The 1946 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 14th season in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). The team finished the season with a record of 5–5–1. This season marked the first of two seasons played with

Jock Sutherland John Bain Sutherland (March 21, 1889 – April 11, 1948) was an American football player and coach. He coached college football at Lafayette College (1919–1923) and the University of Pittsburgh (1924–1938) and professional football for the ...

as head coach.

Off Season Changes

When the 1945 season ended, Jock Sutherland returned from service in World War II and signed a head coaching contract with team owner Art Rooney, Sr. on December 29, 1945 in front of local reporters. Sutherland's fame as a college coach caused a great deal of excitement among Steelers fans and ticket sales for the 1946 season set records. Additionally, fan favorite

Bill Dudley William McGarvey "Bullet Bill" Dudley (December 24, 1921 – February 4, 2010) was an American professional football player in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Redskins. He was inducte ...

was set to return for his first full season since serving in World War II. Dudley had only played in 4 games in 1945. By the end of the season, Dudley's play was so exceptional, he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player.

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1 (Friday September 20, 1946):
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

''at

Forbes Field Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland (Pittsburgh), Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the first home of t ...

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 32,951 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * Pittsburgh – Seabright 8 pass from

Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

(

kick) * Pittsburgh – Compagno 1 run (

kick) * Chicago Cardinals – Goldberg 8 pass from Mallouf (Cuff kick)

Week 2 (Monday September 29, 1946):
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

''at

Griffith Stadium Griffith Stadium stood in Washington, D.C., from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street (left field), and between W Street and Florida Avenue NW. The site was once home to a wooden baseball park. Built in 1891, it was called Bounda ...

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 33,620 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * Washington – Saenz 1 run (Poillon kick) * Washington – Todd 23 pass from Baugh (Poillon kick) * Pittsburgh – Jansante 17 pass from Clement (

kick) * Pittsburgh –

1 run (Dudley kick)

Week 3 (Sunday October 6, 1946):
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

''at

'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 33,702 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * New York – Hapes 2 run (Strong kick) * New York – Filchock 70 run (Strong kick) * New York – FG Strong 23 * Pittsburgh – Garnaas 30 pass from

(

kick) * Pittsburgh – Clement 2 run (

kick)

Week 4 (Sunday October 13, 1946):
Boston Yanks The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...

''at

'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 34,297 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * Pittsburgh – Lach 1 run (kick blocked) * Pittsburgh – Lach 5 run (

kick) * Pittsburgh – FG

34 * Boston – Scollard 6 fumble run (Scollard kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 20, 1946):
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

''at East Stadium,

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...

'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 22,588 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * Green Bay – FG Fritsch 38 * Pittsburgh –

31 run (

kick) * Green Bay – Luhn, 19 pass from Comp (Fritsch kick) * Green Bay – Schlinkman 2 run (Fritsch kick)

Week 6 (Sunday October 27, 1946):
Boston Yanks The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...

''at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...

, Boston, Massachusetts'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 13,797 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * Pittsburgh – Condit 18 run (kick failed) * Boston – Dimancheff 26 pass from Governali (Scollard kick) * Pittsburgh –

23 lateral from Compagno (

kick) * Pittsburgh – R. Davis 29 fumble run (Dudley kick) * Pittsburgh –

– 80 pass from Condit (Condit kick) * Pittsburgh – Dutton 38 run (kick failed)

Week 7 (Sunday November 3, 1946):
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

''at

'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 36,995 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * Pittsburgh –

80 interception (

kick) * PIttsburgh – Lach 5 run (Dudley kick) * Washington – Baugh 1 run (Poillon kick)

Week 8 (Sunday November 10, 1946):
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

''at

Briggs Stadium Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Corktown, Detroit, Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location at the intersection of U. ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 13,621 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * Detroit – FG Helms 35 * Detroit – DeCorrevont 72 pass from Ryan (DeShane kick) * Pittsburgh – Dutton 12 run (

kick) * Detroit – Greene 88 pass from Ryan (DeShane kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 17, 1946):
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

''at

'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 38,882 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * Philadelphia – Zimmerman 1 run (Zimmerman kick) * Pittsburgh – Lach 1 run (Condit kick) * Pittsburgh – FG

Week 10 (Sunday November 24, 1946):
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

''at

Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...

'' Scoring Drives: * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 45,346 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * New York – Paschal 4 run (Strong kick)

Week 11 (Sunday December 1, 1946):
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

''at

Shibe Park Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a ballpark located in Philadelphia. It was the home of the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League (AL) and the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League (NL). When it opened April 12, 1 ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

'' * Game time: * Game weather: * Game attendance: 29,943 * Referee: Scoring Drives: * Philadelphia – Pritchard 58 run (Lio kick) * Philadelphia – FG Lio 15 * Pittsburgh – Lach 7 run (

kick)

Standings

1946 Steelers at Pro Football Reference

References

{{1946 NFL season by team Pittsburgh Steelers seasons

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

Pitts

Off Season Changes

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 3 (Sunday October 6, 1946): New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

Week 4 (Sunday October 13, 1946): Boston Yanks The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...

Week 5 (Sunday October 20, 1946): Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

Week 6 (Sunday October 27, 1946): Boston Yanks The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...

Week 7 (Sunday November 3, 1946): Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

Week 8 (Sunday November 10, 1946): Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

Week 10 (Sunday November 24, 1946): New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

Standings

References

Week 3 (Sunday October 6, 1946):
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

Week 4 (Sunday October 13, 1946):
Boston Yanks The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...

Week 5 (Sunday October 20, 1946):
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

Week 6 (Sunday October 27, 1946):
Boston Yanks The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...

Week 7 (Sunday November 3, 1946):
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

Week 8 (Sunday November 10, 1946):
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

Week 10 (Sunday November 24, 1946):
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...