1965 Pittsburgh Steelers season

1965 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head coach	Mike Nixon
Home field	Pitt Stadium
Results
Record	2–12
Division place	7th NFL Eastern
Playoff finish	did not qualify

The 1965 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 33rd in the National Football League.

The team set a modern NFL record with a minus-30 turnover ratio.

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	Result
1	September 19, 1965	Green Bay Packers		L 41–9
2	September 26, 1965	at San Francisco 49ers		L 27–17
3	October 3, 1965	New York Giants		L 23–13
4	October 9, 1965	at Cleveland Browns		L 24–19
5	October 17, 1965	St. Louis Cardinals		L 20–7
6	October 24, 1965	at Philadelphia Eagles		W 20–14
7	October 31, 1965	Dallas Cowboys		W 22–13
8	November 7, 1965	at St. Louis Cardinals		L 21–17
9	November 14, 1965	at Dallas Cowboys		L 24–17
10	November 21, 1965	Washington Redskins		L 31–3
11	November 28, 1965	Cleveland Browns		L 42–21
12	December 5, 1965	at New York Giants		L 35–10
13	December 12, 1965	Philadelphia Eagles		L 47–13
14	December 19, 1965	at Washington Redskins		L 35–14

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 19, 1965): Green Bay Packers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	0	7	13	21	41
Steelers	0	9	0	0	9

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 38,383
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 21
• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 34
• Green Bay – Adderley 34 interception (Chandler kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 32
• Green Bay – Fleming 31 pass from Starr (Chandler kick)
• Green Bay – FG Chandler 9
• Green Bay – FG Chandler 19
• Green Bay – Hornung 10 pass from Starr (Chandler kick)
• Green Bay – Pitts 2 run (Chandler kick)
• Green Bay – Pitts 2 run (Chandler kick)

Week 2 (Sunday September 26, 1965): San Francisco 49ers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	0	10	0	17
49ers	7	6	7	7	27

at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, California

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 30,140
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• San Francisco – Crow 49 pass from Brodie (Davis kick)
• Pittsburgh – Hoak 1 run (Clark kick)
• San Francisco – FG Davis 37
• San Francisco – FG Davis 27
• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 32
• San Francisco – Wiltard 9 run (Davis kick)
• Pittsburgh – Campbell 15 fumble return (Clark kick)
• San Francisco – Brodie 4 run (Davis kick)

Week 3 (Sunday October 3, 1965): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	7	0	9	23
Steelers	0	3	3	7	13

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 31,871
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• New York Giants – Thurlow 6 run (Stynchula kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 22
• New York Giants – Morrison 4 pass form Morrall (Stynchula kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 48
• New York Giants – FG Timberlake 43
• Pittsburgh – Hoak 1 run (Clark kick)
• New York Giants – Thomas 29 pass form Morrall (kick failed)

Week 4 (Saturday October 9, 1965): Cleveland Browns

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	6	6	7	19
Browns	10	0	7	7	24

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 80,187
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Cleveland – FG Groza 38
• Cleveland – Brown 4 pass from Ryan (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – Nelsen 1 run (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – Hoak – 42 run (kick failed)
• Cleveland – Brown 1 run (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – Hoak 15 run (Clark kick)
• Cleveland – Collins 14 pass from Ryan (Groza kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 17, 1965): St. Louis Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	0	3	10	20
Steelers	7	0	0	0	7

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 31,085
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• St. Louis – Randle 8 pass from Johnson (Bakken kick)
• Pittsburgh – Ballman 5 run (Clark kick)
• St. Louis – FG Bakken 32
• St. Louis – Conrad 71 pass from Johnson (Bakken kick)
• St. Louis – FG Bakken 35

Week 6 (Sunday October 24, 1965): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	6	7	7	0	20
Eagles	7	0	0	7	14

at Franklin Field, Philadelphia

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 56,515
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Philadelphia – Gros 4 run (Baker kick)
• Pittsburgh – Daniel 17 fumble return (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – J. Bradshaw 82 interception return (Clark kick)
• Pittsburgh – Lind 4 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick)
• Philadelphia – Poage 14 pass from Concannon (Baker kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 31, 1965): Dallas Cowboys

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	6	0	7	0	13
Steelers	0	19	0	3	22

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 37,804
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Dallas – Smith 2 pass from Meredith (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – Hoak 2 pass from Nelsen (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – Ballman 20 pass from Nelsen (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – Ballman 72 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick)
• Dallas – Gent 8 pass from Meredith (Villanueva kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 18

Week 8 (Sunday November 7, 1965): St. Louis Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	0	0	14	17
Cardinals	0	7	7	7	21

at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 31,899
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 11
• St. Louis – Triplett 3 run (Bakken kick)
• St. Louis – Randle 15 pass from Johnson (Bakken kick)
• Pittsburgh – Jefferson 50 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick)
• Pittsburgh – Lind 2 run (Clark kick)
• St. Louis – Gambrell 59 pass from Johnson (Bakken kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 14, 1965): Dallas Cowboys

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	0	10	0	17
Cowboys	7	3	0	14	24

at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 57,293
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Hoak 3 run (Clark kick)
• Dallas – Clarke 1 pass from Meredith (Villanueva kick)
• Dallas – FG Villanueva 33
• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 32
• Pittsburgh – Folkins 18 fumble return (Clark kick)
• Dallas – Reeves 2 run (Villanueva kick)
• Dallas – Hayes 28 pass from Meredith (Villanueva kick)

Week 10 (Sunday November 21, 1965): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	10	14	7	31
Steelers	3	0	0	0	3

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 25,052
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 34
• Washington – Lewis 1 run (Jencks kick)
• Washington – FG Jencks 9
• Washington – Taylor 8 run (Jencks kick)
• Washington – Coia 45 pass from Jurgensen (Jencks kick)
• Washington – Harris 57 punt return (Jencks kick)

Week 11 (Sunday November 28, 1965): Cleveland Browns

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	7	14	21	42
Steelers	0	0	7	14	21

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 42,757
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Cleveland – Kelly 56 punt return (Groza kick)
• Cleveland – Brown 2 run (Groza kick)
• Cleveland – Brown 2 run (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – Ballman 87 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick)
• Cleveland – Brown 15 run (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – Butler 43 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick)
• Cleveland – Brewer 25 pass from Ninowski (Groza kick)
• Pittsburgh – Thomas 80 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick)
• Cleveland – Brown 27 pass from Ninowski (Groza kick)

Week 12 (Sunday December 5, 1965): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	7	0	0	10
Giants	7	21	0	7	35

at Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 62,735
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• New York Giants – Shofner 33 pass from Morrall (Timberlake kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Clark 25
• Pittsburgh – Ballman 1 run (Clark kick)
• New York Giants – Frederickson 13 run (Timberlake kick)
• New York Giants – Frederickson 3 run (Timberlake kick)
• New York Giants – Frederickson 19 pass from Morrall (Timberlake kick)
• New York Giants – Jones 28 pass from Wood (Timberlake kick)

Week 13 (Sunday December 12, 1965): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	27	7	6	7	47
Steelers	0	13	0	0	13

at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 22,002
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Philadelphia – Gros 2 run (Baker kick)
• Philadelphia – Retzlaff 13 pass from Snead (kick failed)
• Philadelphia – Matson 8 run (Baker kick)
• Philadelphia – Baughan 33 interception return (Baker kick)
• Philadelphia – Nettles 56 interception return (Baker kick)
• Pittsburgh – Ballman 20 pass from Wade (Clark kick)
• Pittsburgh – Woodson 61 interception return (kick failed)
• Philadelphia – Tarasovic 40 interception return (kick failed)
• Philadelphia – Lang 8 run (Baker kick)

Week 14 (December 19, 1965): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	14	0	0	14
Redskins	14	14	7	0	35

at D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C.

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 49,806
• Referee:
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Washington – Lewis 10 pass from Jurgensen (Jencks kick)
• Washington – Harris 34 interception (Jencks kick)
• Pittsburgh – Ballman 2 run (Clark kick)
• Washington – Walters 63 interception return (Jencks kick)
• Pittsburgh – Ballman 44 pass from Wade (Clark kick)
• Washington – Pellegrini 31 fumble return (Jencks kick)
• Washington – Hughley 4 pass from Jurgensen (Jencks kick)

Standings

NFL Eastern Conference
	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Cleveland Browns	11	3	0	.786	11–1	363	325	W1
Dallas Cowboys	7	7	0	.500	6–6	325	280	W3
New York Giants	7	7	0	.500	7–5	270	338	L1
Washington Redskins	6	8	0	.429	6–6	257	301	W1
Philadelphia Eagles	5	9	0	.357	5–7	363	359	L1
St. Louis Cardinals	5	9	0	.357	5–7	296	309	L6
Pittsburgh Steelers	2	12	0	.143	2–10	202	397	L7

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

References