1940 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Owner	Art Rooney
Head coach	Walt Kiesling
Home field	Forbes Field
Results
Record	2–7–2
Division place	4th NFL Eastern
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
← 1939 (Pirates) Steelers seasons 1941 →

The 1940 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 8th in the National Football League. It was also the first season in which the team was known as the Pittsburgh Steelers, and not the copycat "Pirates" moniker.^[1]^[2]^[3] The 1940 team was led by head coach Walt Kiesling in his first full season as the head coach. Kiesling's assistant coaches were Wilbur "Bill" Sortet and Hank Bruder, who both also played.

Offseason

They held training camp at St. Francis College in Loretto, Pennsylvania.^[4]^[5] In the 1940 NFL Draft the Steelers continued their pattern of trading away high picks when they dealt their first-round selection (second overall), halfback Kay Eakin from Arkansas, to the New York Giants for tackle Ox Parry, who would never play for the Steelers.^[6]

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record
1	September 8	Chicago Cardinals	T 7–7	0–0–1
2	September 15	New York Giants	T 10–10	0–0–2
3	September 22	at Detroit Lions	W 10–7	1–0–2
4	September 29	Brooklyn Dodgers	L 3–10	1–1–2
5	October 6	Washington Redskins	L 10–40	1–2–2
6	October 13	at Brooklyn Dodgers	L 0–21	1–3–2
7	October 20	at New York Giants	L 0–12	1–4–2
8	October 27	at Green Bay Packers	L 3–24	1–5–2
9	November 3	at Washington Redskins	L 10–37	1–6–2
10	November 10	Philadelphia Eagles	W 7–3	2–6–2
11	November 28	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 0–7	2–7–2

The Steelers were outscored 178 to 60.

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 8, 1940): Chicago Cardinals

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

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 22,000
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – Platukis 45 pass from Patterson (Niccolai kick)
Chicago Cardinals – Hall 44 pass from Clark (Clark kick)

Week 2 (Sunday, September 15, 1940): New York Giants

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

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 18,601
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 48
Pittsburgh – Tomasetti 26 pass from Patterson (Niccolai kick)
New York – Shaffer 1 run (Cuff kick)
New York – FG Barnum 31

Week 3 (Sunday September 22, 1940): Detroit Lions

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	3	7	10
Lions	0	7	0	0	7

at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 15,310
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Detroit – Cardwell 33 run (White kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 28
Pittsburgh – Tomasetti 3 run (Niccolai kick)

Week 4 (Sunday September 29, 1940): Brooklyn Dodgers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dodgers	7	0	3	0	10
Steelers	0	3	0	0	3

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 26,618
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Brooklyn – Manders 1 run (Parker kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 21
Brooklyn – FG Kercheval 27

Week 5 (Sunday October 6, 1940): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	14	7	13	6	40
Steelers	3	0	7	0	10

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 25,213
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 48
Washington – Johnston 64 interception (kick failed)
Washington – Seymour 1 run (Masterson kick)
Washington – Millner 30 pass from Filchock (Russell kick)
Washington – Johnston 1 run (Masterson kick)
Washington – Johnston 2 run (Sanford kick)
Pittsburgh – Condit pass from Thompson (Niccolai kick)
Washington – Seymour 10 run (kick failed)

Week 6 (Sunday October 13, 1940): Brooklyn Dodgers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	0	0	0
Dodgers	14	0	0	7	21

at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 19,468
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Brooklyn – Manders 2 run (Parker kick)
Brooklyn – Schwartz – 7 pass from Parker (Parker kick)
Brooklyn – Leckonby 8 pass from Kercheval (Kercheval kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 20, 1940): New York Giants

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	0	0	0
Giants	7	3	0	2	12

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 19,798
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

New York – Cuff 60 pass from Miller (Cuff kick)
New York – FG Cuff 23
New York – Safety, Pirro tackled in end zone

Week 8 (Sunday October 27, 1940): Green Bay Packers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	0	0	0	3
Packers	7	3	0	14	24

at Wisconsin State Fair Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 13,703
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Green Bay – Adkins 35 interception (Engebretsen kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 36
Green Bay – FG Hinkle 33
Green Bay – Balazs 2 run (Hutson kick)
Green Bay – Hutson 19 pass from Van Every (Engebretsen kick)

Week 9 (Sunday November 3, 1940): Washington Redskins

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	7	0	0	10
Redskins	6	7	7	17	37

at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 31,204
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 25
Washington – Johnston 39 pass from Baugh (kick failed)
Washington – Filchock 12 run (Russell kick)
Pittsburgh – Platukis 31 pass from Patterson (Niccolai kick)
Washington – Johnston 45 pass from Baugh (Masterson kick)
Washington – Masterson 15 pass from Filchock (Russell kick)
Washington – Todd 1 run (Russell kick)
Washington – FG Masterson 20

Week 10 (Sunday November 10, 1940): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	3	0	0	0	3
Steelers	0	0	7	0	7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 9,556
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Philadelphia – FG Sommers 36
Pittsburgh – McDonough 1 run (Niccolai kick)

The Steelers defeated the Eagles 7–0. The game is the last in NFL history as of 2013 to not have a penalty called on either team.^[7]

Week 13 (Thursday November 28, 1940): Philadelphia Eagles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	0	0	0
Eagles	0	0	0	7	7

at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game time:
Game weather:
Game attendance: 4,200
Referee:

Scoring Drives:

Philadelphia – Riffle 17 run (Somers kick)

Standings

NFL Eastern Division
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	PF	PA	STK
Washington Redskins	9	2	0	.818	6–2	245	142	W1
Brooklyn Dodgers	8	3	0	.727	6–2	186	120	W4
New York Giants	6	4	1	.600	5–2–1	131	133	L1
Pittsburgh Steelers	2	7	2	.222	1–6–1	60	178	L1
Philadelphia Eagles	1	10	0	.091	1–7	111	211	L1

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

References

^ "Grid 'Pirates' pass out; they're the 'Steelers' now". Pittsburgh Press. March 3, 1940. p. 11.
^ Burcky, Claire M. (September 8, 1940). "It's kickoff time for Steelers, Cards". Pittsburgh Press. p. 10.
^ Dvorchak, Robert (September 16, 2007). "1940s put Steelers to tests that nearly break". Pittsburgh Post-gazette. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
^ "Pretty Soft: Steelers to Have Fine Training Quarters". Pittsburgh Press. July 14, 1940. p. 10 (third section). Retrieved May 17, 2011.
^ "Steelers Get Patterson from Bears". Pittsburgh Press. August 11, 1940. p. 9 (third section). Retrieved May 17, 2011.
^ "Steelers Get Giant Tackle". Pittsburgh Press. April 13, 1940. p. 9. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
^ "Fact or Fiction? There's never been a NFL game without any penalties". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 27, 2013.

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 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 AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh Charlie Batch Chris Hoke Bob Pompeani 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

1940 NFL season

Eastern Division	Brooklyn	New York	Chi Bears	Chi Cardinals	Western Division
	Philadelphia	Pittsburgh	Cleveland	Detroit
	Washington			Green Bay

Related: American Football League