Evening star., 1939-09-18
Redskiin Victory
Raises Doubt Of
Team Punch
Scoring Opportunities
Blown, Bough Finally
Topples Eagles
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

BY BILL DISMER, Jr.
The Redskins first official game
safely in the victory column, Wash
ington football fans still must wait
at least another two weeks to be as
sured of one thing: That the Mar
shallmen are as good as their pos
sibilities.
That TO win over the Eagles at
Philadelphia yesterday which sent
the Indians off on the right foot in
pursuit of 1899 Eastern Division
honors in the National League was,
to most of their supporters, too close
for comfort.
Granting that a plunge over the
goal line by Andy Farkas was clearly
missed by officials, in the opinion of
the Redskins, who drew a 15-yard
penalty for protesting so vigorously,
and that the Skins muffed two other
scoring opportunities, the fact re-
mains that the punch wasn't there
when needed. And if it hadn't been
for Sammy Baugh's reliable arm,
which rifled the touchdown pass to
Charley Malone, the Indians might
have been held to scoreless tie by
the much-improved Eagles.
See Tough Game for Giants.
For here it should be pointed out
that the Redskins, to man, expect
Davey O'Brien and his pals to prove
headaches to the New York Giants
next Sunday, with a few even going
so far as to say the Eagles have
real chance to win. Should that
materialize. the Redskins one
touchdown margin would not look
bad.
The most currently encouraging
factors, from a negative Redskin
standpoint, is that neither of their
two highly touted rookie-running
backs-Dick Todd or Jimmy Johns
ton-got a chance to show any,
thing yesterday and that Andy
Farkas probably won't have another
day as miserable as he experienced
in Philadelphia's huge Municipal
Stadium.
Todd, inserted into the game for
only few minutes of the second
quarter, missed his signal the only
time it was called and Johnston,
whom Coach Ray Flaherty likes to
envision as a possible Cliff Battles,
wasn't used at all. Flaherty said
Jimmy wasn't quite up" on the
Redskins offense yet and chose to
withhold him until the second game.
Farkas, save for one 15-yard run
off tackle and 10-yard return of a
punt, was unable to gain at all,
although three times within a series
of downs given an opportunity to
score from within the 5-yard line.
That's not likely to occur again this
season.
Redskin Line Slow to Start.
AS in each of its three exhibition
games, the Redskin line looked bad
at the start, only to tighten up and
prove impregnable after the first
quarter. After yielding four first
downs in the initial Is minutes, the
Indian forwards held the Eagles to
four during the remainder of the
game-two in the second quarter
and two in the second half. Not
once in the last half were the Eagles
in possession of the ball inside the
Redskins 30-yard line.
Dick Farman and Steve Slivinski,
the rookie guards who declared they
found little difference between pro
and Coast collegiate football, lived
up to fondest expectations, and
Tackle Bo Russell was no draw
back. The new realization that he's
not expected to play go minutes any
more also seemed to have an inspir-
ing effect on Capt. Turk Edwards,
who seemed like his old self in block
ing a punt and tackling Dynamite
Dave Smukler so hard that he fun
bled within the shadow of the Red
skin goal
Fumbles, however, hurt the In
dians on three occasions, Edwards
dropping one of O'Brien's passes
after intercepting it deep in Phila-
delphia territory, Filchock failing to
hold punt and Wayne Millner los
ing one of Baugh's passes right in
his hands in the end zone.
Meade Makes Good Punt.
That OBrien will be heard from
before the season is over seems to be
the unanimous opinion of the Skins.
The leagues most illustrious rookie
doesn't throw anywhere near as long
pass as Baugh, but at that he had
better average than his predeces-
sor at Texas Christian, completing
8 out of 16 to Baugh,s 7 in the same
number. Davey had four of his in
tercepted, however, twice as many
as Baugh.
Before being injured Don Irwin
demonstrated that his return to
form as great line smasher was not
all talk. The old Colgate star re-
peatedly picked up and 4 yards
and he once crashed through for
IA yards to place the ball on the
Eagles six.
Jim Meade just did manage to
break into the game, nice 45-yard
punt in the second quarter, repre-
senting his lone contribution to the
cause.
Line-ups and Summary.
Pos; Philadelphia. Washington.
L. E. Hewitt " Masterson
l. T. Ellis ----W Wilkin
L. g. Hughes Stralka