1947 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1947 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 15th season in the National Football League (NFL). The team improved on its 1946 record by winning eight games and losing four. This record tied for the lead in the Eastern Division and qualified the Steelers for the franchise's first playoff berth.^[1]^[2]^[3] It was the Steelers' only postseason appearance before 1972.

It was Jock Sutherland's second and final year as head coach; he died the following April^[4]^[5] after being found wandering around in a field in Kentucky. Once flown back to Pittsburgh, he was diagnosed as having two brain tumors. He only lived a few more days.

Pre-Season Changes

In 1946, the Steeler offense and defense featured the NFL MVP in the person of Bill Dudley. The Virginia grad and Army veteran led the NFL in rushing, interceptions, punt returns and all-purpose yards. Despite being wildly popular with fans and fellow players, Dudley and Coach Sutherland could not get along. Ultimately, Dudley asked Art Rooney, Sr. to trade him and the owner reluctantly agreed.

Dudley was traded to the Detroit Lions for Bob Cifers and Paul White. Additionally, the Steelers received the Lions' 1948 first round draft pick. Both White and Cifers had a demonstrable positive effect on the team. Cifers played brilliantly and was one of the top punters in the NFL that year. ^[6]

Draft

^[7]

Regular season

Schedule

Playoffs

The 1947 team was the most successful team in club history to date. It was the Steelers' first playoff appearance, the first time winning more than four games consecutively, and the club posted a franchise-best 8–4 record. Though the Steelers lost the playoff,^[3]^[8]^[9] 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 in a muddy field. Flown back to Pittsburgh, Sutherland died four days later on April 11, 1948, due to complications from a brain tumor.^[4]^[5] It was a sudden and disheartening end to a successful period in team history. The Steelers did not play in the postseason again until 1972.

Game summaries

Week 1

Sunday, September 21: Detroit Lions

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: Los Angeles Rams

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): Washington Redskins

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: Boston Yanks

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: Philadelphia Eagles

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: New York Giants

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: Green Bay Packers

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: Washington Redskins

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: New York Giants

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: Chicago Bears

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: Philadelphia Eagles

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: Boston Yanks

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: Philadelphia Eagles

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time: 2:00 pm EST
Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C)
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)

Source:^[2]^[3]^[8]^[9]

All-Pro Honors

Val Jansante 2nd Team, UPI
Charlie Mehelich 2nd Team, Chicago Herald
Red Moore 1st Team, UPI
Johnny Clement 2nd Team AP, 2nd Team UPI
Chuck Cherundolo 2nd Team AP, 2nd Team UPI ^[10]

Standings

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

References

^ Biederman, Les (December 15, 1947). "Steelers, Eagles in playoff Sunday". Pittsburgh Press. p. 24.
^ a b Biederman, Les (December 21, 1947). "Eagles given edge over Steelers". Pittsburgh Press. p. 28.
^ a b c Biederman, Les (December 22, 1947). "Steelers disappoint in grid playoff". Pittsburgh Press. p. 28.
^ a b Sell, Jack (April 12, 1948). "Jock Sutherland is dead at 59". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
^ a b "Sutherland rites tomorrow; Steelers to be pallbearers". Pittsburgh Press. April 12, 1948. p. 1.
^ Starless: The 1947 Pittsburgh Steelers, Steve Massey, 2018
^ "1947 Pittsburgh Steelers Draftees". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
^ a b "Philadelphia Eagles defeat Steelers for right to play Cards next Sunday". Milwaukee Journal. December 22, 1947. p. 10, part 2.
^ a b "Philadelphia Eagles win Eastern division of National grid league". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 22, 1947. p. 8.
^ Pro Football Reference 1947 All Pro Team