Prior to the season, Boston Yankees owner Ted Collins asked the league to fold his team due to financial woes, and give him a new one in New York City. This new team would be called the New York Bulldogs. As the season came to a close in December a merger agreement between the NFL and the All-America Football Conference was announced. Three AAFC teams, the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts – would join the NFL in 1950. In 1949, the best team in the NFL was the Philadelphia Eagles.  They sported the leagues #1 defense, and the #2 offense, as they dominated the league with a whopping 19.2 average margin of victory. Their only loss came against the Chicago Bears in week four. In the Eastern Division, the Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers went into week six with identical 4-1 records, and would play for the division lead. The Eagles would win the game easily, 38-7, and would not be challenged again in their quest for the division title. In the Western Division, it came down to the Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears. The Rams would start the season 6-0, and the Bears would never be able to catch them, despite winning its last six games. The Eagles would go on to throttle Rams in the Championship Game 14-0, to claim the 1949 NFL Championship.