The 1949 New York Bulldogs season was their first season in New York in the National Football League (NFL), and the continuation of the Dayton Triangles franchise, after having played the previous five years as the Boston Yanks, and last as the Bulldogs (subsequently becoming the New York Yanks). They finished 1–10–1,[2] last place in the Eastern Division and the worst record in the ten-team league.
| 1949 New York Bulldogs season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ted Collins[1] |
| Head coach | Charley Ewart |
| Home field | Polo Grounds |
| Local radio | WEAF |
| Results | |
| Record | 1–10–1 |
| Division place | 5th NFL Eastern |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
The head coach was Charley Ewart, previously the general manager (and backfield coach) for the Philadelphia Eagles who played college football at Yale.[1][3] Signed to a three-year contract,[3] he resigned the day after the regular season's final game, a 27–0 home loss to Pittsburgh with just over 4,000 in attendance.[4]
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School |
| 1 | 3 | Doak Walker | Halfback | Southern Methodist |
Source:[5]
Halfback Doak Walker was selected as a "future pick" after his Heisman Trophy-winning junior season, but he stayed at SMU for his senior season in 1949. (He missed the 1946 season due to military service.) Walker's draft rights were traded to the Detroit Lions, where his hall of fame career began in 1950.[6]
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 22 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 0–7 | 0–1 | Polo Grounds | Recap | |
| 2 | September 30 | New York Giants | L 14–38 | 0–2 | Polo Grounds | Recap | |
| 3 | October 7 | Green Bay Packers | L 0–19 | 0–3 | Polo Grounds | Recap | |
| 4 | October 16 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–38 | 0–4 | Griffith Stadium | Recap | |
| 5 | October 23 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 13–24 | 0–5 | Forbes Field | Recap | |
| 6 | October 30 | Washington Redskins | T 14–14 | 0–5–1 | Polo Grounds | Recap | |
| 7 | November 6 | at New York Giants | W 31–24 | 1–5–1 | Polo Grounds | Recap | |
| 8 | November 13 | Chicago Cardinals | L 20–65 | 1–6–1 | Polo Grounds | Recap | |
| 9 | November 20 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 0–42 | 1–7–1 | Shibe Park | Recap | |
| 10 | November 27 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 20–42 | 1–8–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap | |
| 11 | December 4 | at Detroit Lions | L 27–28 | 1–9–1 | Briggs Stadium | Recap | |
| 12 | December 11 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 0–27 | 1–10–1 | Polo Grounds | Recap | |
| Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Standings
| NFL Eastern Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 8–0 | 364 | 134 | W8 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 4–4 | 224 | 214 | W1 | |
| New York Giants | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 287 | 298 | L2 | |
| Washington Redskins | 4 | 7 | 1 | .364 | 3–4–1 | 268 | 339 | L1 | |
| New York Bulldogs | 1 | 10 | 1 | .091 | 1–6–1 | 153 | 368 | L5 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.