Steel City Blitz
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a terrible record against the Chicago Bears. Most of their losses were accumulated in those infant years of the franchise when the Bears were one of the NFL’s powerhouses.
The Bears were an established part of the NFL a decade before the Steelers joined. The early contests between the two teams were lopsided affairs, always in the Bears favor. The Bears have an overall 22-8-1 win record. The Steelers have only won one game in Chicago while losing 14. I wrote about that thrilling 1995 overtime victory previously?
The first two decades of Steelers football would produce just two winning seasons. Apart from the hiring of Dr. John Sutherland, who they lost too soon, Art Rooney struggled to find a successful formula with his coaches.
In 1957 he signed a coach with a winning background. Buddy Parker won two titles in Detroit but had become disgruntled with his players, so he walked away from the team.
The Steelers coach at the time, Walt Kiesling, played a major role in bringing Parker to Pittsburgh. Without his go ahead, Parker would have gone to another team. Kiesling remained with the team and is listed as an “advisory coach” in their media guide for that first year.
Parker’s first season in Pittsburgh was encouraging with the team improving to 6-6.
After losing the first two games of the 1958 season, Parker traded for his former Lions quarterback, Bobby Layne. The coach had become disillusioned with Earl Morrall, who the team had paid a high trade price for the previous year.
Layne’s first game was a sweet victory 24-3 victory against the Eagles, but it was followed by two losses. After those defeats, the Steelers won their next four games before facing the Bears. The Steelers had played the Bears thirteen times and had lost thirteen times.
The Bears were favored by three and the Pittsburgh Press warned the fans:
“The Bears unorthodox defensive tactics bode ill for Bobby Layne. Like a horde of stampeding cattle, the Bears line charges into opponents’ backfields so quickly that the quarterback frequently is forced to desert his pocket of blockers and strike out on his own.
The Bears have the forwards to make such strategy work. The visitors have one of the most difficult teams in the leagues to move the ball against.”
The (5-4) Steelers vs (6-3) the Bears; November 30th, 1958
On a snow- and ice-covered Pitt Stadium field, the Steelers kept their fans warm with some spectacular play. Tom Tracey ran his heart out and showed there was more to this Steelers team than Bobby Layne.
In the first quarter, it was Tracey who struck first. After Joe Lewis recovered his forced fumble, it set the Steelers up in Chicago territory. Helped by some heavy blocks from his teammates, Tracey swept 30 yards around end for a touchdown. Tim Milner added the extra point.
After the Bears had intercepted a Tracey pass, George Blanda missed a field goal attempt from...
