Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-02
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

BY BILL DISMER, Jr.
The paradox of football team
which won the Eastern champion
ship with the best record of its g.
year history and still will be the
underdog against foe 1t already
has beaten was the situation con-
fronting Washington's grid colony
today.
Near victims of what may have
been the greatest one-man passing
exhibition ever produced, the Red
skins were sectional title-holders for
the first time since 1887.
But all of the 25,838 who saw their
1876 conquest of the Philadelphia
Eagles yesterday know there was
only one hero in their crown-clinch-
ing game-and it wasn't a Redskin.
He was the mightiest of mites, ISL
pound Davey O'Brien, who not only
. established three all-time individual
records himself yesterday, but aided
in the creation of two more. And
if ever a guy wrote fms to glorious
football career in indelible ink, 1t
was III Davey.
Davey did more than that, some
thing that undoubtedly will make
the RedSkin short-enderS when they
tackle the vengeful Chicago Bears
when they come to Griffith Stadium
next Sunday to meet the Indians
for the pro championship, just as
they did in Chicago in ST.
Davey Shows Up Redskins.
O'Brien made monkeys of the
Redskins yesterday, forcing them to
look bad for the third time in their
last four games and an unhappy
contrast to the team which played
so brilliantly for more than half the
season. Coach Ray Flaherty said
after the game that the Redskins
had played "over-cautiously" against
oBrien, meaning that they had al
lowed his passes to be completed in
order to make sure of their tackles
rather than take chance of letting
a receiver get away for a touchdown.
AS a result, O'Brien wiped out the
all-time single game record OF the
Redskins own Sammy Baugh, passed
Sammy in his seasonal race and
aerial honors and wound up with a
new all-time yardage record for any
game ever played in the National
Football League. The 33 passes
Davey completed were just 10 more
than Baugh was credited with at
Brooklyn three weeks ago and the
3l6 yards gained by his heaves
singularly were 10 more than the
yardage gained by Pat Coffee's
passes for the Chicago Cardinals in
a game three years ago.
Unoficially, O'Brien is credited
today with 1T passes for the sea-
son-11 more than the former rec
ord with which Baugh entered the
game. Baugh is reported to have
ended the season with ITO compile
tons.
Further, by making Rookie Don
Looney the main objective OF MS
aerial artistry, O'Brien helped his
former teammate at Texas Christian,
to a new, all-time individual game
pass-receiving record. Looney at
tached himself to no less than ~
of OBrien's passes and undoubtedly
will end his freshman year as the
greatest receiver in the league. q.
Present Ball to O'Brien.
Because they appreciated the
wizardry of the smallest wonder OF
the grid world, the Redskins unani-
mously voted to give OBrien the
football last used in the game
the usual token for the winner.
Fighting his way through Redskins
shoWering congratulations on DaVey
from every side, Coach Flaherty
finally reached the midget sitting on
his stool in the Eagle room, handed
him the ball and said sincerely:
Congratulations, Davey. The boys
want you to have this" A few
minutes later, Philadelphia Owner
Coach Bert Bell brought the ball
back to the Redskins dressing room
with Daveys requests for their auto
graphs.
Bell, himself, was upset visibly by
the realization that OBrien had fin
ished his career. Fondly handling
the sweaty Jersey Davey pulled of,
Bell glanced at the No. 8 thereon
and said reverently:
"There1l never be another like
him. This goes into our trophy case
No Philadelphia player ever Will
wear that number again"
Bell, incidently, not only took is
sue with those who said the Eagles
wouldn't be in condition to play
after only two days rest, but as
serted that they hadn't played
better game all season.
THAT victory was just what the
boys needed" he said. ANY team
would play the day after winning
their first game, especially after
such a long losing streak as we had.
It's the truth when I tell you the
boys were eager to meet the Red
skins, honestly thinking they might
pull an upset"
But although the game was far
closer than had been expected, the
Redskins never were in danger of
being worse than tied. They got off
TO a 60 lead in the second quarter
when Wilbur Moore circled left end
on a deep reverse, Ends Wayne Mill
ner and Sandy Sanford blocking out
the last two Eagles near the 10-yard
line. Moore's run started from the
27-yard line after the Redskins had
launched the drive from their own
IS.
Tribe Marches so Yards.
A sustained 8O-yard march pro-
duced the second score in the third
uuarter, Dick Todd and Ed Justice