Evening star., 1939-11-24
Sloan Gives Detroit
Fine Pass Attack
So Long Needed
Hamilton Is Great Help
On Cotehing End; Teams
Running Come Strong
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

Three times conquerors of the
Redskins in four intersectional
games since 1884, the growing De-
troit Lions roll into town tomorrow
for their important National Foot
ball League date at Grifith Stadium
on Sunday afternoon.
After checking in at their week
end headquarters, the Lions will
proceed to the ball park, where they
will follow the Redskins onto the
field for last-minute practice be-
fore the game. Like the Indians,
the Lions will work behind closed
gates.
Not until last year, when they met
Detroit for the first time since they
started to represent Washington, did
the Redskins ever beat the Lions.
Playing their best game of the 1898
season, the Redskins came through
with Us victory in Detroit partial
ly to avenge previous $40, TT and
14-0 defeats at the hands of the
Lions in 1884 and 1885.
Lions Finally Land Passer.
1t must be stated, however, that
last year the Detroit club was near.
ly bereft of one of offensive foot
balls most potent weapons-the
pass. Depending almost completely
on powerful running attack, fea-
turing such line-crashers as Bill
Shepherd, Lloyd Cardwell and Ace
CutoWsky (no longer with them)
the Lions scorned any sustained
aerial display.
Records show that they not only
completed less passes than any team
in the league, but threw nearly one
third less. While no other team
attempted less than ITO, the Lions
threw only 14S passes all last year,
or an average Of only 13 per game.
But this glaring need has been
remedied in the Lions acquisition of
Dwight Sloan, Arkansas '38, who
helped pass the All-Stars to victory
over the Redskins at Chicago year
ago and who started his profess
sional football career last year with
the Chicago Cardinals.
1t was an auspicious beginning for
the freshman from the Southwest,
for both his team and the Redskins
established new league record for
completed passes in single season,
and he bore the brunt of the
Cardinals passing duties.
Hamilton Fine Receiver.
Apparently his work with the
Lions has had its effects, for al
ready the team is credited with 40
more passes than it threw all last
year and has completed 20 more
passes in nine games than it COM
pleted in II starts in 1898.
Coach Gus Henderson didn't stop
when he negotiated the trade for
/ Sloan, but proceeded to work a
deal for Ray CBones) Hamilton,
Sloan's ex-teammate and favorite
end at Arkansas, who played his
first year in the National Football
League with Cleveland.
Six foot four and 2l5 pounds,
Hamilton is the type of receiver that
passers dream about and, again on
the same team with Sloan, gives
the Lions a reliable passing COM
binatlon.
Henderson saw Hamilton play
against his Los Angeles Bulldogs
and, upon becoming coach of the
Lions, signed him because I'D
rather have him catching passes for
me than against me-"
Seek Intersectional Mark.
If the Lions can beat the Red
skins Sunday, they will match
Green Bays record of scoring a
clean sweep over intersectional
rivals this year. Detroit remains the
only team in either division with
a chance to do it, as Chicago's
Bears have been beaten by the
Giants, the Giants by the Lions,
and the Redskins by the Packers.
Intersectional competition to date
shows a big advantage in favor of
the Western teams, which have tri-
umphed eight times in 13 games,
one being a 14-14 tie between Cleve-
land and Pittsburgh. The biggest
margin of victories has been scored
by the Redskins, who beat the Chi
cago Cardinals, 28-7, and the Chi
cago Bears, who walloped Pitts
burgh, 800. Western teams have
outscored their Eastern rivals, 228
points to 149.