1936 Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) season

The 1936 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the team's fourth season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The team welcomed back head coach, Joe Bach who served his last year at the position (until returning in 1952). His team finished the season with the franchise's best record yet, at 6–6.

The Pirates played all of their home games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, except for one that was played at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Offseason

1936 NFL draft

Regular season

Schedule

Standings

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

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 13, 1936): Boston Redskins

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 15,622
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Kakasic 26 fumble run (Niccolai kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Kakasic 30

Week 2 (Wednesday September 23, 1936): Brooklyn Dodgers

at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 10,000
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Strutt 3 run (Niccolai kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 26
• Brooklyn – Franklin 19 run (kick failed)

Week 3 (Sunday September 27, 1936): New York Giants

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 25,800
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Sortet 11 pass from Matesic (Niccolai kick)
• New York – Richards 59 lateral from Burnett after pass from Danowski (Sarausky kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 11

Week 4 (Sunday October 4, 1936): Chicago Bears

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 29,000
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Chicago – Karr 8 pass from Nagurski (Manders kick)
• Chicago – Brumbaugh 14 pass from Molesworth (Nagurski kick)
• Chicago – Karr 40 pass from Ronzani (kick failed)
• Chicago – Johnsos 36 pass from Molesworth (Stydahar kick)
• Pittsburgh – Heller 4 pass from Gildea (Kakasic kick)
• Pittsburgh – Safety, Feathers tackled in end zone by Brett

Week 6 (Wednesday October 14, 1936): Philadelphia Eagles

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 10,042
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Heller 16 pass from Matesic (Niccolai kick)
• Pittsburgh – Skoronski 19 pass from Matesic (Niccolai kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Kakasic 36

Week 6 (Sunday October 18, 1936): Chicago Bears

at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois

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

Scoring Drives:

• Chicago – Feathers 2 run (kick blocked)
• Chicago – Ronzani 38 pass from Brumbaugh (kick failed)
• Pittsburgh – Zaninelli 2 run (Niccolai kick)
• Chicago – Nagurski 1 run (Manders kick)
• Chicago – Feathers 8 run (Manders kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 25, 1936): Green Bay Packers

at Wisconsin State Fair Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 10,000
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 30
• Green Bay – Laws 12 pass from Monnett (Engebretsen kick)
• Green Bay – Hutson 21 pass from Herber (Schwammel kick)
• Green Bay – P. Miller 2 run (Smith kick)
• Green Bay – McNally 28 interception (Hinkle kick)
• Green Bay – P. Miller 7 pass from McNally (McNally run)
• Green Bay – Hutson 11 pass from Herber (Schwammel kick)
• Pittsburgh – Karcis 1 run (Karcis run)

Week 8 (Sunday November 1, 1936): Brooklyn Dodgers

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 10,000
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 21
• Pittsburgh – Karcis 1 run (Niccolai kick)
• Brooklyn – Crayne 2 run (Kercheval kick)

Week 9 (Thursday November 5, 1936): Philadelphia Eagles

at Point Stadium, Johnstown, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 7,891
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 41
• Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 31

Week 9 (Sunday November 8, 1936): Detroit Lions

at Titan Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

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

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Niccolai 25
• Detroit – Caddel run (Clark kick)
• Detroit – Ebding pass from Clark (Clark kick)
• Detroit – Gutowsky run (Clark kick)
• Detroit – Peterson 84 run (Presnell kick)

Week 10 (Sunday November 15, 1936): Chicago Cardinals

at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 3,856
• Referee:

Scoring Drives:

• Chicago – Grosvenor 9 run (Kellogg kick)
• Chicago – Smith 38 pass from Vaughan (Kellogg kick)
• Pittsburgh – Heller 48 pass from Matesic (kick failed)

Week 12 (Sunday November 29, 1936): Boston Redskins

at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

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

Scoring Drives:

• Boston – Battles 2 run (Smith kick)
• Boston – FG Busich 14
• Boston – Carroll 35 interception (Busich kick)
• Boston – Tosi recovered fumble in end zone (Smith kick)
• Boston – Irwin 24 run (kick failed)

References