The 1965 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 33rd in the National Football League.
The team set a modern NFL record with a minus-30 turnover ratio. Their -195 point differential is the worst in Steelers history.
Offseason NFL draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 1965 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeBruce SmithWide receiverBYU
Roster
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue 1 September 19 Green Bay Packers L 9–41 0–1 Pitt Stadium 2 September 26 at San Francisco 49ers L 17–27 0–2 Kezar Stadium 3 October 3 New York Giants L 13–23 0–3 Pitt Stadium 4 at Cleveland Browns L 19–24 0–4 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 5 October 17 St. Louis Cardinals L 7–20 0–5 Pitt Stadium 6 October 24 at Philadelphia Eagles W 20–14 1–5 Franklin Field 7 October 31 Dallas Cowboys W 22–13 2–5 Pitt Stadium 8 November 7 at St. Louis Cardinals L 17–21 2–6 Busch Stadium (I) 9 November 14 at Dallas Cowboys L 17–24 2–7 Cotton Bowl 10 November 21 Washington Redskins L 3–31 2–8 Pitt Stadium 11 November 28 Cleveland Browns L 21–42 2–9 Pitt Stadium 12 December 5 at New York Giants L 10–35 2–10 Yankee Stadium 13 December 12 Philadelphia Eagles L 13–47 2–11 Pitt Stadium 14 December 19 at Washington Redskins L 14–35 2–12 D. C. Stadium Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1 (Sunday September 19, 1965): Green Bay Packers
at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 38,383 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Clark 21 Pittsburgh – FG Clark 34 Green Bay – Adderley 34 interception (Chandler kick) Pittsburgh – FG Clark 32 Green Bay – Fleming 31 pass from Starr (Chandler kick) Green Bay – FG Chandler 9 Green Bay – FG Chandler 19 Green Bay – Hornung 10 pass from Starr (Chandler kick) Green Bay – Pitts 2 run (Chandler kick) Green Bay – Pitts 2 run (Chandler kick)
Week 2 (Sunday September 26, 1965): San Francisco 49ers
at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, California
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 30,140 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
San Francisco – Crow 49 pass from Brodie (Davis kick) Pittsburgh – Hoak 1 run (Clark kick) San Francisco – FG Davis 37 San Francisco – FG Davis 27 Pittsburgh – FG Clark 32 San Francisco – Wiltard 9 run (Davis kick) Pittsburgh – Campbell 15 fumble return (Clark kick) San Francisco – Brodie 4 run (Davis kick)
Week 3 (Sunday October 3, 1965): New York Giants
at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 31,871 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
New York Giants – Thurlow 6 run (Stynchula kick) Pittsburgh – FG Clark 22 New York Giants – Morrison 4 pass form Morrall (Stynchula kick) Pittsburgh – FG Clark 48 New York Giants – FG Timberlake 43 Pittsburgh – Hoak 1 run (Clark kick) New York Giants – Thomas 29 pass form Morrall (kick failed)
Week 4 (Saturday October 9, 1965): Cleveland Browns
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 80,187 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Cleveland – FG Groza 38 Cleveland – Brown 4 pass from Ryan (Groza kick) Pittsburgh – Nelsen 1 run (kick failed) Pittsburgh – Hoak – 42 run (kick failed) Cleveland – Brown 1 run (Groza kick) Pittsburgh – Hoak 15 run (Clark kick) Cleveland – Collins 14 pass from Ryan (Groza kick)
Week 5 (Sunday October 17, 1965): St. Louis Cardinals
at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 31,085 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
St. Louis – Randle 8 pass from Johnson (Bakken kick) Pittsburgh – Ballman 5 run (Clark kick) St. Louis – FG Bakken 32 St. Louis – Conrad 71 pass from Johnson (Bakken kick) St. Louis – FG Bakken 35
Week 6 (Sunday October 24, 1965): Philadelphia Eagles
at Franklin Field, Philadelphia
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 56,515 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Philadelphia – Gros 4 run (Baker kick) Pittsburgh – Daniel 17 fumble return (kick failed) Pittsburgh – J. Bradshaw 82 interception return (Clark kick) Pittsburgh – Lind 4 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick) Philadelphia – Poage 14 pass from Concannon (Baker kick) As of 2024, this remains the Steelers last win over the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Week 7 (Sunday October 31, 1965): Dallas Cowboys
at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 37,804 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Dallas – Smith 2 pass from Meredith (kick failed) Pittsburgh – Hoak 2 pass from Nelsen (kick failed) Pittsburgh – Ballman 20 pass from Nelsen (kick failed) Pittsburgh – Ballman 72 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick) Dallas – Gent 8 pass from Meredith (Villanueva kick) Pittsburgh – FG Clark 18
Week 8 (Sunday November 7, 1965): St. Louis Cardinals
at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 31,899 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Clark 11 St. Louis – Triplett 3 run (Bakken kick) St. Louis – Randle 15 pass from Johnson (Bakken kick) Pittsburgh – Jefferson 50 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick) Pittsburgh – Lind 2 run (Clark kick) St. Louis – Gambrell 59 pass from Johnson (Bakken kick)
Week 9 (Sunday November 14, 1965): Dallas Cowboys
at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 57,293 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Hoak 3 run (Clark kick) Dallas – Clarke 1 pass from Meredith (Villanueva kick) Dallas – FG Villanueva 33 Pittsburgh – FG Clark 32 Pittsburgh – Folkins 18 fumble return (Clark kick) Dallas – Reeves 2 run (Villanueva kick) Dallas – Hayes 28 pass from Meredith (Villanueva kick)
Week 10 (Sunday November 21, 1965): Washington Redskins
at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 25,052 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Clark 34 Washington – Lewis 1 run (Jencks kick) Washington – FG Jencks 9 Washington – Taylor 8 run (Jencks kick) Washington – Coia 45 pass from Jurgensen (Jencks kick) Washington – Harris 57 punt return (Jencks kick)
Week 11 (Sunday November 28, 1965): Cleveland Browns
at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 42,757 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Cleveland – Kelly 56 punt return (Groza kick) Cleveland – Brown 2 run (Groza kick) Cleveland – Brown 2 run (Groza kick) Pittsburgh – Ballman 87 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick) Cleveland – Brown 15 run (Groza kick) Pittsburgh – Butler 43 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick) Cleveland – Brewer 25 pass from Ninowski (Groza kick) Pittsburgh – Thomas 80 pass from Nelsen (Clark kick) Cleveland – Brown 27 pass from Ninowski (Groza kick)
Week 12 (Sunday December 5, 1965): New York Giants
at Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 62,735 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
New York Giants – Shofner 33 pass from Morrall (Timberlake kick) Pittsburgh – FG Clark 25 Pittsburgh – Ballman 1 run (Clark kick) New York Giants – Frederickson 13 run (Timberlake kick) New York Giants – Frederickson 3 run (Timberlake kick) New York Giants – Frederickson 19 pass from Morrall (Timberlake kick) New York Giants – Jones 28 pass from Wood (Timberlake kick)
Week 13 (Sunday December 12, 1965): Philadelphia Eagles
at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 22,002 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Philadelphia – Gros 2 run (Baker kick) Philadelphia – Retzlaff 13 pass from Snead (kick failed) Philadelphia – Matson 8 run (Baker kick) Philadelphia – Baughan 33 interception return (Baker kick) Philadelphia – Nettles 56 interception return (Baker kick) Pittsburgh – Ballman 20 pass from Wade (Clark kick) Pittsburgh – Woodson 61 interception return (kick failed) Philadelphia – Tarasovic 40 interception return (kick failed) Philadelphia – Lang 8 run (Baker kick)
Week 14 (December 19, 1965): Washington Redskins
at D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Game time: Game weather: Game attendance: 49,806 Referee: TV announcers:
Scoring Drives:
Washington – Lewis 10 pass from Jurgensen (Jencks kick) Washington – Harris 34 interception (Jencks kick) Pittsburgh – Ballman 2 run (Clark kick) Washington – Walters 63 interception return (Jencks kick) Pittsburgh – Ballman 44 pass from Wade (Clark kick) Washington – Pellegrini 31 fumble return (Jencks kick) Washington – Hughley 4 pass from Jurgensen (Jencks kick)
Standings
References
External links 1965 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Profootballreference.com 1965 Pittsburgh Steelers season statistics at jt-sw.com