1947 Pittsburgh Steelers season

1947 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head coach	Jock Sutherland
Home field	Forbes Field
Results
Record	8–4
Division place	2nd NFL Eastern
Playoff finish	Lost Divisional Playoff

The 1947 Pittsbutgh Steelers represented the franchise in its 14th season of play as part of the National Football League (NFL). The team improved on its 1946 record by winning eight games and losing four. This record qualified the Steelers for the franchise's first playoff berth, and the team's only postseason appearance before 1972.

The 1947 season was Jock Sutherland's second and final year as head coach.

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date		Opponent	Result
1	September 21, 1947		Detroit Lions	W 17–10
2	September 29, 1947		Los Angeles Rams	L 48–7
3	October 5, 1947	@	Washington Redskins	L 27–26
4	October 12, 1947	@	Boston Yanks	W 30–14
5	October 19, 1947		Philadelphia Eagles	W 35–24
6	October 26, 1947	@	New York Giants	W 38–21
7	November 2, 1947	@	Green Bay Packers	W 18–17
8	November 9, 1947		Washington Redskins	W 21–14
9	November 16, 1947		New York Giants	W 24–7
10	November 23, 1947	@	Chicago Bears	L 49–7
11	November 30, 1947	@	Philadelphia Eagles	L 21–0
12	December 7, 1947		Boston Yanks	W 17–7

Playoffs

Week	Date		Opponent	Result
Division	December 21, 1947	Forbes Field	Philadelphia Eagles	L 21–0

The 1947 team became the most successful team in club history up to that point. It marked the first time the Steelers would appear in the playoffs, the team for the first time won more than 4 games consecutively, and the club posted a franchise record 8-4 season. Though the Steelers lost, fans and players were excited for their future. However, fate would interrupt again when head coach Jock Sutherland took a trip to visit family in Kentucky. He ran off the road and was found wondering a swamp. He was brought back to Pittsburgh and died on April 11, 1948, due to complications from a brain tumor. It was a sudden and disheartening end to a successful period in team history. The Steelers would not appear in another postseason berth until 1972.

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 21, 1947): Detroit Lions

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	0	3	0	10
Steelers	0	7	0	10	17

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 34,691
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Detroit – Dudley 30 pass from Zimmerman (Zimmerman kick)
• Pittsburgh – Jansante 15 pass from Slater (Glamp kick)
• Detroit – FG Zimmerman 18
• Pittsburgh – Repko 48 fumble run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 35

Week 2 (Monday September 29, 1947): Los Angeles Rams

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	6	14	7	21	48
Steelers	0	7	0	0	7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 35,658
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Los Angeles – FG Waterfield 30
• Los Angeles – FG Waterfield 45
• Los Angeles – Hoerner 4 run (Waterfield kick)
• Pittsburgh – Lach 4 run (Glamp kick)
• Los Angeles – Benton 11 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
• Los Angeles – Washington 9 lateral from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
• Los Angeles – Hubbell 45 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
• Los Angeles – Hubbell 15 pass from Hardy (Waterfield kick)
• Los Angeles – Washington 6 run

Week 3 (Sunday October 5, 1947): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	7	14	2	26
Redskins	0	7	13	7	27

at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 36,565
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 15
• Washington – Nussbaumer 55 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick)
• Pittsburgh – Lach 15 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
• Washington – Poillon 3 pass from Baugh (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – Compagno 64 int (Glamp kick)
• Washington – Taylor 35 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick)
• Pittsburgh – Sullivan 50 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Safety, Baugh stepped out of end zone
• Washington – Farmer 1 run (Poillon kick)

Week 4 (Sunday October 12, 1947): Boston Yanks

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	7	7	9	30
Yanks	0	0	0	14	14

at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 18,894
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Lach 1 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – White 52 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Lach 1 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Safety, Dancewicz tackled in end zone by Bova
• Pittsburgh – Clement 1 run (Glamp kick)
• Boston – Currivan 33 pass from Dancewicz (Scollard kick)
• Boston – Currivan 20 pass from Dancewicz (Maznicki kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 19, 1947): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	10	14	0	7	31
Steelers	7	7	0	21	35

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 33,538
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Compagno 39 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
• Philadelphia – Pihos 43 pass from Thompson (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – FG Patton 14
• Philadelphia – Pritchard 69 pass from Thompson (Patton kick)
• Pittsburgh – Clement 5 run (Glamp kick)
• Philadelphia – Pihos 17 pass from Thompson (Patton kick)
• Pittsburgh – Garnaas 19 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Clement 23 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Lach 1 run (Glamp kick)

Week 6 (Sunday October 26, 1947): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	17	7	7	38
Giants	0	7	7	7	21

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 41,736
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Jansante 7 pass from Lach (Glamp kick)
• New York – Carroll 18 pass from Governali (Strong kick)
• Pittsburgh – Lach 1 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Lach 1 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 37
• Pittsburgh – Garnaas 68 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
• New York – Blumenstock 1 run (Strong kick)
• Pittsburgh – Sinkovitz 47 int (Glamp kick)
• New York – Livingston 65 pass from Governali (Strong kick)

Week 7 (Sunday November 2, 1947): Green Bay Packers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	6	7	2	18
Packers	10	0	0	7	17

at Wisconsin State Fair Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 30,073
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Green Bay – Goodnight 69 pass from Jacobs (Cuff kick)
• Green Bay – FG Cuff 16
• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 23
• Pittsburgh – Jansante 37 pass from Clement (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – Compagno 55 int (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Safety, Jacobs tackled in end zone by Calcagni
• Green Bay – Luhn 27 pass from Jacobs (Cuff kick)

Week 8 (Sunday November 9, 1947): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	7	0	7	14
Steelers	7	7	7	0	21

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 36,257
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Lach run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Compagno 2 run (Glamp kick)
• Washington – Taylor 24 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick)
• Pittsburgh – Clement 18 run (Glamp kick)
• Washington – Castiglia 2 run (Poillon kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 16, 1947): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	7	0	7
Steelers	3	0	0	21	24

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 35,000
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 12
• New York – Paschka 2 run (Strong kick)
• Pittsburgh – Compagno 4 run (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Jansante 19 pass from Clement (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – Seabright 39 int (Glamp kick)

Week 10 (Sunday November 23, 1947): Chicago Bears

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	7	0	0	7
Bears	7	14	7	21	49

at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois

Scoring Drives:

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 34,142
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Chicago Bears – McAfee 2 run (McLean kick)
• Chicago Bears – Kavanaugh 6 pass from Luckman (McLean kick)
• Chicago Bears – McAfee 4 run (McLean kick)
• Pittsburgh – Jansante 15 pass from Morales (Glamp kick)
• Chicago Bears – Kindt 3 run (McLean kick)
• Chicago Bears – Keane 6 pass from Luckman (McLean kick)
• Chicago Bears – Gulyanics 44 run (McLean kick)

Week 11 (Sunday November 30, 1947): Philadelphia Eagles

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

at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 37,218
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Philadelphia – Van Buren 2 run (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – Muha 28 run (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – Mackrides 1 run (Patton kick)

Week 12 (Sunday December 7, 1947): Boston Yanks

	1	2	3	4	Total
Yanks	0	7	0	0	7
Steelers	10	0	0	7	17

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 31,398
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Mastrangelo recovered blocked punt in end zone (Glamp kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Glamp 30
• Boston – Golding 14 run (Maznicki kick)
• Pittsburgh – Lach 1 run (Glamp kick)

Post season

Game summary

Week 14 (Sunday December 21, 1947): Philadelphia Eagles

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

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 35,729
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Philadelphia – Van Buren 15 pass from Thompson (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – Ferrante 28 pass from Thompson (Patton kick)
• Philadelphia – Pritchard 79 punt return (Patton kick)

Standings

NFL Eastern Division
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	PF	PA	STK
Philadelphia Eagles	8	4	0	.667	6–2	308	242	W1
Pittsburgh Steelers	8	4	0	.667	6–2	240	259	W1
Boston Yanks	4	7	1	.364	3–4–1	168	256	L2
Washington Redskins	4	8	0	.333	3–5	295	367	W1
New York Giants	2	8	2	.200	1–6–1	190	309	L1

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

References