1944 NFL season The 1944 NFL season was the 25th regular season of the United States National Football League . The Boston Yanks joined the league as an expansion team . Also , the Brooklyn Dodgers changed their name to Brooklyn Tigers . Meanwhile , both the Cleveland Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles resumed their traditional operations . But the Pittsburgh Steelers then merged with the Chicago Cardinals for this one season due to player shortages as a result of World War II . The combined team , known as Card - Pitt , played half of their home games in each city . Card - Pitt set the 20th century record for lowest punting average by an NFL team with 32 . 7 yards per punt . The season is notable in that it featured two winless teams ( the only such case in NFL history after the league stabilized from its earlier years of revolving door membership when winless teams were much more common ) as both Brooklyn and Card - Pitt went on to finish 0 – 10 . Since 1944 , only four teams have gone winless in the NFL for an entire season : the 1960 Dallas Cowboys ( 0 – 11 – 1 ) , the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers ( 0 – 14 ) , the 1982 Baltimore Colts ( 0 – 8 – 1 ) , and the 2008 Detroit Lions ( 0 – 16 ) . In the case of the Colts , the season was shortened due to a league - wide players strike , while the Cowboys and Buccaneers were both expansion team s the year they went winless . The season ended when the Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game . Division Races . Each team played ten games over thirteen weeks . The Brooklyn Tigers lost seven of their games by a touchdown or less . On October 29 , they had 14 – 7 lead over Boston at halftime , before losing 17 – 14 in " Week Seven " . The same week , Card - Pitt ' s 42 – 20 loss at Washington eliminated it from playoff contention . Card - Pitt had actually taken a 28 – 23 lead over the Rams in its first game , played September 24 at Pittsburgh , before falling 30 – 28 ; its only other lead was a 7 – 0 in a game at Chicago against the Packers , which it eventually lost 35 – 20 . The Western Division race was no contest , as the Packers won their first six games and stayed ahead of all challengers . In the Eastern Division , Washington ( 5 – 0 – 1 ) and Philadelphia ( 4 – 0 – 2 ) were both unbeaten after nine weeks . The teams met in Washington in " Week Ten " ( November 26 ) , and the Eagles won 37 – 7 , putting them at 5 – 0 – 2 , with the Redskins and Giants a half game back at 5 – 1 – 1 . The Eagles lost , while the Giants and Redskins won , in " Week Eleven " , putting New York and Washington in the lead at 6 – 1 – 1 . In " Week Twelve " , a crowd of 47 , 457 turned out at New York ' s Polo Grounds to watch the Giants and Redksins . Washington had a 13 – 10 lead before falling 16 – 13 . In " Week Thirteen " , the Eagles beat the Rams 26 – 13 , giving them a 7 – 1 – 2 finish , then waited to see how the 7 – 1 – 1 Giants would fare in their rematch at Washington . The Giants beat the Skins 31 – 0 , capturing the division and the right to host the championship . Final standings . " W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , PCT = Winning Percentage , PF = Points For , PA = Points Against " " Note : The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972 " NFL Championship Game . Green Bay 14 , N . Y . Giants 7 , at Polo Grounds , New York City , December 17 , 1944