Evening star., 1939-11-29
First-Quarter Score
Might Make Battle
Wide-0pen Affair
D. c. Eleven Ruted Edqe
In Either Cautious
Or Reckless Come
By BILL DISMER, Jr.

Among pro football folk there
seems to be a general impression
that the first quarter of the Red
skim Giant game next Sunday will
decide the ball game. In other
words, the team that gets the jump
will wind up the winner.
We don't know whether this will
hold true. If there is score in the
opening minutes of play the scored
on team doubtlessly will abandon
conservative football at the point,
and from then on anything is liable
to happen. Its wide-open game
might have the desired devastating
effect on the opposition or its passes
might boomerang against it.
OF the two types Of games, low
scoring or wide open, we think
there's more chance for the Redskins
in the latter. Where only three
points would be necessary for a
victory, the Giants have a distinct
advantage, for in Ken Strong and
Ward Cuff they have pair of non-
pareil field goal experts dangerous
from almost any spot in their op-
onents' territory.
Punting Strategy Affected.
1t sounds fantastic, but the Giants
rarely punt inside the 50-yard line,
realizing that they have just as
good chance as not of making three
points on the strength of Strong's
or Cuffs talented toes. Cuff, cur
rently credited with five three-point-
ers in 10 games, already has booted
one from the 43-yard line, and the
3l-year-old Strong recently was
seen to hoist II in row over the
crossbars in practice from the so.
Frankly, we don't expect to see
the game won or lost by field goal
Given a dry field, there's too much
offensive power on both teams to
preclude either being held to low
score and on wet and muddy day
such as the two teams played in
down here last month-the ball
would become too water-soa to
auger for the probability of field
goal.
That leaves a wide-open game as
the best bet and, we think, gives
the Redskins the edge. When you
consider that the Indians have
scoring threat on the field at every
minute and that their touchdowns
can evolve from half dozen varie-
ties, you've got to like 'em to out
score the opposition.
Both Skin Teams Potent.
First and third or second and
fourth quarter teams. either one is
liable to break loose for a touch
down from any spot. Take the
Farkas- -Filchock combination, for
example, with the added threats OF
Ends Charlie Malone and Wayne
Millner. Andy and Frank both are
the type of breakaway runners who
are liable to 60 for touchdowns once
they're past the line of scrimmage.
Filchock, as often as not, is liable
to pass to Farkas on that copy
righted screen play which has yet to
be stopped To say nothing OF Ma
lone or Millner taking Filchock
passes.
Remove them and their replace
ments are no less potent. Sammy
Baugh. Dick Todd, Ed Justice, jim
my Johnston, Bob Masterson. Boz
McChesney. All except Masterson
have scored touchdowns this sea-
son, and Bob nearly got away cou-
pie of times.
Baugh, possessing more fiinesse
than ever, has developed a clever
feint at running the ball before
suddenly leaping just before reach
ing the scrimmage line to throw
pass. But there always is the doubt
that he won't continue running,
especially on wide end sweeps.
Giant Vets Need Stamina.
If Giant Coach Steve Owen goes
through with his plan to keep his
two ends, Jim Lee Howell and Jim
Poole, and Center Mel Helm in the
game from start to finish, they're
going to have to have a lot of wind
stored up trying to keep pace with
the Redskin speedsters. AS a mat
ter of fact, we doT't think Owen
will stick to his announced inten-
ton. The Redskins have worn down
better teams than the Giants with
their famed alternate-team system
and if Owen tries to get away with
shelving his own two-team vogue,
it may prove fatal-to the Giants.
It'll be hard enough to figure out
what the Redskins are going to do
next, let alone leaving it up to the
same fellows all through the game.
For II ever there was a surprise
team which can score by any means
from a pass from its own 1-yard
line-as they did against the Dodg-
ers-to a forward tumble -dribble-
as they did last Sunday-the Red
skins are it.