants – MacAfee 14 pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick)
• New York Giants – Webster 21 pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick)
• New York Giants – FG Agajanian 14
• New York Giants – Gifford 1 run (Agajanian kick)
• New York Giants – Rote 19 pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick)
• Pittsburgh – Nickel 14 pass from Marchibroda (Glick kick)
• New York Giants – Filpski 35 run (Agajanian kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 28, 1956): Cleveland Browns

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	21	0	3	24
Browns	13	0	0	3	16

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 50,358
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Cleveland – Lavelli 68 pass from Parilli (kick failed)
• Cleveland – Paul 35 interception (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – Nickel 10 pass from Marchibroda (Glick kick)
• Pittsburgh – Chandnois 1 run (Glick kick)
• Pittsburgh – Perry 75 pass from Marchibroda (Glick kick)
• Cleveland – FG Groza 28
• Pittsburgh – FG Glick 11

Week 6 (Sunday November 4, 1956): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	3	7	0	17
Steelers	0	0	7	7	14

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 31,240
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• New York Giants – Webster 1 run (Agajanian kick)
• New York Giants – FG Agajanian 32
• Pittsburgh – Watson 1 run (Glick kick)
• New York Giants – Rote 3 pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick)
• Pittsburgh – Watson 6 run (Glick kick)

Week 7 (Sunday November 11, 1956): Philadelphia Eagles

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

at Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 22,652
• Referee: Jack Glascott
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Marchibroda 1 run (Glick kick)
• Philadelphia – Burnine 35 pass from Thomason (Walston kick)
• Philadelphia – Keller 1 run (Walston kick)

Week 8 (Sunday November 18, 1956): Chicago Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	7	7
Steelers	7	0	7	0	14

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 24,086
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Rogel 13 run (Glick kick)
• Pittsburgh – Butler 6 fumble run (Glick kick)
• Chicago Cardinals – Matson 45 pass from McHan (Summerall kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 25, 1956): Chicago Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	0	0	20	27
Cardinals	7	17	7	7	38

at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 17,724
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Chicago Cardinals – Root 3 run (Summerall kick)
• Pittsburgh – Mathews 29 pass from Marchibroda (Watson kick)
• Chicago Cardinals – Matson 1 run (Summerall kick)
• Chicago Cardinals – FG Summerall 27
• Chicago Cardinals – Matson 79 run (Summerall kick)
• Chicago Cardinals – Childress 34 pass from Root (Summerall kick)
• Pittsburgh – Ford 3 run (Watson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Nickel 4 pass from Marchibroda (kick failed)
• Chicago Cardinals – McHan 1 run (Summerall kick)
• Pittsburgh – Ford 4 run (Watson kick)

Week 10 (Sunday December 2, 1956): Los Angeles Rams

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	6	0	7	0	13
Steelers	7	7	0	7	21

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 20,540
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Los Angeles – McFadin 21 fumble run (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – Nickel 22 pass from Scarbath (Watson kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Watson 16
• Los Angeles – Boyd 61 pass from Wade (Richter kick)
• Pittsburgh – Mathews 6 pass from Marchibroda (Watson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Rogel 1 run (Watson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Nickel 47 pass from Scarbath (kick failed)

Week 11 (Sunday December 9, 1956): Detroit Lions

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	7	0	0	7
Lions	14	24	7	0	45

at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 52,124
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Detroit – Hart 20 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
• Detroit – Gedman 5 run (Layne kick)
• Pittsburgh – Watson 1 run (Watson kick)
• Detroit – Lary 73 interception (Layne kick)
• Detroit – Christiansen 66 punt return (Layne kick)
• Detroit – Christiansen 66 punt return (Layne kick)
• Detroit – FG Layne 13
• Detroit – Reichow 41 pass from Gilmer (Layne kick)

Week 12 (Sunday December 16, 1956): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	7	0	16	23
Redskins	0	0	0	0	0

at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 49,086
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – Watson 1 run (Watson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Mathews 48 pass from Marchibroda (Watson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Butler 10 pass from Marchibroda (Watson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Safety, Dorow tackled by McPeak in end zone

Standings

NFL Eastern Conference
	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STK
New York Giants	8	3	1	.727	7–3	264	197	W1
Chicago Cardinals	7	5	0	.583	7–3	240	182	W1
Washington Redskins	6	6	0	.500	5–5	183	225	L2
Cleveland Browns	5	7	0	.417	4–6	167	177	L1
Pittsburgh Steelers	5	7	0	.417	4–6	167	177	W1
Philadelphia Eagles	3	8	1	.273	3–7	143	215	L3

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References