Evening star., 1940-11-18
Make 5 Tremendous
Stands 10 Thwart
Foe Near Goal
Bruins, Batting Officials,
Vow Vengeance After
Defect by 7 and ;
BY BILL DISMER. Jr.

LNtdAILdlIOlI lIldt lIlc RtuShIIlS
lire is as worthy of acclaim as their
muCh-heralded backs because of its
staunchness in a pinch dawned to-
day on an enthused grid populace
still limp from probably the most
pulsatlng football game ever played
IN Washington.
And that the Indians are within
half a game of the Eastern title,
with the Brooklyn Dodgers and not
the defending champion New York
Giants as their only contender, is
due almost entirely to members of
that Burgundy forward wall, the
real heroes Of a thrill-drenChed 7-3
victory over the powerful Chicago
Bears yesterday.
We say almost" because it was,
OF course. Dick Todd'S miraculous
run with Frank Filchock's pass
which produced the winning
touchdown in the second quarter
ana the equally defensive brillIance
of both OF those young men, Sammy
Baugh and Bob Hoffman, which
helped nightly in the triumph.
For it was the Redskins defense,
and not OtfenSe, which completely
enthralled the 35 231 cash customers
who paid a record local gate of S5l,
1888 10 to see pro footballs two best
teams wage a battle befttlng their
regulations. Five times in that Sec
ond half the Bears would have
scored on a less courageous or inept
line. but five times they were hurled
back from the shadow of the Red
skin gOal-as precious as sacred
ground in such a game as yester-
days.
Bears Impotent Near Goal.
Sure. the Bears attack Of Bill Os-
manski, George McAfee. Gary Fami-
glietti and Ray Nolting-the most
devastating ground attack in the
league-made the Indians line look
bad, but only between the 10-vard
lines When it came to Welding
where yielding meant disaster. the
Redskins not only didn't they
forced the Bears back!
Of course. the climax of the Red
skins several magnificent stands
came on the last play Of the game
which started with only 3 seconds
TO play. Just previously, George Nc
Afee-every bit as good as Owner
Coach George HalaS had said he
WaS-had given the Redskins and
their supporters heart failure by
nearly crossing the goal line with
Bob Synder's long pass, only to be
dragged down by Todd just inches
short of pay dirt.
Needing time as much as a drown
ing man needs air, the Bears were
forced to call time out-and it may
have cost them the game. For from
a point within a foot of the goal
where a ground play might have
scored, the Chicagoans were forced
back to the 5-yard line, where only
a pass play was logical
It came, as expected, but Just as
OSmanski got his mitts on the ball,
Filchock hit him with everything he
had, causing the ex-Holy Cross star
to tumble The game-saving effort
so affected FilChock that old No. 30
sat Imply on his stool in the Red
skins dressing room for fully Is
minutes after the game. i didn't
know whether he had the ball or
not Frank said between gaSpS.
Not until I saw the ball bouncing
on the ground did I know We were
safe.
Bears Swear Revenge.
To say that the Bears were en-
ragged is putting it mildly They
tore through the tunnel leading TO
their dressing room loudly cursing
and shouting threats Of revenge at
the elated Redskins, 90 WHEN
We meet in the playoff" Halas
came storming through muttering all
sorts of insinuations at the officials
and promptly was dragged into their
own dressing room to cool off. Eighty
yards lost by penalties explained
their reason for anger. but from
everyone's viewpoint but their own
they had no one but themselves to
blame.
But getting back to those defen-
sive stands of the Redskins. Rookie
Bob Hoffman, wholly iuStifying
Coach Ray Flaherty's use of him as a
regular in the first and third period
backhelds, halted an incipient threat
in the second half when he recov-
cred a tumble on his teams 80 And
after WAYNE Millner stopped sec
ond drive by throwing Maniaci for
5-yard loss on fourth down when
the Bears needed only yards to
make first down on WaShinotOnS
% Hoffman again provided the
break by smearing Luckman s
fourth-doWn pass within the Red
skins 10-vard lire
Bob McChesney was the hero on
the Bears next drive, throwing
Luckman for a 12-yard loss on third
down and forcing a punt. but the
Redskins came through collectively
to halt the visitors next-to-last on
slaught. Todd's short kick had
given them the ball on Washingtons
AZ Twice, on successive plays
Filchock ran pass receivers out of
bounds to prevent scores. but the
Bears reached the 13-yard line at
that. Then came three defensive
gems
The first time Rookie Bob Titch-
email, who certainly showed up ALL
America Bulldog" Turner, broke