1963 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1963 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 31st in the National Football League. The Steelers won seven games, and lost four, with three games ending in a tie. As a result, the Steelers finished in fourth place in the NFL Eastern Conference. It was also their final season of splitting home games between Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium before moving all of their home games to the latter for the next six seasons. Because tie games were not included in NFL standings at the time, the Steelers had a chance to play in their first ever NFL Championship Game if they defeated the New York Giants in the season finale, but they fell 33-17.

1963 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head coachBuddy Parker
Home fieldForbes Field (four games)
Pitt Stadium (three games)
Results
Record7–4–3
Division place4th NFL Eastern
Playoff finishDid not qualify

For the first time in 1963, the Steelers wore their trademark black helmets with their logo on one side of the helmet. They had used the logo previously on yellow helmets, but 1963 was the first season in which their now-signature look was used full-time in the regular season.[1]

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Time (ET) Result
1 September 15, 1963 at Philadelphia Eagles T 21–21
2 September 22, 1963 New York Giants W 31–0
3 September 29, 1963 St. Louis Cardinals W 23–10
4 October 5, 1963 at Cleveland Browns L 35–23
5 October 13, 1963 at St. Louis Cardinals L 24–23
6 October 20, 1963 Washington Redskins W 38–27
7 October 27, 1963 Dallas Cowboys W 27–21
8 November 3, 1963 at Green Bay Packers L 33–14
9 November 10, 1963 Cleveland Browns W 9–7
10 November 17, 1963 at Washington Redskins W 34–28
11 November 24, 1963 Chicago Bears T 17–17
12 December 1, 1963 Philadelphia Eagles T 20–20
13 December 8, 1963 at Dallas Cowboys W 24–19
14 December 15, 1963 at New York Giants L 33–17

Week 1 (Sunday September 15, 1963): Philadelphia Eagles
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 6 0 15 21
Eagles 7 0 7 7 21

at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 58,205
  • Referee: Bill Downes
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Philadelphia – McDonald 13 pass from Jurgensen (Clark kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 38
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 50
  • Philadelphia – Smith 6 pass from Jurgensen (Clark kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 17
  • Pittsburgh – Johnson 1 run (kick failed)
  • Philadelphia – McDonald 75 pass from Jurgensen (Clark kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Johnson 11 pass from Brown (kick failed)

Week 2 (Sunday September 22, 1963): New York Giants
1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 0 0 0 0 0
Steelers 0 10 0 21 31

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 46,068
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Week 3 (Sunday September 29, 1963): St. Louis Cardinals
1 2 3 4 Total
Cardinals 7 0 3 0 10
Steelers 3 3 0 17 23

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 28,225
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Week 4 (Saturday October 5, 1963): Cleveland Browns
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 3 17 3 0 23
Browns 7 7 7 21 42

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 84,684
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Week 5 (Sunday October 13, 1963): St. Louis Cardinals
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 3 17 3 0 23
Cardinals 3 0 7 14 24

at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 23,715
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Week 6 (Sunday October 20, 1963): Washington Redskins
1 2 3 4 Total
Redskins 3 14 7 3 27
Steelers 7 10 7 14 38

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 41,987
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:
  • Pittsburgh – Brown 1 run (Michaels kick)
  • Washington – FG Khayat 49
  • Pittsburgh – Hoak 8 run (Michaels kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 9
  • Washington – Snead 1 run (Khayat kick)
  • Washington – James 36 pass from Snead (Khayat kick)
  • Washington – James 5 run (Khayat kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Hoak 1 run (Michaels kick)
  • Washington – FG Khayat 15
  • Pittsburgh – Haley 24 interception return (Michaels kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Dial 4 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 27, 1963): Dallas Cowboys
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 7 7 7 0 21
Steelers 0 6 7 14 27

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 19,047
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Dallas – Clarke 5 pass from Meredith (Baker kick)
  • Dallas – Folkins 35 pass from Meredith (Baker kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Dial 83 pass from Browns (kick failed)
  • Dallas – Howton 13 pass from Meredith (Baker kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Dial 25 pass from Brown (Tracy kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Dial 14 pass from Brown (Tracy kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Mack 85 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)[2]

Week 8 (Sunday November 3, 1963): Green Bay Packers
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 7 0 0 7 14
Packers 3 6 14 10 33

at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – Hoak 2 run (Michaels kick)
  • Green Bay – FG Kramer 23
  • Green Bay – FG Kramer 36
  • Green Bay – FG Kramer 12
  • Green Bay – Taylor 1 run (Kramer kick)
  • Green Bay – Pitts 2 run (Kramer kick)
  • Green Bay – FG Kramer 37
  • Pittsburgh – Mack 33 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)
  • Green Bay – Pitts 1 run (Kramer kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 10, 1963): Cleveland Browns
1 2 3 4 Total
Browns 0 7 0 0 7
Steelers 0 0 2 7 9

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 54,497
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Week 10 (Sunday November 17, 1963): Washington Redskins
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 7 7 10 10 34
Redskins 7 7 0 14 28

at D.C. Stadium, Washington, DC

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 42,219
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Washington – Crabb 53 interception return (Khayat kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Johnson 3 run (Michaels kick)
  • Washington – Mitchell 19 pass from Snead (Khayat kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Ballman 67 pass from Brown (Khayat kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Johnson 1 run (Michaels kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 27
  • Washington – Mitchell 20 pass from Barnes (Khayat kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 18
  • Washington – Richter 21 pass from Snead (Khayat kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Ballman 92 kickoff return (Michaels kick)

Week 11 (Sunday November 24, 1963): Chicago Bears
1 2 3 4 Total
Bears 7 7 0 3 17
Steelers 0 14 0 3 17

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 36,465
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Chicago – Galimore 1 run (Jencks kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Hoak 6 run (Michaels kick)
  • Chicago – Bull 1 run (Jencks kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Curry 31 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 11
  • Chicago – FG Leclerc 18

Week 12 (Sunday December 1, 1963): Philadelphia Eagles
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 14 3 3 20
Steelers 0 3 0 17 20

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 15,721
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 10
  • Philadelphia – Retzlaff 24 pass from Hill (Clark kick)
  • Philadelphia – Brown 14 run (Clark kick)
  • Philadelphia – FG Clark 23
  • Pittsburgh – Ballman 57 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)
  • Philadelphia – FG Clark 40
  • Pittsburgh – Ballman 8 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 24

Week 13 (Sunday December 8, 1963): Dallas Cowboys
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 17 0 7 24
Cowboys 9 0 10 0 19

at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 24,136
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Dallas – FG Baker 53
  • Dallas – Meredith 2 run (kick failed)
  • Pittsburgh – Dial 55 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Carpenter 28 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 24
  • Dallas – FG Baker 46
  • Dallas – Meredith 4 run (Baker kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Sapp 24 run (Michaels kick)

Week 14 (December 15, 1963): New York Giants
1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 3 14 0 17
Giants 9 7 14 3 33

at Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 63,240
  • Referee:
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • New York Giants – FG Chandler 34
  • New York Giants – Shotner 41 pass from Tittle (kick failed)
  • New York Giants – Morrison 3 pass from Tittle (Chandler kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Michaels 27
  • Pittsburgh – Ballman 21 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)
  • New York Giants – Morrison 22 pass from Tittle (Chandler kick)
  • New York Giants – Morrison 1 run (Chandler kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Dial 40 pass from Brown (Michaels kick)
  • New York Giants – FG Chandler 41

Standings
NFL Eastern Conference
W L T PCT CONF PF PA STK
New York Giants 11 3 0 .786 9–3 448 280 W3
Cleveland Browns 10 4 0 .714 9–3 343 262 W1
St. Louis Cardinals 9 5 0 .643 8–4 341 283 L1
Pittsburgh Steelers 7 4 3 .636 7–3–2 321 295 L1
Dallas Cowboys 4 10 0 .286 3–9 305 378 W1
Washington Redskins 3 11 0 .214 2–10 279 398 L3
Philadelphia Eagles 2 10 2 .167 2–8–2 242 381 L2

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

References
  1. "1963 NFL season at Gridiron Uniform Database". Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  2. Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers - October 27th, 1963
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