This Week in Pittsburgh History: Steelers Clinch First Winning Season
The team defeated the Chicago Cardinals on Nov. 22, 1942, and went on to finish the season 7-4.
PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH STEELERS
This week in Pittsburgh history, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Chicago Cardinals 19-3 to give them their first winning season in team history.
Coached by Walter Kiesling, the Steelers scored two touchdowns, two field goals and a conversion during the game on Nov. 22, 1942. According to the New York Times, the game drew 20,711 fans. They finished the season 7-4, second place in the Eastern Division behind the Washington Redskins, who went on to claim the league title.
Related: This Week in Pittsburgh History: William Heffelfinger Becomes the First-Known Pro Football Player
The 1942 season was only the third under the name Steelers; previously the team was known as the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Two years later, the Pittsburgh and Chicago teams would merge temporarily due to a shortage of players during WWII, forming the Card-Pitt team. The Steelers had combined with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1943 to form the Steagles.
