1940 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1940 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 8th in the National Football League. It was also the first season in which the team was known as the Pittsburgh Steelers, and not the copycat "Pirates" moniker.[1][2][3] The 1940 team was led by head coach Walt Kiesling in his first full season as the head coach. Kiesling's assistant coaches were Wilbur "Bill" Sortet and Hank Bruder, who both also played.

1940 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head coachWalt Kiesling
OwnerArt Rooney
Home fieldForbes Field
Results
Record2–7–2
Division place4th NFL Eastern
Playoff finishdid not qualify

Offseason

They held training camp at St. Francis College in Loretto, Pennsylvania.[4][5] In the 1940 NFL Draft the Steelers continued their pattern of trading away high picks when they dealt their first-round selection (second overall), halfback Kay Eakin from Arkansas, to the New York Giants for tackle Ox Parry, who would never play for the Steelers.[6]

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result
1 September 8 Chicago Cardinals T    7–7
2 September 15 New York Giants T  10–10
3 September 22 @ Detroit Lions W 10–7
4 September 29 Brooklyn Dodgers L    3–10
5 October 6 Washington Redskins L  10–40
6 October 13 @ Brooklyn Dodgers L    0–21
7 October 20 @ New York Giants L    0–12
8 October 27 @ Green Bay Packers L    3–24
9 November 3 @ Washington Redskins L  10–37
10 November 10 Philadelphia Eagles W   7–3
11 November 28 @ Philadelphia Eagles L    0–7
The Steelers were outscored 178 to 60.

Game Summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 8, 1940): Chicago Cardinals
1 2 3 4 Total
Cardinals 0 0 7 0 7
Steelers 0 7 0 0 7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 22,000
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – Platukis 45 pass from Patterson (Niccolai kick)
  • Chicago Cardinals – Hall 44 pass from Clark (Clark kick)

Week 2 (Sunday, September 15, 1940): New York Giants
1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 0 0 7 3 10
Steelers 10 0 0 0 10

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 18,601
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 48
  • Pittsburgh – Tomasetti 26 pass from Patterson (Niccolai kick)
  • New York – Shaffer 1 run (Cuff kick)
  • New York – FG Barnum 31

Week 3 (Sunday September 22, 1940): Detroit Lions
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 0 3 7 10
Lions 0 7 0 0 7

at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 15,310
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Detroit – Cardwell 33 run (White kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 28
  • Pittsburgh – Tomasetti 3 run (Niccolai kick)

Week 4 (Sunday September 29, 1940): Brooklyn Dodgers
1 2 3 4 Total
Dodgers 7 0 3 0 10
Steelers 0 3 0 0 3

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 26,618
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Brooklyn – Manders 1 run (Parker kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 21
  • Brooklyn – FG Kercheval 27

Week 5 (Sunday October 6, 1940): Washington Redskins
1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 14 7 13 6 40
Steelers 3 0 7 0 10

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 25,213
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 48
  • Washington – Johnston 64 interception (kick failed)
  • Washington – Seymour 1 run (Masterson kick)
  • Washington – Millner 30 pass from Filchock (Russell kick)
  • Washington – Johnston 1 run (Masterson kick)
  • Washington – Johnston 2 run (Sanford kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Condit pass from Thompson (Niccolai kick)
  • Washington – Seymour 10 run (kick failed)

Week 6 (Sunday October 13, 1940): Brooklyn Dodgers
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 0 0 0 0
Dodgers 14 0 0 7 21

at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 19,468
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Brooklyn – Manders 2 run (Parker kick)
  • Brooklyn – Schwartz – 7 pass from Parker (Parker kick)
  • Brooklyn – Leckonby 8 pass from Kercheval (Kercheval kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 20, 1940): New York Giants
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 0 0 0 0
Giants 7 3 0 2 12

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 19,798
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • New York – Cuff 60 pass from Miller (Cuff kick)
  • New York – FG Cuff 23
  • New York – Safety, Pirro tackled in end zone

Week 8 (Sunday October 27, 1940): Green Bay Packers
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 3 0 0 0 3
Packers 7 3 0 14 24

at Wisconsin State Fair Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 13,703
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Green Bay – Adkins 35 interception (Engebretsen kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 36
  • Green Bay – FG Hinkle 33
  • Green Bay – Balazs 2 run (Hutson kick)
  • Green Bay – Hutson 19 pass from Van Every (Engebretsen kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 3, 1940): Washington Redskins
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 3 7 0 0 10
Redskins 6 7 7 17 37

at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 31,204
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 25
  • Washington – Johnston 39 pass from Baugh (kick failed)
  • Washington – Filchock 12 run (Russell kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Platukis 31 pass from Patterson (Niccolai kick)
  • Washington – Johnston 45 pass from Baugh (Masterson kick)
  • Washington – Masterson 15 pass from Filchock (Russell kick)
  • Washington – Todd 1 run (Russell kick)
  • Washington – FG Masterson 20

Week 10 (Sunday November 10, 1940): Philadelphia Eagles
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 3 0 0 0 3
Steelers 0 0 7 0 7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 9,556
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Philadelphia – FG Sommers 36
  • Pittsburgh – McDonough 1 run (Niccolai kick)

The Steelers defeated the Eagles 7–0. The game is the last in NFL history as of 2013 to not have a penalty called on either team.[7]

Week 13 (Thursday November 28, 1940): Philadelphia Eagles
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 0 0 0 0
Eagles 0 0 0 7 7

at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 4,200
  • Referee:

Scoring Drives:

  • Philadelphia – Riffle 17 run (Somers kick)

Standings
NFL Eastern Division
W L T PCT DIV PF PA STK
Washington Redskins 9 2 0 .818 6–2 245 142 W1
Brooklyn Dodgers 8 3 0 .727 6–2 186 120 W4
New York Giants 6 4 1 .600 5–2–1 131 133 L1
Pittsburgh Steelers 2 7 2 .222 1–6–1 60 178 L1
Philadelphia Eagles 1 10 0 .091 1–7 111 211 L1

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

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References
  1. Burcky, Claire M. (March 3, 1940). "Grid 'Pirates' pass out; they're the 'Steelers' now". Pittsburgh Press. p. 11.
  2. Burcky, Claire M. (September 8, 1940). "It's kickoff time for Steelers, Cards". Pittsburgh Press. p. 10.
  3. Dvorchak, Robert (September 16, 2007). "1940s put Steelers to tests that nearly break". Pittsburgh Post-gazette. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  4. "Pretty Soft: Steelers to Have Fine Training Quarters". Pittsburgh Press. July 14, 1940. p. 10 (third section). Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  5. "Steelers Get Patterson from Bears". Pittsburgh Press. August 11, 1940. p. 9 (third section). Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  6. "Steelers Get Giant Tackle". Pittsburgh Press. April 13, 1940. p. 9. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  7. "Fact or Fiction? There's never been a NFL game without any penalties". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
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