Evening star., 1940-11-21
Superior Direction
Brought Triumph
In Last Scrap
FIoherty Gets Proise
For Substitution of
Todd at Right Time
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

DN DILL DlShLh, JT.
If the status quo of both divisions
of the National Football League pre-
walls and the Bears and Redskins
meet again in the playoff here on
December 8, would the Redskins win
again?
outside Of the Redskins chances
Of scalping the hated Gaints at New
York Sunday. that seems to be the
most universally discussed sports
question Of the town these days. No
less an authority than Grantland
Rice wrote last Saturday that neither
the Redskins nor the Bears team
wes superior enough TO win twice in
succession from the other. Which
would imply that the Bears were
due TO win second game.
Not according to some of the Red
skins who went through that Cruel
ling 7-3 battle just four days ago.
"Shucks." said one Redskin line
man, wed beat 'em a lot worse
next time Why, We didn't start to
open up once We gained that lead
last week. The game meant so darn
much to us that We were willing 10
play a defensive game, protecting
those precious 4 points rather than
90 all out and probably reveal
something we could use against 'em
in playoff.
Rate Bear BackfieId Best.
There's no doubt that they had
the greatest array OF backs we've
faced all year, but the Lions and
Cardinals lines both were tougher
than the Bears'-Plasman Musso,
Stydahar, Fortmann notwithstand-
ing. And the Bears Wrent especially
dirty, either
But TO these inexpert eyes. the
Bears might have won if they had
possessed one important thing the
REDSKINS haVe-smart quarterback
ing. It's generally agreed that what
the Chicagoans lacked most SUNDAY
was sklllful, or even average field
generalShip which would have cap
ltallzed better upon their scoring op-
Bears maintained their running
game which was proving successful
instead OF trying to match the Red
skins at their own specially. passing.
they might have gone a lot further
toWard-and even acroSs-the Wash
lngton goal.
In Sammy Baueh and Frank Fill
chock, there's little doubt that the
Redskins have two Of the league s
bralnler strategists. Their skill in
dlVerSlfylng their teams attack.
pulling the unexpected and always
Keeping the opposition guessing has
had a lot to do with the Indians
success this season. Filchock NAV
not possess the superb feintins Of
Baugh on his passing. but the old
Indiana back can and does run as
hard himself almost as much as he
passes.
Baugh Keeps En- Guessing.
In other words. when the ball goes
TO Baugh, you can almost always
expect a pass. but where or what
kind is the question. When it goes
10 Fllchock you don't know whether
It's going to be a pass. run or a
reverse. Both know they have a
lot Of material TO work with and
get as much out of their SQUAD s
exceptional talent as there is to be
derived-something the Bears def
nitely don't 90.
1t may surprise lot Of fans. but
the Redskins consider the Giants
line they will face Sunday a lot
tougher than the Bears. Coach
Ray Flaherty said that very thing
to Gotham'S football writer's at a
luncheon on Monday.
Flaherty, incidentally. hasn't re-
ceived as much credit for a couple
of things he pulled against the
Bears as he deserved. There hasn't t
been lot of attention paid to the
flve-man line he PLAYED defensively
for the greater part of the game. for
one thing. But another stroke un-
doubtedlv saved the game.
That was his move in reinserting
Dick Todd in the last few seconds
of play. Sensing that the Bears
would attempt a long. desperate
pass. Flaherty sent Todd. his fastest
back and his best paSS-defense man,
into the game of place of Baugh.
You know what happened Todd
is the only RedSkin who would have
stood chance TO catch the flying
McAfee. And he not only did. but
with a death-hold tackle that pre-
vented the score
Quite a Redskin brain trust,
that Flaherty. Baugh and Fill
chock. Probably the difference be-
TWEEN the Redskins and the Bears.