1933 Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) season

The 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates was the debut season of the team that would eventually become the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team was founded after Pennsylvania relaxed its blue laws that, prior to 1933, prohibited sporting events from taking place on Sundays, when most NFL games took place. The new squad was composed largely of local semi-pro players, many of whom played for sports promoter Art Rooney. Rooney became the Pirates owner, paying the NFL a $2,500 fee to join the league. Except for a brief period in 1940 and '41, Rooney would remain the franchise's principal owner until his death in 1988. The Rooney family has retained a controlling interest ever since. The team took the field for the first time on September 20 against the New York Giants at Forbes Field, losing 23–2. The following week, the team got its first win, defeating the Chicago Cardinals at home 14–13.

The team finished 3–6–2 for the season.

Pittsburgh Pirates 1933 team photo

Regular season

Schedule

Standings

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

Game summaries

Week 1 (Wednesday September 20, 1933): New York Giants

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 20,000
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• New York – Strong 33 interception (Strong kick)
• Pittsburgh – Safety, Strong punt blocked out of end zone by Oehler
• New York – Newman 5 run (Strong kick)
• New York – FG Newman 39
• New York – Burnett 37 pass from Newman (kick failed)

Week 2 (Wednesday September 27, 1933): Chicago Cardinals

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 5,000
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Chicago Cardinals – McNally 51 intercepted lateral (kick failed)
• Chicago Cardinals – Moe 35 pass from Lillard (Lillard kick)
• Pittsburgh – Kottler 99 interception (Kelsch kick)
• Pittsburgh – Moss 11 pass from Tanguay (Kelsch kick)

Week 3 (Wednesday October 4, 1933): Boston Redskins

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 15,000
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Boston – Battles 70 punt return (Musick kick)
• Boston – Musick 1 run (Musick kick)
• Boston – Holmer 1 run (LaPresta kick)
• Pittsburgh – Brovelli 1 run (kick failed)

Week 4 (Wednesday October 11, 1933): Cincinnati Reds

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 5,000
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Cincinnati – FG Clark 12
• Pittsburgh – Westfall 2 run (Brovelli kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Kelsch 36
• Pittsburgh – Vaughan 3 run (Westfall kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 15, 1933): at Green Bay Packers

City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 4,000
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Green Bay – Hinkle 1 run (Monnett kick)
• Green Bay – Monnett 7 run (kick failed)
• Green Bay – Goldenberg 67 interception (Grove kick)
• Green Bay – Goldenberg 3 run (Monnett kick)
• Green Bay – Bruder 52 run (Herber kick)
• Green Bay – Monnett 12 run (kick failed)
• Green Bay – Englemann 40 lateral from Monnett after 9 pass from Herber (Monnett kick)

Week 6 (Sunday October 22, 1933): at Cincinnati Reds

at Redland Field, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance:
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• none

Week 7 (Sunday October 29, 1933): at Boston Redskins

at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 7,500
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Boston – Battles 5 run (Musick kick)
• Pittsburgh – Moss 30 pass from Holm (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – FG Engebretsen 21
• Pittsburgh – Westfall 60 pass from Holm (Brovelli kick)
• Boston – Weller run (Musick kick)

Week 8 (Sunday November 5, 1933): at Brooklyn Dodgers

at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 15,000
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Brooklyn – FG Hickman 30
• Pittsburgh – FG Kelsch 15

Week 9 (Sunday November 12, 1933): Brooklyn Dodgers

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 12,000
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Brooklyn – Kelly 15 run (kick failed)
• Brooklyn – Kelly 70 punt return (Hickman kick)
• Brooklyn – Nash 61 pass from Cagle (kick failed)
• Brooklyn – Kelly 2 run (Kelly kick)
• Brooklyn – Fishel 7 run (kick failed)

Week 10 (Sunday November 19, 1933): at Philadelphia Eagles

at Baker Bowl, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 6,000
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Philadelphia – Hanson run (kick failed)
• Philadelphia – Carter pass from Kirkman (Kirkman kick)
• Philadelphia – Carter pass from Davis (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – Brovelli run (kick failed)
• Philadelphia – Woodruff run (kick failed)

Week 12 (Sunday December 3, 1933): at New York Giants

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 10,000
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Kelsch 14
• New York – Krause 20 pass from Strong (Strong kick)
• New York – Badgro 25 pass from Newman (kick failed)
• New York – Richards 14 pass from Newman (Richards kick)
• New York – Richards 22 run (Krause pass from Newman)

References