 The Pittsburgh Steelers (then known as the Pirates) were well known for playing both in the NFL and on a limited schedule in the decades-old Western Pennsylvania circuit in the 1930s.In the 1960s, teams began playing 14 regular season games, with a corresponding decrease in the length of the preseason.Teams played four or five preseason games each year; for example, in 1966 each of the nine American Football League teams each played four preseason games.