Although not one of the founder members of the NFL, the New York Giants are one of the oldest having joined the league in 1925.
Until the 1970 AFL merger, the Giants and Steelers would play each twice each season, home and away. At the time the Steelers joined the AFC after the merger, the Giants led the series 42-25-3. Since the merger, the Steelers lead 7-4.
The Steelers waited ten years before having a winning season (1942) and another three years before making the playoffs (1947). In each of those historic seasons, the Steelers beat the Giants twice.
The 1952 season saw the Steelers start with another new coach. After 4-7-1 the previous year, Johnny Michelosen resigned having been told by Art Rooney he would be fired if he didn’t.
Assistant coach Joe Bach was promoted to the top job. Bach had been the Pirates’ head coach in 1935 for two seasons before returning to the collegiate ranks. His idea to improve the Steelers was to switch the offense from a single wing to a T-formation.
The prime requirement for the T is a quarterback who can lead his team from under center. “I’m definitely looking for a top-notch quarterback,“ admitted Bach. And a good speedy fullback. Those are what we need most.”
Bach acknowledged that his quarterback Jim Finks could operate a T, but he was aware the player was a strong part of the defense. “I’ll sacrifice defense for offense any day. Not that I want a bunch of palookas on defense. But if a man fits into my offense plan, that’s where he goes.”
Pittsburgh used their number one pick that season on fullback Ed Modzelewski to support Finks on offense.
Before the 1952 regular season, the Steelers played seven exhibition games in five weeks at various neutral locations. In addition to taking pro football to a wider audience, it brought in much needed additional funds. The Steelers could only manage one win and a 0-0 tie while suffering a 24-10 defeat to the Giants.
The losing mindset carried into the regular season with four straight defeats, three of them at home. They marginally recovered before the week ten game against the Giants to go 3-6. New York brought a 6-3 record to Pittsburgh. They were in a three-way tie with the Eagles and Browns on top of the American Division.
New York had a stingy defense and had allowed just 107 points against them. It was the lowest in the NFL. It would present a stern test for Coach Bach and his T-formation.
In frigid playing conditions Coach Bach said his team would use an electrically heated bench to keep the players warm.
The (3-6) Steelers vs the (6-3) Giants; November 30, 1952
From the opening kickoff, the Steelers stunned the football world with their demolition job on the Giants. The Giants won the coin toss and with the league’s best defensive figures decided to kick. Lynn Chandnois returned the kick 91 yards to open the scoring.
Midway through the first quarter, Chandnois and Ray Matthews moved the chains before Chandnois finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run.
The Steelers continued to pile on the points as they hauled in long passes while the defense made interceptions and recovered their opponents’ fumbles. Elbie Nickel caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jim Finks while Ray Matthews’ 42-yard touchdown catch saw the Steelers take a 28-0 advantage into the locker room at the half.
The Steelers came out for the second half still in a determined frame of mind. Dick Hensley’s touchdown pass of 25 yards extended their lead.
The busiest player on the Giants side was Tom Landry. The same Landry who would go on to coach the Dallas Cowboys. Landry ran, kicked, passed, played defense and eventually found Bill Stribling with a freak play to prevent the shutout.
After completing a pass, Stribling was stopped but managed to lateral to Joe Scott, who when smothered by the Steelers defense, succeeded in offloading the ball back to Stribling for a 55-yard touchdown. It reduced the Giants deficit to 35-7.
The final period saw the Steelers absolutely crush their opponents. After Finks found Hensley with a long pass, the receiver was tackled on the New York 20. Hensley broke loose and went on to score a 60-yard touchdown.
The Steelers special teams played their part blocking a punt New York attempted from the end zone. George Hays recovered for a touchdown.
Gary Kerkorian, who previously added six point-after-attempts, found Jack Butler with touchdown pass of 20 yards before adding his seventh PAT. Despite two New York interceptions in the period, the Steelers added a final touchdown with Ed Modzelewski’s 3-yard run.
The Pittsburgh Steelers 63 vs the New York Giants 7
The NFL scoring record at the time was 73-0 set by the Bears against the Redskins. The Steelers 63 points topped the team’s previous high score of 38.
The Steelers also set the following single game franchise records:
Interceptions… 7 (this record still stands tied)
Passing yards… 315
Touchdowns… 9 (this record still stands)
Touchdown receptions… 5 (the record now stands at 6)
The 15,110 fans who turned out to witness the record breaking the game were the smallest crowd of the season due to the first snow of the year.
The Post-Gazette ran this report the next day:
The tear-down-the-goal-posts epidemic which has infected local football fans this season finally spread to the pro ranks yesterday afternoon at frigid Forbes Field.
At the final gun of the great 63-7 victory of the Steelers, a group of Gold and Black rooters bent the iron goal to the ground but couldn’t wrest them from their underground anchors before the police arrived.
The uprights at the home plate end of the gridiron were unmolested.
Some gave the heated bench credit for the Steelers win until it became known they hadn’t worked. “The thingamajig was as cold as a slab in the morgue,” noted Ed Modzelewski.
The Steelers would win one more game before the season finished thus surpassing their previous season’s record. Two one-point losses to the Browns were the difference from having a winning season at 5-7.
Coach Bach would lead the team to a 6-6 record the following season. He returned in 1953 to coach the team to three preseason losses before quitting. When Art Rooney announced Bach’s resignation he said, “The pressure is just too tough now. In the old days a won or lose didn’t matter too much. Now it’s a cold blooded business.”
