1949: Redskins Defeat Steelers with 3 TDs in Fourth Quarter

The Washington Redskins were struggling with a 2-3-1 record as they hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 6, 1949. John Whelchel, a former admiral and coach at Navy, had been hired as head coach to bring discipline to the team. QB Sammy Baugh (pictured at right) was still a highly-effective passer at age 35 and end Hugh Taylor an outstanding receiver, but the Redskins lost badly to the Cardinals, Giants, and Eagles.

Pittsburgh, coached by John Michelosen, was 4-2 and trying to remain in contention after a loss to the Eastern Division-leading Eagles the previous week. The Steelers were utilizing the NFL’s last single-wing offense and thus remained dependent on a conservative, ground-oriented attack. While coming into the game with the better record, the team had never won in Washington and lost to the Redskins in Pittsburgh earlier in the season.

There were 26,038 fans in attendance at Griffith Stadium. The Steelers dominated play in the first quarter, not allowing a first down on defense, although they came up empty on a scoring opportunity. DE Bob Davis partially blocked a punt by Dick Poillon in his end zone to give Pittsburgh the ball on the Washington 27. Three running plays got the ball to the eight, but after another three runs, HB Jerry Nuzum was stopped at the one on fourth down.

At 6:35 into the second quarter, the Redskins got on the board when QB Harry Gilmer eluded tacklers and threw a bomb to Hugh Taylor, who pulled it down from among three defenders for a 51-yard touchdown.

The Steelers responded by driving 80 yards in 12 plays. TB Jim Finks completed a pass to end Val Jansante for 34 yards and ran five yards around end for a touchdown to finish off the series. Joe Glamp’s conversion tied the score at 7-7, which remained the tally at halftime.

In the third quarter, Pittsburgh had the initial possession and advanced 66 yards, this time in 13 plays. Nuzum (pictured at right) ran for 13 yards and Finks for 14 before FB Jerry Shipkey powered up the middle for a TD from a foot out and Glamp’s extra point put the visitors in front by 14-7.

The Redskins, with Sammy Baugh in at quarterback, drove to the Pittsburgh 30, but LB Darrell Hogan picked off a pass. The Steelers reached the Washington 16 on their series, with the big play a 23-yard carry by Nuzum, but the drive stalled and Glamp was wide to the right on a 25-yard field goal attempt.

Late in the period, DB Howard Hartley intercepted another Baugh pass at the Pittsburgh 16. The Steelers had to punt to start the fourth quarter and the Redskins took possession at their 26. Rookie FB Pete Stout ran around end, eluded several tacklers as he headed down the sideline, and went the distance for a 74-yard touchdown. Poillon converted and, less than a minute into the final period, the score was again tied at 14-14.

Hartley intercepted another pass and then Poillon missed a 41-yard field goal attempt for Washington and a deadlock appeared likely. The Steelers came out passing, however, and Finks was picked off by DB Howie Livingston at the Pittsburgh 42. Baugh passed to Taylor for eight yards and then to HB Rob Goode for a 32-yard gain. Stout followed up with another touchdown, this time from one yard out. Poillon missed the extra point, but the home team was ahead by six points with two minutes remaining to play.

Pittsburgh again went to the air, the biggest a throw from Finks to end Elbie Nickel for 30 yards, and reached the Washington 39 before DHB Dan Sandifer intercepted a pass and returned it 58 yards to the Pittsburgh 16. HB Harry Dowda ran for a one-yard insurance TD. The PAT was successful and what had been a closely-fought contest for most of the way turned into a 27-14 win for the Redskins.

Thanks to the long scoring run, Pete Stout (pictured above) gained 107 yards on just seven carries that included two touchdowns. Sammy Baugh completed 8 of 15 passes for 101 yards and a TD and Harry Gilmer was four-of-12 for 107 yards and a score. For the Steelers, Jim Finks was successful on five of 15 throws for 86 yards with no touchdowns. He also ran for 68 yards on 18 carries.

Washington won only once more the rest of the way, ending up with a 4-7-1 record that placed fourth in the Eastern Division. Coach Whelchel was let go and assistant Herman Ball finished out the year in the interim. For the Steelers, the loss extinguished any faint title hopes and they went 6-5-1 for second place in the division, well behind the Eagles.

Sammy Baugh had a typically productive season, leading the NFL in passing for the sixth (and last) time while accumulating 1903 yards and 18 touchdowns. Pete Stout’s rushing total against the Steelers represented almost half of his 245 yards on 62 carries for the season in which he appeared in six games.

1953: Steelers Overcome 21-Point Deficit to Defeat Cards

The Pittsburgh Steelers were 1-1, having come off a win the previous week against the Giants, as they hosted the Chicago Cardinals on October 11, 1953. Coached by Joe Bach for the second year, who had converted the offense to the T-formation in ’52 (the last NFL team to do so), the Steelers featured QB Jim Finks (pictured at right), who performed ably the previous year but was hindered by a knee injury suffered during the preseason. End Elbie Nickel was a favorite target and HB Lynn Chandnois was an outstanding kick returner in addition to his duties in the backfield.

The Cardinals had a new head coach in Joe Stydahar, former star lineman for the Bears who coached the Rams to the 1951 NFL Championship. However, fleet HB Ollie Matson was away in the military and QB Jim Root was not of the caliber of the quarterbacks that Stydahar had in Los Angeles (Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin). Charlie Trippi, once a star at halfback, was back in that position after a trial at quarterback. Chicago came into the contest at 0-2.

There were 25,935 fans in attendance at Forbes Field. The Steelers spent most of the first quarter bottled up on their end of the field. Chicago got the first break when LB Bill Svoboda intercepted a Jim Finks throw at the Pittsburgh 36. Two plays later, end Gern Nagler caught a pass to the two yard line and, on the third plunge into the line, FB John Olszewski scored a touchdown from a yard out. Pat Summerall added the extra point for a 7-0 lead. That was the last scoring threat until later in the opening period when Summerall attempted a field goal from 52 yards that fell far short.

Early in the second quarter, Pittsburgh finally began to move on offense, advancing 68 yards in 17 plays. FB Fran Rogel got the Steelers on the board with a one-yard carry for a TD and Nick Bolkovac converted to make it a tie game. However, turnovers began to plague the home team. HB Jim Brandt fumbled while returning a punt and LB Nick Chickillo recovered for Chicago at the Pittsburgh 34. Five plays later, Jim Root threw to Nagler in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown and Summerall added the PAT to put the visitors back in front by 14-7.

The Steelers responded with a promising series, but Finks again was intercepted, this time by DHB Don Paul. The Cards were unable to add to their lead when Summerall tried again to kick a field goal from 52 yards and it was also short.

Pittsburgh drove quickly into Chicago territory as Finks completed a pass of 39 yards to Lynn Chandnois to the 24. But he was picked off once more and, with time running out in the first half, it was the Cardinals making a big play to move down field. Root connected with end Don Stonesifer for 46 yards and a pass interference penalty helped Chicago along further. With the clock down to 20 seconds, Root completed a six-yard touchdown pass to Nagler (pictured below) and, adding Summerall’s kick, the Cards took a 21-7 lead into halftime.

Early in the third quarter, the hole got deeper for the Steelers when Chandnois muffed a punt and Chickillo recovered at the Pittsburgh 13. Three plays later, Charlie Trippi rolled out and passed to Stonesifer for a three-yard TD. Summerall converted and Chicago had a seemingly-commanding lead of 28-7 over the error-prone Steelers.

Pittsburgh responded quickly. HB Ray Mathews returned the ensuing kickoff to the 39 and the Steelers took just four plays to cover 61 yards. Three were passes, the last from Finks to Mathews for a 19-yard touchdown. Bolkovac added the extra point to make it 28-14.

Four plays after the kickoff, the Steelers got the ball back when HB Billy Cross fumbled and LB Dick Flanagan recovered at the Chicago 36. Finks threw to end Elbie Nickel to the 16 but they failed to advance and turned the ball over on downs.

Late in the period, the Steelers commenced a drive that extended into the fourth quarter, and this time they didn’t come up empty. From the Chicago 14, Finks threw to end Ed Barker for seven yards and Rogel followed up with a three-yard run to make it first-and-goal. Rogel hit the line again, appeared to be stopped, but then broke loose for a four-yard TD. Bolkovac’s conversion further narrowed the Cards’ lead to 28-21.

Once again Pittsburgh got the ball back quickly, this time with DHB Art DeCarlo intercepting a pass that he returned to the Chicago 18. Finks completed a throw to Chandnois at the two and, after Rogel was stopped twice for losses, he fired a pass into the corner of the end zone that Barker caught for a four-yard touchdown. Bolkovac’s point after tied the score at 28-28.

Neither team was able to move effectively on its next series, but DeCarlo came through with another interception that gave the Steelers the ball at the Chicago 28. Chandnois gained eight yards on two carries, but Elter lost two on third down, and with 4:55 remaining in the contest, Bolkovac kicked a 28-yard field goal for the Steelers. It made the difference as Pittsburgh came away with a 31-28 comeback win, beating the Cardinals for the sixth straight time.

The Steelers led in total yards (354 to 233) and first downs (24 to 16). Both teams hurt themselves with turnovers, suffering five apiece (four interceptions and a fumble by the Cards, three interceptions and two fumbles given up by Pittsburgh).

Jim Finks completed 23 of 44 passes for 291 yards and Fran Rogel (pictured at right) ran for 52 yards on 17 carries to lead the Steelers. Punter Pat Brady averaged over 53 yards on eight kicks, his longest traveling 57 yards. For the Cardinals, Jim Root was successful on 9 of 27 throws for 162 yards.

The Steelers went on to a 6-6 record, rallying to win their last two games, and placed fourth in the Eastern Conference. Chicago never got on track, eking out a tie with the Rams and breaking into the victory column in the last week of the season against the crosstown-rival Bears for a 1-10-1 tally, the league’s worst.

Jim Finks had a lesser season, completing 44.9 percent of his passes for 1484 yards and eight touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Fran Rogel led the team with 527 rushing yards while Lynn Chandnois led the NFL in all-purpose yards with 1593 and was named to the Pro Bowl. Nick Bolkovac’s game-winning field goal was one of just four he kicked all year, in 12 attempts, although he was 27 for 28 in extra points. 

1955: Rams Beat Steelers on Last-Second Richter Field Goal

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams were both 1-0 as they faced off on October 2, 1955 at the Memorial Coliseum. The Rams were coming off a 6-5-1 record in ’54 that was only good for fourth place in the highly competitive Western Conference. They had a new head coach in Sid Gillman, most recently at the University of Cincinnati, but they had plenty of experience on both sides of the ball. QB Norm Van Brocklin was an outstanding passer and still had ends Tom Fears and Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch to throw to as well as the fleet Bob Boyd. Fullbacks Dan Towler and Tank Younger were formidable inside runners and were joined by rookie HB Ron Waller. The defense contained stalwarts in DE Andy Robustelli, DHB Will Sherman, and LB Les Richter (pictured above), who also handled the placekicking.

The Steelers were coached by Walt Kiesling and had also finished fourth in the Eastern Conference the previous year, but with a 5-7 record. QB Jim Finks could throw the ball effectively and the defense contained solid players such as DT Ernie Stautner and DHB Jack Butler.

There were 45,816 fans in attendance at the cavernous stadium on a sunny day in southern California. In the first quarter, the Rams had a first down at the Pittsburgh 29 but a long pass by Norm Van Brocklin was intercepted by safety Richie McCabe, who made a leaping grab at the two and returned it 25 yards.

The Steelers made three first downs on their ensuing series but it ended with Art Michalik attempting a 31-yard field goal that was shanked far to the left. LA responded by going 80 yards in 11 plays in a series that extended into the early second quarter. Dan Towler plowed into the end zone from a yard out for a touchdown and Les Richter followed up with the extra point.

Following a fumble by the Steelers in their territory, the Rams were unable to cash in when Richter’s 28-yard field goal try hit the right upright and bounced back. Three plays later, Richter compensated for the missed field goal as he intercepted a Finks pass and returned it to the Pittsburgh seven. The Steelers held, nearly intercepting a pass, and while the restless crowd booed the decision to settle for a field goal, Richter was successful this time from 12 yards out. The Rams were up by 10-0 with just under three minutes remaining in the half.

The Steelers moved the ball well on their next possession, accumulating three quick first downs to reach the LA 31. HB Lynn Chandnois gained nine yards on a draw play, but a pass by Finks to a wide-open HB Ray Mathews in the end zone was incomplete when the receiver had to adjust and stepped out of bounds as he made the catch. FB Fran Rogel ran on the next play but was short of a first down. Following offsetting penalties, Finks sneaked to the 21 for a first down as the clock reached the two-minute mark. Two pass plays, one for an apparent score, were wiped out by penalties. The Steelers ended up having to attempt a field goal and Michalik missed from 41 yards.

The Rams ran on first down and then Van Brocklin threw to Bob Boyd at the Pittsburgh 40 - he proceeded to race to the end zone for a 74-yard touchdown as time ran out. Richter added another extra point and the Rams, in stunning fashion, took a 17-0 lead into halftime.

Pittsburgh drove to a score using 11 plays in the first five minutes of the third quarter, with Finks (pictured at left) passing to good effect. The series ended with Chandnois running around end for the last eight yards. Michalik converted to make it a 17-7 tally.

The Rams had to punt on their next possession and a bad snap to Van Brocklin caused him to not be able to get the kick away. DE Bill McPeak pulled him down at the LA 11. From there, the Steelers scored in four plays, with Finks plowing over on a quarterback sneak from the one. Michalik’s extra point attempt was unsuccessful when it hit the upright, and the score remained 17-13.

Bill Wade spelled Van Brocklin at quarterback on the next LA series and, fading back deep while trying to pass, fumbled and LB John Reger recovered for the Steelers at the Los Angeles 12. Chandnois ran for eight yards and, two plays later, Mathews ran two yards for a first down as the third quarter ended. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Steelers scored on a two-yard carry by Chandnois. Once again the extra point try failed but Pittsburgh was in front by a score of 19-17.

Van Brocklin was back behind center for the Rams when they got the ball back and they drove 66 yards in eight plays. “The Dutchman” threw to end Tom Fears for a 17-yard touchdown and Richter added the extra point as LA went back on top by 24-19.

The lead didn’t last as, on their next possession, Rams HB Corky Taylor fumbled at midfield and McCabe recovered and raced 50 yards for a TD. Michalik added the extra point this time and the score now stood at 26-24 in favor of the visitors.

The Rams went three-and-out on their next series and were forced to punt, but the Steelers had a short possession as well and kicked it back. Starting at the LA 30, Van Brocklin passed to Waller and, while it appeared that he fumbled when hit and the Steelers recovered, the play was ruled a completed pass and a dead ball at that point. Van Brocklin then went deep for Boyd, who gained 27 yards and more as a crucial 15-yard penalty on the Steelers was tacked on with two seconds left on the clock. Richter kicked a 32-yard field goal as the game ended to put the Rams over the top by a score of 27-26.

Los Angeles outgained the Steelers (346 yards to 258) and had more first downs (20 to 16). Both teams turned the ball over three times, but key penalties on the Steelers, who were flagged eight times, had an effect on the outcome – too much, according to their coach. A furious Walt Kiesling had to be restrained by his assistants after the game as he rushed toward the officials.

“That was the worst jobbing I have ever seen in my 30 years in pro football,” said the angry Kiesling regarding the officiating. “It was a disgrace to permit that first down pass from Van Brocklin to Waller to be ruled complete. Waller was in the grasp of an opponent and upright and fumbled. We got it. They said it was a fast whistle.”

Norm Van Brocklin completed 18 of 27 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns as well as one interception. Bob Boyd (pictured at right), with the one long scoring reception, had three catches for 114 yards.

For the Steelers, Jim Finks was successful on 12 of 22 passes for 113 yards with no TDs and two intercepted. Lynn Chandnois rushed for 78 yards and Fran Rogel was right behind with 73.

The Rams went on to top the Western Conference with an 8-3-1 record and returned to the NFL Championship game for the first time since 1951. They lost to the Browns. Pittsburgh recovered to win its next three games before the bottom fell out. The Steelers finished up at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 4-8 tally.