section_path: History/Thompson, Wolman and the Happy Hundred era (1941–1969)/Greasy Neale years (1941–1950)/NFL champions (1949)
section_name: NFL champions (1949)
paragraph_text: NFL champions (1949)
  
  In 1949, the Eagles returned to the NFL Championship game for a third consecutive year. The Eagles were favored by a touchdown, and won 14–0 for their second consecutive title game shutout. Running back Steve Van Buren rushed for 196 yards on 31 carries for the Eagles, and their defense held the Rams to just 21 yards on the ground. Chuck Bednarik was selected as the first overall pick in the 1949 NFL draft. An All-American lineman/linebacker from the University of Pennsylvania, Bednarik would go on to become one of the greatest and most beloved players in Eagles history.
  
  In 1950, the Eagles opened the season against the AAFC champion Cleveland Browns, who, along with two other AAFC franchises, had just joined the NFL. The Eagles were expected to make short work of the Browns, who were widely considered the dominant team in a lesser league. However, the Browns lit up the Eagles' vaunted defense for 487 total yards, including 246 passing yards, in a 35–10 rout. The Eagles never recovered from the loss and finished the 1950 season 6–6.
  
  Following the 1950 season, Greasy Neale retired and was replaced by Bo McMillin. Two games into the 1951 season, McMillin was forced to retire following a diagnosis of terminal stomach cancer. Wayne Millner finished out the season before being replaced by Jim Trimble.
  
  While the remnants of the great 1940s teams managed to stay competitive for the first few years of the decade, and younger players like Bobby Walston and Sonny Jurgensen occasionally provided infusions of talent, the team lacked the total talent necessary for true greatness during most of the 1950s.
  
  After the 1957 season, the Eagles moved from Connie Mack Stadium to Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin Field had a vastly expanded seating capacity for the Eagles. While Connie Mack Stadium had a capacity of 39,000, Franklin Field's capacity was 60,000. In 1969, the grass field at Franklin Field was replaced by AstroTurf, making Franklin Field the first NFL stadium to use artificial turf.
  
  In 1949, the Eagles returned to the NFL Championship game for a third consecutive year. The Eagles were favored by a touchdown, and won 14–0 for their second consecutive title game shutout. Running back Steve Van Buren rushed for 196 yards on 31 carries for the Eagles, and their defense held the Rams to just 21 yards on the ground. Chuck Bednarik was selected as the first overall pick in the 1949 NFL draft. An All-American lineman/linebacker from the University of Pennsylvania, Bednarik would go on to become one of the greatest and most beloved players in Eagles history.
  
  In 1950, the Eagles opened the season against the AAFC champion Cleveland Browns, who, along with two other AAFC franchises, had just joined the NFL. The Eagles were expected to make short work of the Browns, who were widely considered the dominant team in a lesser league. However, the Browns lit up the Eagles' vaunted defense for 487 total yards, including 246 passing yards, in a 35–10 rout. The Eagles never recovered from the loss and finished the 1950 season 6–6.
  
  Following the 1950 season, Greasy Neale retired and was replaced by Bo McMillin. Two games into the 1951 season, McMillin was forced to retire following a diagnosis of terminal stomach cancer. Wayne Millner finished out the season before being replaced by Jim Trimble.
  
  While the remnants of the great 1940s teams managed to stay competitive for the first few years of the decade, and younger players like Bobby Walston and Sonny Jurgensen occasionally provided infusions of talent, the team lacked the total talent necessary for true greatness during most of the 1950s.
  
  After the 1957 season, the Eagles moved from Connie Mack Stadium to Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin Field had a vastly expanded seating capacity for the Eagles. While Connie Mack Stadium had a capacity of 39,000, Franklin Field's capacity was 60,000. In 1969, the grass field at Franklin Field was replaced by AstroTurf, making Franklin Field the first NFL stadium to use artificial turf.