1959: Late Score Propels Steelers Past Browns

Following a slow start, the Pittsburgh Steelers were at 3-4-1 as they faced the Cleveland Browns on November 22, 1959. Head Coach Buddy Parker’s club had lost some close contests but upset the Giants in New York the previous week. QB Bobby Layne (pictured at right), in his twelfth year, was still a formidable competitor and leader and had a good group of receivers led by second-year end Jimmy Orr. HB Tom “The Bomb” Tracy was reliable carrying the ball and the defense tough and typically stingy. The Steelers had beaten the Browns in the season’s opening game.

Cleveland was, as usual, a strong contender in the Eastern Conference in its 14^th season under Head Coach Paul Brown. The Browns were coming off of five straight wins and at 6-2 were tied for first place with the Giants. The ground game was the NFL’s best, led by FB Jim Brown and including fleet HB Bobby Mitchell, who had gained 232 yards against Washington a week earlier. QB Milt Plum was competent and had a good veteran receiving corps led by flanker Ray Renfro.

There were 68,563 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium. The Browns had the first possession and put together a drive that included two first downs, but came up empty when Lou Groza was wide to the right on a 48-yard field goal attempt.

On Pittsburgh’s second possession, the Steelers drove 94 yards in 16 plays that extended into the early stages of the second quarter. It nearly came to an end twice, but a defensive holding penalty on a punt from the Pittsburgh 11 gave the visitors a first down and, forced to go into punt formation again, they got another break when Bobby Luna dropped the snap but managed to recover and ran 11 yards for a first down. Jimmy Orr made an outstanding catch on an option throw by flanker Ray Mathews while double-covered by safety Junior Wren and DHB Jim Shofner for a 38-yard gain to the Cleveland six. Tom Tracy ran for a four-yard touchdown and Bobby Layne added the extra point for a 7-0 advantage.

The Steelers put together another long scoring drive on their next possession, taking 17 plays to advance 72 yards. Tracy and HB Tom Barnett ran effectively and Layne had a 19-yard pass completion with a roughing-the-passer penalty tacked onto the end of it. The series again ended with Tracy (pictured below) running for a TD, this time from one yard on a fourth down play.

Down by 14-0 with less than three minutes remaining in the first half, the Browns advanced 80 yards in response. It took just five plays, the biggest a run by Jim Brown that covered 40 yards and the last a pass from Milt Plum to Ray Renfro for a 32-yard touchdown. Groza’s attempt for the point after missed to the left and the halftime score was 14-6.

The Steelers attempted to add to their lead in the third quarter, but Layne’s 31-yard field goal try was blocked by DE Paul Wiggin. Cleveland had a shot at a field goal late in the period but Groza was again unsuccessful, this time from 48 yards.

The Browns appeared to take control in the fourth quarter, scoring two touchdowns. Plum passed to Renfro for a 27-yard TD and Groza added the point after. Shortly thereafter Plum, not known for his deep passing, went long for Renfro once more and it resulted in a 70-yard touchdown, with Groza again successfully converting. Cleveland was ahead by 20-14.

Meanwhile, Cleveland’s defense kept Pittsburgh in check on offense but, behind by six points and with time running down, the Steelers put together a scoring drive after regaining possession at their own 17 following a Cleveland punt. Layne threw to Orr for 17 yards and a roughing-the-passer penalty on the Browns added another 15. Another pass was incomplete, but Layne then connected with Orr again for 19 yards, and while the receiver fumbled at the end of the play, Mathews recovered to maintain possession at the Cleveland 33. Tracy ran up the middle for 16 yards and, two plays later and with 40 seconds left to play, Layne threw to end Gern Nagler under the goal post for a 17-yard touchdown that completed the 82-yard, six-play series. Layne added the all-important extra point.

There was still a chance for the Browns in the remaining time, and Plum passed them into Pittsburgh territory, but Groza missed a 49-yard field goal attempt on the final play and the Steelers came away winners by a final score of 21-20.

The Browns had the edge in total yards (387 to 338) while Pittsburgh had more first downs (21 to 16). Running the ball more than twice as often as Cleveland (47 carries to 22), the Steelers led in rushing yards (182 to 126) while the Browns, playing catch-up for most of the game, had 261 net passing yards to Pittsburgh’s 156. There were no turnovers and, while there were just seven penalties (four on Cleveland, three on the Steelers), the Browns and their supporters complained about the timing and effect of some of the penalties assessed on them, in particular the roughing-the-passer calls that sustained critical Pittsburgh drives.  

Bobby Layne completed 12 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Tom Tracy rushed for 99 yards on 24 carries that included two TDs. Three receivers had four catches apiece for the Steelers, with Jimmy Orr gaining 86 yards on his and Gern Nagler compiling 63 yards plus the game-winning TD.

Milt Plum was successful on 17 of 29 throws for 269 yards and three touchdowns and also had none picked off. Jim Brown gained 111 yards on 15 rushing attempts, although Bobby Mitchell was held to just 15 yards on 7 carries. Ray Renfro (pictured at left) accumulated 161 yards on 5 pass receptions, three of which went for TDs. End Billy Howton also caught a team-leading five passes, for 77 yards. It was a rough day for Lou Groza, who missed three field goals plus an extra point.

The second straight upset win on the road evened Pittsburgh’s record at 4-4-1 and the Steelers won again the next week, and twice in their last three games, to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 6-5-1 tally. As for the Browns, the loss dropped them out of a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference and was the first of three straight that saw them fall out of contention and end up tied for second in the conference with Philadelphia at 7-5.

Bobby Layne ranked second in the NFL with 20 touchdown passes, although first with 21 interceptions, and his 142 completions and 1986 yards gained placed fifth. He was named to the Pro Bowl, as was Jimmy Orr with his 35 catches for 604 yards (17.3 avg.) and five TDs. Tom Tracy was the NFL’s fourth-ranked rusher as he gained 794 yards on 199 carries (4.0 avg.) that included three touchdowns.

1958: Newly-Acquired Bobby Layne Leads Steelers to Win in First Game

On October 12, 1958 at Pitt Stadium, star quarterback Bobby Layne took the field with his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, after eight highly accomplished seasons in Detroit (he originally came into the NFL as a backup with the Bears and also spent a year with the short-lived New York Bulldogs). No one could say that the hard-driving, hard-drinking Texan threw picturesque passes, but Layne more than made up for it with his fiery leadership and ability in the clutch. Under the guidance of Head Coach Buddy Parker and with formidable offensive weapons at his disposal, he became the master of the two-minute drill and a feared deep passer. The Lions made it to three consecutive NFL Championship games from 1952-54, all against Paul Brown’s Cleveland Browns, and won the first two.

After a down year in 1955 (Layne suffered a shoulder injury in the off-season), the Lions just missed winning the Western Conference in ’56 when Layne was knocked out of the decisive encounter with the Chicago Bears by a late blind-side tackle by DE Ed Meadows. A veteran quarterback, Tobin Rote, was obtained from Green Bay for 1957 to add depth at the position, and then Coach Parker abruptly quit the team during the preseason. Under Parker’s successor, George Wilson, Layne and Rote split time, and when Layne suffered a broken leg late in the season, it was Rote leading the club the rest of the way to the NFL Championship.

With a quarterback controversy brewing and friction developing with Wilson, the 31-year-old Layne was dealt to the Steelers for third-year QB Earl Morrall and two draft picks following the second week of the 1958 season. In Pittsburgh, he was reunited with Buddy Parker. He was also with a club that had not posted a winning record in the past eight years (they went 6-6 under Parker in ’57).

The Steelers had lost their first two games with Morrall at quarterback and were badly embarrassed by the Browns in their last game prior to Layne’s joining the club. It was a different situation with Layne in the lineup for Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles, after three straight losing seasons, were in transition under a new coach, Buck Shaw, and a new veteran quarterback, Norm Van Brocklin, who had been obtained from the Rams.

Early in the first quarter, Philadelphia FB Clarence Peaks fumbled and DT Joe Lewis recovered for the Steelers. On the first play, HB Tom Tracy (a former teammate of Layne’s in Detroit) scored a touchdown with a 31-yard carry on a reverse. The Eagles responded with a 36-yard field goal by Bobby Walston that made the score 7-3.

The Steelers got another TD before the end of the period after DT Frank Varrichione recovered a fumbled punt by Eagles DB Rocky Ryan which gave them the ball on the Philadelphia 30 yard line - a penalty moved it up to the 15. Layne hit end Dick Lucas with a nine-yard pass to set up a one-yard scoring run by FB Tank Younger.

In the second quarter, Pittsburgh recovered yet another fumble in Eagles territory, again at the 30 yard line. Tracy ran in from the one after a drive that featured an 11-yard run by Layne and the Steelers took a 21-3 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, safety Gary Glick intercepted a Van Brocklin pass and returned it 23 yards to the Philadelphia 37. Layne and the Steelers kept the ball on the ground and Tom Miner kicked a 26-yard field goal to conclude the scoring. Pittsburgh won Layne’s debut by the decisive score of 24-3.

The opportunistic Steelers defense made the most of three Eagles fumbles and the interception. The Eagles gained just 59 yards on the ground, as opposed to 214 for the Steelers. Pittsburgh led in first downs, 19 to 16.

Bobby Layne completed 10 of 20 passes for 81 yards - two long passes were narrowly missed by Pittsburgh receivers. Norm Van Brocklin, playing from behind the entire game, completed 16 of 37 passes for 148 yards.

Said Layne afterward, “I never got the seat of my pants dirty when I went back to pass and that’s just one of the reasons I know the Pittsburgh Steelers are a good team.”

The Steelers lost their next two games, but then ran off five straight wins and ended up with a 7-4-1 record to place third in the Eastern Conference. The Eagles ended up tied at the bottom with the Cardinals at 2-9-1.

Bobby Layne led the NFL in yards per attempt (8.7) and yards per completion (17.6). His 2510 passing yards and low 3.7 interception percentage both ranked second. He tossed 14 touchdown passes and had 12 throws picked off. Rookie split end Jimmy Orr especially benefited from his presence, leading the league with a gaudy 27.6 yards-per-catch on 33 receptions for 910 yards with seven touchdowns.

Layne played another four seasons with the Steelers but, while still effective, he didn’t attain the level of success that he had in Detroit. A multi-talented player earlier in his career – he had been a good running quarterback (he led NFL quarterbacks in rushing three times) and placekicker – wear and tear were beginning to erode his skills. One of the last players to not wear a facemask, he also chose to take the field with minimal padding throughout his career (no hip or thigh pads and the thinnest possible shoulder pads). He retired as the NFL’s career leader in pass completions (1814), yards (26,768), and touchdowns (196).

1957: Lions Come from 20 Points Behind to Defeat 49ers in Conference Playoff

On December 22, 1957 the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, tied for first place in the NFL’s Western Conference at 8-4, met in a playoff game to decide the title. The Lions, coached by George Wilson after Buddy Parker (who had led the team to back-to-back championships in 1952-53) quit the team during the preseason, had their typically outstanding defense and an offense that had utilized a co-quarterback system with both Bobby Layne and Tobin Rote – depth that paid off when Layne went down for the remainder of the year with a broken leg.

San Francisco, coached by former star quarterback Frankie Albert, had gotten off to a 5-1 start, lost three straight at midseason, and then went undefeated in the last three games. QB Y.A. Tittle led the NFL in completion percentage (63.1) and end Billy Wilson led the league in pass receptions (52). HB Hugh McElhenny and FB Joe Perry were an effective backfield tandem. DT Leo Nomellini and LB Marv Matuszak anchored the defense.


There were 60,118 fans in attendance on a clear, sunny day at San Francisco’s Kezar Stadium. The 49ers struck first on a 34-yard “Alley Oop” touchdown pass to rookie end R.C. Owens, taking advantage of his outstanding leaping ability, this time jumping higher than Detroit defensive halfback Jim David in the corner of the end zone to stake San Francisco to a 7-0 lead (pictured at left). On their next possession, still in the first quarter, Tittle connected with McElhenny on a touchdown play that covered 47 yards.

The Lions drove the ball 61 yards, culminating in a four-yard TD pass from Rote to end Steve Junker that cut the 49ers’ lead to 14-7 in the second quarter. But the Niners responded with an 88-yard drive of their own that ended with a 12-yard scoring throw from Tittle to Wilson. The Lions fumbled the ball away at their own 41 yard line, allowing San Francisco to score once more before the end of the half, on a 25-yard Gordie Soltau field goal. At halftime, the 49ers held a formidable 24-7 lead.

During the intermission, the Lions players could overhear the celebrating 49ers in the neighboring locker room. It motivated them to step up their play in the second half, although that wasn’t apparent when McElhenny took off on the first San Francisco possession for a spectacular 71-yard run to the Detroit seven yard line. However, in one of the key developments of the game, the Lions defense held the 49ers to a Soltau field goal rather than a touchdown. While the score now stood at 27-7 in favor of the Niners, the tide was about to turn.

While Detroit didn’t score on the next possession, they got a break when the Niners got the ball back and Tittle fumbled at the Lions’ 27 yard line. LB Bob Long recovered for Detroit, and nine plays and 73 yards later HB Tom Tracy scored from a yard out. The 49ers went three-and-out and were forced to punt, and Detroit’s offense came up with a big play with Tracy bolting up the middle for a 58-yard touchdown run (pictured at top). The Lions were now down by just 27-21, still in the third quarter.

Detroit’s aroused defense stopped the 49ers again, and the offense came roaring down the field once more, with Rote connecting on a 36-yard pass play to Junker to the San Francisco 15 yard line. HB Gene Gedman tied the score with a two-yard touchdown run, and Jim Martin’s extra point gave the Lions the lead, 28-27, less than a minute into the fourth quarter.

The 49ers had four more possessions in the game, but they resulted in four turnovers (a fumble and three interceptions). Martin kicked a 13-yard field goal to stake Detroit to a four-point lead at 31-27, and the aggressive Lions defense made it hold up. LB Roger Zatkoff intercepted a last-ditch Tittle pass to seal the win.

Tracy led the runners with 86 yards on 11 carries, including the two TD runs. Rote (pictured below) completed 16 of 30 passes for 214 yards with a TD and an interception. Junker led the team in both pass receptions (8) and yards (92) and a score. For the losing 49ers, McElhenny gained 82 yards on 14 carries, thanks to the long run in the third quarter, and caught 6 passes for another 96 yards and a touchdown. Billy Wilson had an excellent pass receiving day with 9 catches for 107 yards and a TD. But while Tittle completed 18 of 31 passes for 248 yards with three touchdowns, it was the three interceptions that proved disastrous in the end (it would be the first of several postseason disappointments for the Hall of Fame QB).

As Detroit’s Coach Wilson said later, “The 49ers might have scored all those points too quickly. They became clock watchers and abandoned everything that had worked for them”. While it may have been a case of San Francisco turning conservative, the Lions defense certainly deserved credit for stiffening up after allowing the long run to McElhenny to start the second half and then playing very opportunistically thereafter.

Detroit went on to decimate the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship game by a 59-14 score. The 49ers, who were playing in their first NFL postseason game since joining the league from the AAFC in 1950, would not return to the playoffs until the 1970 season.