1935 Pittsburgh Pirates season
Owner	Art Rooney
Head coach	Joe Bach
Home field	Forbes Field
Results
Record	4–8
Division place	3rd NFL Eastern
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
← 1934 Pirates seasons 1936 →

The 1935 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the team's third season since its formation two years prior. The 1935 Pirates (would later be renamed in 1940) fired former coach Luby DiMeolo after completing the '34 season with a 2–10 record. They brought in Duquesne head coach, Joe Bach, who improved their record to 4–8, and stayed until the next season before returning to coach in college.

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record
1	September 13	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 17–7	1–0
2	September 22	New York Giants	L 7–42	1–1
3	September 29	Chicago Bears	L 7–23	1–2
4	October 6	at Green Bay Packers	L 0–27	1–3
5	October 9	Philadelphia Eagles	L 6–17	1–4
6	October 20	Chicago Cardinals	W 17–13	2–4
7	October 27	Boston Redskins	W 6–0	3–4
8	November 3	Brooklyn Dodgers	L 7–13	3–5
9	November 10	at Brooklyn Dodgers	W 16–7	4–5
10	November 24	Green Bay Packers	L 14–34	4–6
11	December 1	at Boston Redskins	L 3–13	4–7
12	December 8	at New York Giants	L 0–13	4–8

Standings

NFL Eastern Division
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	PF	PA	STK
New York Giants	9	3	0	.750	8–0	180	96	W5
Brooklyn Dodgers	5	6	1	.455	3–4–1	90	141	T1
Pittsburgh Pirates	4	8	0	.333	3–5	100	209	L3
Boston Redskins	2	8	1	.200	2–4–1	65	123	T1
Philadelphia Eagles	2	9	0	.182	2–5	60	179	L5

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

Game summaries

Week 1 (Friday September 13, 1935): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	14	0	0	3	17
Eagles	7	0	0	0	7

at Temple Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 20,000
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Philadelphia – Manske 1 pass from Kirkman (Kirkman kick)
Pittsburgh – Casper 1 run (Niccolai kick)
Pittsburgh – Ribble blocked punt recovery in end zone (Niccolai kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 47

Week 2 (Sunday September 22, 1935): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	21	0	14	42
Pirates	0	0	0	7	7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 23,298
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

New York – Richards 13 run (Strong kick)
New York – Burnett 45 pass from Danowski (Strong kick)
New York – Molenda 30 interception (Strong kick)
New York – Clancy 10 run (Sarausky kick)
Pittsburgh – Weisenbaugh 3 pass from Gildea (Niccolai kick)
New York – Burnett 25 pass from Danowski (Strong kick)
New York – Sarausky 10 run (Molenda kick)
Notes: New York head coach Steve Owen admits in 1935 that he "shaved" the game, ordering his Giants to fumble 3 times inside the 10 & didn't call a pass play in the 4th quarter, the world's first public admission of game fixing.^[1]

Week 3 (Sunday September 29, 1935): Chicago Bears

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	23	0	0	23
Pirates	0	0	7	0	7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 11,858
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Chicago Bears – Pollock 13 pass from Masterson (Manders kick)
Chicago Bears – Johnsos 18 pass from Molesworth (Manders kick)
Chicago Bears – Johnsos 13 pass from Dunlap (kick failed)
Chicago Bears – FG Kopcha 26
Pittsburgh – Casper lateral from Sortet after pass from Gildea (Niccolai kick)

Week 4 (Sunday October 6, 1935): Green Bay Packers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	0	0	0	0
Packers	0	20	0	7	27

at City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 5,000
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Green Bay – Sauer 3 run (Schwammel kick)
Green Bay – Laws run (kick failed)
Green Bay – Hutson 50 pass from Herber (Smith kick)
Green Bay – Hutson 1 pass from Herber (Engebretsen kick)

Week 5 (Wednesday October 9, 1935): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	10	0	0	7	17
Pirates	0	0	0	6	6

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 6,271
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Philadelphia – Matesic 2 run (Reese kick)
Philadelphia – FG Reese 40
Philadelphia – Carter 58 pass from Storm (Reese kick)
Pittsburgh – Weisenbaugh 10 pass from Doehring (kick failed)

Week 6 (Sunday October 20, 1935): Chicago Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	7	0	0	7
Pirates	6	6	0	14	26

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 7,000
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – Casper 14 pass from Doehring (Niccolai kick)
Chicago Cardinals – Sarboe 80 punt return (Smith kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 22
Chicago Cardinals – Nichelini 5 run (kick blocked)
Pittsburgh – Strutt 74 interception (Niccolai kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 27, 1935): Boston Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	0	0	0	0
Pirates	0	3	3	0	6

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 12,000
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 41
Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 46

Week 8 (Sunday November 3, 1935): Brooklyn Dodgers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dodgers	7	6	0	0	13
Pirates	0	0	7	0	7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 13,390
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Brooklyn – Becker pass from Franklin (Kercheval kick)
Brooklyn – Hubbard 56 pass from Kercheval (kick blocked)
Pittsburgh – Wetzel 1 run (Niccolai kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 10, 1935): Brooklyn Dodgers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	6	0	3	7	16
Dodgers	7	0	0	0	7

at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 18,000
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Brooklyn – Grossman 5 run (Kercheval kick)
Pittsburgh – Levey 34 pass from Gildea (kick blocked)
Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 25
Pittsburgh – Levey run (Niccolai kick)

Week 11 (Sunday November 24, 1935): Green Bay Packers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	6	14	0	14	34
Pirates	0	7	7	0	14

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 12,902
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Green Bay – Sauer 3 run (kick blocked)
Green Bay – Sauer 75 interception (Smith kick)
Pittsburgh – Levey 3 run (Niccolai kick)
Green Bay – McNally 41 pass from Monnett (Smith kick)
Pittsburgh – Levey 13 pass from Turley (Niccolai kick)
Green Bay – Hinkle 2 run (Smith kick)
Green Bay – McNally 11 interception (Smith kick)

Week 12 (Sunday December 1, 1935): Boston Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	3	0	0	3
Redskins	0	0	0	13	13

at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 5,000
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 27
Boston – Musick run (Musick kick)
Boston – Renter 19 run (kick failed)

Week 13 (Sunday December 8, 1935): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	0	0	0	0
Giants	3	7	0	3	13

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 7,000
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

New York – FG Newman 29
New York – Goodwin 65 pass from Danowski (Strong kick)
New York – FG Strong 44

References

^ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search

v t e Pittsburgh Steelers seasons
Formerly the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933–1939)
1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Bold indicates Super Bowl victory Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance

v t e Pittsburgh Steelers
Founded in 1933 Formerly the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933–1939) Based and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Franchise	History All-Time Team Seasons Logos and uniforms Coaches Players Starting quarterbacks First-round draft picks Records
Stadiums	Home fields: Forbes Field Pitt Stadium Three Rivers Stadium Acrisure Stadium Training facilities: Rooney Field Point Stadium UPMC Rooney Sports Complex Chuck Noll Field
Culture	Football in Western Pennsylvania Rooney family Myron Cope Steelmark Steeler Nation Terrible Towel Steel Curtain Black Sunday Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story Evening Shade The Chief "Renegade" "Here We Go" "Black and Yellow" YinzCam This Is Us Steel Curtain Roller Coaster
Lore	Steelers lore J.P. Rooneys Pennsylvania Keystoners "Pennsylvania Polka" Steagles Card-Pitt Steelerettes Immaculate Reception 1975 AFC Championship Game 1995 AFC Championship Game Jerome Bettis trade Immaculate Redemption/The Tackle 3:16 game
Rivalries	Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Las Vegas Raiders New England Patriots Philadelphia Eagles Tennessee Titans
Media	Broadcasters KDKA-TV WPKD-TV SportsNet Pittsburgh Charlie Batch Chris Hoke Radio Network WDVE-FM WBGG-AM Bill Hillgrove Tunch Ilkin Craig Wolfley Steelers figures in broadcasting
Division championships (24)	1972 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1983 1984 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 2001 2002 2004 2007 2008 2010 2014 2016 2017 2020
Conference championships (8)	1974 1975 1978 1979 1995 2005 2008 2010
League championships (6)	1974 (IX) 1975 (X) 1978 (XIII) 1979 (XIV) 2005 (XL) 2008 (XLIII)
Retired numbers	32 70 75
Hall of Fame members	Players: Bettis Blount Bradshaw Butler Dawson Dudley Faneca Greene Ham Harris Johnson Lambert Layne Polamalu Shell Stallworth Stautner Swann Webster Woodson Coaches and administration: Bell Cowher Kiesling Noll Art Rooney Dan Rooney
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: American Football Conference Division: North Division