The Philadelphia Eagles joined the NFL the same year as the Steelers in 1933 and they enjoyed the same miserable early years as their neighbors. The Steelers’ first winning season was 1942, two years earlier than the Eagles if you ignore the previous year when they were the Steagles.
A lack of athletes due to World War 2 meant some franchises were forced to combine to field a team. The merged Phil-Pitt team of 1941 surprisingly managed to produce a 5-4-1 season and with it the first winning one in Philadelphia.
The Eagles own an overall winning record of 49-28, but in Pittsburgh it is even at 19-19-1. In recent contests the wins usually go to the home team.
After the death of Dr. Jock Sutherland, who coached the team to their first visit to the playoffs in 1947, the Steelers struggled to have another winning season. By 1958 they had produced only one in 1949.
Buddy Parker became the Steelers coach in 1957 after becoming disgruntled with his players in Detroit. He had coached the Lions to two titles and in his first season in Pittsburgh coached the Steelers to an improved 6-6 record.
1958 saw the Steelers lose their opening two games and languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Although the defense received the blame for the second defeat, a 45-12 hammering by the Browns, Parker decided it was the offense that needed changing.
After just those two games played, the Steelers traded their quarterback Earl Morrall for Bobby Layne. Morrall had cost the Steelers their star linebacker Marv Matuszak and guard Mike Sandusky plus two draft picks only a year earlier.
Parker admitted he was wrong to bring Morrall to Pittsburgh. “I figured Morrall would come up this year,” he noted. “He had four good games last season, but he just didn’t improve. He may yet become a star, but I couldn’t wait for his development. With Layne I don’t have to wait; I know what he can do. He’ll step right in because he knows my system.”
Layne had been a major part of Parker’s winning team in Detroit after a season each with the Bears and the New York Bulldogs. Originally drafted by the Steelers in 1948, he did not want to play in Dr. John Sutherland’s T-formation so he was traded to Chicago.
Steelers owner Art Rooney supported the latest trade acknowledging, “Among other things, our quarterbacking has been a problem this season. Layne should help us immensely.”
Layne was enthusiastic about his move to the Steelers. “I hope I can give the Steelers a winning complex by being a team leader and giving the fellows confidence by playing good and alert football.”
Layne’s first game would be against the Steelers local rivals Eagles in Pitt Stadium. A comfortable 24-3 win saw Layne receive praise for the way he guided his team to victory. “He’s the general,” suggested fullback Tank Younger. “He runs the ball club just like the general runs the army. Nobody’s gonna lay down on that man.”
Losses in Cleveland and New York followed the initial euphoria, and the passion began to wane. It perked up when they defeated the Redskins 24-16 on the arm of Layne’s 265 yards passing with two touchdowns.
Next up was the return Eagles game in Philadelphia. The Steelers had not swept the series for 21 years and not left the City of Brotherly Love with a win for six years.
The (2-4) Steelers at the (1-4-1) Eagles; November 9, 1958
Philadelphia took the opening kickoff and moved the ball to the Steelers 21 where their fumbled brought their drive to a halt. The Steelers took possession and opened the scoring with a Tom Miner 38-yard field goal with Bobby Layne as the holder.
A Layne interception by Eddie Bell returned to the Steelers five set up the Eagles reply. When Billy Ray Barnes recovered his fumble after losing 13 yards, he flipped an 18-yard touchdown pass to Pete Retzlaff to put the Eagles 7-3 ahead.
In the second quarter, Layne atoned for his turnover. He hit Tom Tracy with two touchdown passes. Layne finished an 8-play drive of 48 yards finding Tracy with a 13-yard touchdown pass.
After Steelers Dick Alban recovered a Barnes fumble, he advanced it to the Eagles 25. Layne accepted the gift and found Tracy with a 25-yard touchdown pass.
As the first half expired, the Eagles would add a Bobby Walston field goal from 16 yards to reduce their deficit to seven points.
On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Eagles Eddie Bell intercepted a deep pass from Layne intended for Jimmy Orr. Bell returned it 33 yards to the Steelers 42. Seven plays later, Barnes ran over from 3 yards for the touchdown. Philadelphia’s conversion tied the game 17-17.
Pittsburgh came straight back with a 10-play drive that finished with Layne’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Ray Matthews. On their next possession, the Steelers went 59 yards in five plays with Layne finding an open Tracy with a 40-yard touchdown pass to extend the Steelers lead.
After a drive of 95 yards, Philadelphia’s Norm Van Brocklin found Tommy McDonald in the end zone with a 10-yard touchdown. The successful conversion brought the Eagles within seven points. With just over a minute remaining, the Eagles attempted an onside kick. The kick was fielded by Steelers Jack McClairen to banish the Eagles hopes of a comeback.
The Pittsburgh Steelers 31 at the Philadelphia Eagles 24
The Steelers would win four of their next five games while tying the other one to finish 7-4-1. That was their best record for a decade. It placed them third in the Eastern Conference, but only the top teams made it to a Championship game which saw the Colts beat the Giants.
Bobby Layne would repeat his feat of throwing four touchdown passes in a game for the Steelers four more times. He would spend two more seasons with the team before retiring.
Buddy Parker would stay with the Steelers until 1965 before resigning. He enjoyed two more winning seasons, 1962 being the organisation’s best at 9-5 until the arrival of Coach Noll.
Earl Morrall would enjoy 21 years in the NFL playing for six different teams and winning the league’s MVP in 1968 with the Baltimore Colts.