Evening star., 1939-11-13
D. T.. Pros Feel Power
They Possess Will
Crush Giants
Pressure in Sectional
Scrap Now Believed
On Arch RivuIs
BY BILL DIsMER, Jr.

ern champions Of the National Foot
ball League.
Despite the fact that they still
are no better than tied with the
world champion Giants for first
place today and that the remainder
OF the schedule previous to the prob
able sectional title-deciding game In
New York on December 3 distinctly
favors the Giants, you have to like
the Redskins as the new champs
for several reasons.
Flushed by another scoring rout
at the expense of the Brooklyn
Dodgers, on whom the Redskins
scored 80 points in two games as a
result of yesterdays 42-0 tomahawk-
ing at Ebbetts Field, Washington's
favorite football team possessed a
distinct feeling today that it was the
champion New Yorkers-not them
selves-bearing the pressure.
Boosting a free-scoring machine
averaging three touchdowns a game,
next to the best defensive record in
the league, confidence unadulterated
by trace of conceit and, most i'm
portant, sufficient manpower to be
unaffected by depletions caused by
injury, the Redskins definitely are
the team to beat from now on.
Giants Badly Fooled.
That confidence, incidentally, is In
distinct contrast to the attitude
prevalent among the Giants, who
have good reason today to be ex-
tremely jittery about the whole sit
uation.
Saturday night Mel Helm and a
couple OF other New York players
visited Turk Edwards and several of
the Redskins at their New York
hotel and told them frankly that
they could expect a rough day in
Brooklyn. The Dodgers not only
were out for revenge, they reported,
but were just about so per cent i'm
proved over the outfit the Indians
had scalped, Alb, In Washington
and would be no worse than l-3
underdogs against the Redskins.
To say. then, that they were Bit
terly disillusioned when the final
Redskin-Dodger score was learned
is putting it mildly. for a feeling of
fruitlessness, as well, penetrated
their ranks. And the fact that they
know that the Redskins confidently
expect to whip the Detroit Lions,
who week ago handed the Giants
their first defeat in 10 games, in
Washington q week from Sunday is
doing nothing to lessen the New
Workers anxiety.
Even if the Redskins didn't have
two Al lines and enough backs
to make them a scoring threat on
any play from any spot on the
field, we believe that the Indians
spirit would carry them through.
For If ever there was a team akin
to a big, happy family-a team
with the idea of group supremacy
paramount over any other issues
the 1899 Redskins are it.
Spirida Spreads Glory.
Symbolic of the one-for-all. all
for-one sentiment very strikinely
was demonstrated in the fading mo-
ments OF play yesterday. Johnny
Spirida, the guy who made good
on his third attempt after two
failures. was calling signals with
the Redskins out in front BY $50.
Having predicted that he would run
the Indians to two more touchdowns
if given the chance to direct them,
Johnny called for Dick Todd to
toss him short pass on a new
play which the Redskins had learn
ed only last week. incidentally, it's
pip. with the entire Indian line
charging straight forward after
momentary pause to let the oppos-
ing line drift through, and forming
a. wave of perfect interference for
the ball carrier
Well, Johnny got the ball and be-
hind that unbroken wall, loped IS
yards down the field from his own
20-yard line. But, as he reached
the Brooklyn S, he surprisingly
handed the ball to End Bob Nc
Chesney, drifting alongside. and
McChesney carried the oval over
for the touchdown. When asked
why he did it, Spirida replied shyly:
"Oh Bob had played such a great
game and ha1n't gotten any par
ticular glory that I thought he de-
served to get credit for the 6 points,"
Redskins Far Superior.
AS for the rest of the game, it was
just as Capt. Turk Edwards was
saying today: There isn't any team
that can stand up against such a
continuous attack as the Redskins
can present. If it isn't Andy Farkas
running wild, it's Dick Todd; if it
isn't Sammy Baugh passing, it's
Frank Filchock or Jimmy German
And remember, we have two lines
which can pretty generally shake
these fellows loose. When you can
keep such threats continually on
the field by alternately using them
for a quarter at a time, what hope
has the opposition"
For that's what the Redskins did
yesterday from the opening minute
of play, when Farkas made his elec-
trifying 9l-yard run down the side
lines to touchdown on the opening
kickoff to the fading moments of
the game, when Todd returned a
punt 80 yards for the sixth g.
pointer. Converters Bo Russell and
Bob Masterson made it a perfect
day, with each booting three extra
points.
The question was raised on the
train coming home as to whether
Brooklyn belonged in the league,
for on no other team would the Red
skins be likely to score 80 points in
two games. That they have prob
ably the greatest player in pro foot
ball In Ace Parker is undeniable, but
how about the rest of the team?
But without unduly praising them