Reliving the Steelers past Thanksgiving matchups by ranking them from worst to best

A tough loss during the first Thanksgiving game for Pittsburgh

1939 was the final season when the professional football club of Pittsburgh was called the Pirates. That Thanksgiving, the team would play the Eagles in a tough matchup. The Pirates were still seen as a bad team in the league, and not many thought they would challenge the Eagles. Somehow, the Pirates were able to put together a strong performance, but they did end up losing 17-14.

Philadelphia was able to overcome their three turnovers throughout the game with a couple of splash plays. There wasn't a ton of offense as both clubs only combined for 13 gained first downs. Davey O'Brien was the player of the game and had enough of a quality performance to get the Eagles the win. Pittsburgh played tough, but they couldn't close out the game.

A big win in 1950 was the first victory on Thanksgiving day for the Steelers

After a couple of failed attempts at winning on Thanksgiving throughout the early part of their franchise history, the Steelers were able to get their first win. They beat the Chicago Cardinals by a whopping score of 28-17. Not only were they able to win the game, but they were able to do so with a commanding final score.

Both teams played sloppy overall with a combined nine turnovers during the contest. Despite the turnovers, plenty of yardage was gained by both sides. Notable Steelers that performed well in the victory included Joe Gasparella, Joe Geri, and Fran Rogel. Those three combined for nearly all of the offensive yards and two touchdowns during the game.