1961 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1961 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 29th in the National Football League.

Week 1 (Sunday September 17, 1961): Dallas Cowboys
at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 23,500
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Dallas – Clarke 44 pass from LeBaron (Green kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Johnson 1 run (Layne kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 44 pass from Layne (Layne kick)
 * Dallas – FG Green 15
 * Dallas – Howton 45 pass from LeBaron (Green kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 12
 * Pittsburgh – Sample 39 interception return (Layne kick)
 * Dallas – Bieski 17 pass from Meredith (Green kick)
 * Dallas – FG Green 27

Week 2 (Sunday September 24, 1961): New York Giants
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 35,587
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Pittsburgh – Johnson 1 run (Tracy kick)
 * New York Giants – Shofner 16 pass from Conerly (Summerall kick)
 * New York Giants – FG Summerall 19
 * New York Giants – Morrison 5 pass from Tittle (Summerall kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 4 pass from Layne (Tracy kick)

Week 3 (Sunday October 1, 1961): Los Angeles Rams
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 40,070
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Los Angeles – Bratkowski 2 run (Villanueva kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 20 pass from Bukich (Layne kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Johnson 5 run (Layne kick)
 * Los Angeles – Phillips 15 pass from Ryan (Villanueva kick)
 * Los Angeles – Matson 96 pass from Ryan (Villanueva kick)
 * Los Angeles – FG Villanueva 15

Week 4 (Sunday October 8, 1961): Philadelphia Eagles
at Franklin Field, Philadelphia


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 60,671
 * Referee: George Rennix
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 23
 * PIttsburgh – Bukich 1 run (Michaels kick)
 * Philadelphia – Retzlaff 17 pass from Jurgensen (Walston kick)
 * Philadelphia – Peaks 1 run (Walston kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 13 pass from Bukich (kick failed)
 * Philadelphia – Retzlaff 2 pass from Jurgensen (Walston kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 15, 1961): Washington Redskins
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 15,072
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Pittsburgh – Carpenter 8 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 23 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 13
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 36

Week 6 (Sunday October 22, 1961): Cleveland Browns
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 29,266
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Cleveland – FG Groza 24
 * Cleveland – Mitchell 6 run (Groza kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 12 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Tracy 1 run (Michaels kick)
 * Cleveland – FG Groza 36
 * Cleveland – Mitchell 9 run (Groza kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Tracy 1 run (Michaels kick)
 * Cleveland – Mitchell 18 run (Groza kick)
 * Cleveland – FG Groza 12
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 88 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 29, 1961): San Francisco 49ers
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 21,686
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Pittsburgh – Johnson 30 run (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Tracy 11 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 16
 * San Francisco – Stickles 50 pass from Brodie (Davis kick)
 * San Francisco – FG Davis 20
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 24

Week 8 (Sunday November 5, 1961): Cleveland Browns
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 62,723
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Cleveland – J. Brown 3 run
 * Cleveland – FG Groza 27
 * Pittsburgh – Bukich 1 run (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 10
 * Cleveland – FG Groza 37
 * Pittsburgh – Schnelker 26 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 12, 1961): Dallas Cowboys
at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 17,519
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Pittsburgh – Johnson 1 run (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 28
 * Dallas – Perkins 11 run (Green kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 19
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 73 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Butler 71 interception (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 15 pass from Bikich (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 47

Week 10 (Sunday November 19, 1961): New York Giants
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 62,592
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Pittsburgh – Dial 15 pass from Bukich (Michaels kick)
 * New York Giants – Walton 9 pass from Tittle (Summerall kick)
 * New York Giants – Gaiters 3 run (Summerall kick)
 * New York Giants – Webster 23 pass from Tittle (Summerall kick)
 * New York Giants – Rote 20 pass from Tittle (Summerall kick)
 * New York Giants – Rote 9 pass from Gaiters (Summerall kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Carpenter 13 pass from Hoak (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 3 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
 * New York Giants – Webster 32 run (Summerall kick)

Week 11 (Sunday November 26, 1961): St. Louis Cardinals
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 17,090
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * St. Louis – Norton 47 interception return (kick failed)
 * St. Louis – Randle 3 pass from Etcheverry (Perry kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 18
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 36
 * Pittsburgh – Schnelker 11 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Sample 55 punt return (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Johnson 2 run (Michaels kick)
 * St. Louis – Crow 61 pass from Guglielmi (Conrad kick)
 * St. Louis – Norton 37 interception return (Conrad kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 18

Week 12 (Sunday December 3, 1961): Philadelphia Eagles
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 21,653
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Philadelphia – Walston 17 pass from Jurgensen (Walston kick)
 * Philadelphia – Peaks 1 run (Walston kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Carpenter 7 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 37
 * Philadelphia – Lucas 7 pass from Jurgensen (Walston kick)
 * Philadelphia – Brown 66 punt return (Walston kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Johnson 7 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Schnelker 8 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
 * Philadelphia – Brown 42 run (Walston kick)

Week 13 (Sunday December 10, 1961): Washington Redskins
at D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C.


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 21,134
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * Pittsburgh – Mack 10 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
 * Washington – Dugan 9 pass from Snead (Aveni kick)
 * Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 42
 * Pittsburgh – Carpenter 40 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Mack 6 pass from Layne (Michaels kick)
 * Washington – Dugan 11 pass from Izo (Aveni kick)
 * Pittsburgh – Dial 5 pass from Layne (kick failed)

Week 14 (Sunday December 17, 1961): St. Louis Cardinals
at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri


 * Game time:
 * Game weather:
 * Game attendance: 16,298
 * Referee:
 * TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:


 * St. Louis – Randle 3 pass from Etcheverry (Perry kick)
 * St. Louis – Stacy 25 fumble run (kick failed)
 * St. Louis – Crow 15 pass from Etcheverry (Perry kick)