Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-11
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

Despite the hangover of their first
defeat of the season, it wasn't ex-
actly Blue Monday" for the Red
skins today and the Indians weren't
in the mood to seek an armistice
Paralleling two other of the Ma
tional Football Leagues divisional
contenders which were upset by
teams they had expected to beat,
the Redskins suffered their first loss
at the hands of the Dodgers in
Brooklyn yesterday, 14-16, but their
chances for the Eastern title haven't
changed perceptibly.
One more victory for them, or
a defeat for the defending cham
pion Giants will knock the New
Workers out of the picture entirely,
while a combination of two-tWo
wins for the Redskins or a win for
them and even tie for Brooklyn
will eliminate the Dodgers.
And although Washington has
the tough Chicago Bears to play
at home next Sunday and the
Giants and Eagles after that, take
look at the task ahead of the
Dodgers and Giants The former
must take on the Cleveland Rams,
surprise conquerors of the Giants
yesterday, next Sunday; the Chi
cago Cardinals after that and the
Giants in the seasons finale. AS
for New York, it must play Green
Bays defending championship in
the running after the defeat of
the Bears yesterday, Washington
and Brooklyn.
Redskins Deserve Defeat.
The odds are against any of those
Eastern teams going undefeated in
all three of their remaining games
but, happily for the Redskins, their
position is not one in which another
loss would be fatal, as in the case of
the Dodgers and Giants.
To be brutally frank, the REDSKINS
deserved to lose yesterday and
nobody realizes it better than they.
For three quarters they were a
fumbling, stumbling. slip-shod Or
ganization, blowing their ali too few
scoring opportunities and being kept
on their heels by the kicking, pass
ing and running of that great all
around back, Ace Parker.
Then, with II minutes to play in
the final quarter, they suddenly
came to life and began to resemble
the team that had won seven
straight games. Sammy Baugh,
who set new all-time league record
for a single game by completing %
passes, continued in the fourth pc
riod in place of an incapacitated
Frank Filchock to direct an attack
which came within 2 points of
sending some 5000 Washington fans
home delirious.
Starting from their own Is, the
Redskins reached the Dodgers l8
on three passes by Baugh, one of
them to Dick Todd accounting for
At yards. Then, with the clock
showing 9 minutes and 40 seconds
to play, the Indians reached pay
dirt for the first time when Bob
Masterson picked Sammy's pass out
of the air on the 3-yard line and
raced over the goal-line. Master
sons conversion made it TIC.
Fighting desperately, the Redskins
forced the Dodgers to kick on their
first series of downs. Todd returning
Sam Francis punt 20 yards to mid
field. Benefting from an interfer-
ence ruling on one of Sammy's
passes which gave them the ball on
Brooklyns 81, the Redskins called
upon Rookie Bob Seymour who
crashed the line for a first down on
the 1-yard stripe and went over for
the touchdown three plays later.
Masterson again booted the extra
point.
1t then was a contest between
Brooklyn's stalling and the clock,
and the stalling won. For when the
Dodgers finally surrendered the ball
again, after a short on-side kickoff
by Masterson failed in it's intent of
enabling the Redskins to regain
possession, there were only 10 Sec
onds to play. Neither of Baugh's
two passes in that time was the
payoff variety.
But what had put the Redskins
in such a predicament and cost
them their first loss in eight cham
pionship games? Their own over
anxiety to clinch the sectional title
and the inspired play of a Dodger
team which had everything to win
and nothing to lose. Six fumbles
amply denote the kind of a team
the Redskins were yesterday and At
passes-the most they have thrown
all season-demonstra their eager
ness to score. Three times bad
center passes put the Redskins in a
hole, one of them resulting in the
safety which proved the ultimate
margin between defeat and a tie.
Superb punting by Parker and
Francis kept the Redskins deep in
their own territory throughout the
first half. and timely pass intercept
tons by Francis and Pug Manders
choked off two Washington scoring
threats in the first and third pc
RODS.
The Dodgers didn't waste any
time scoring on their first oppor-
tunity when George bad News)
Cafego's brilliant 25-yard punt re-
turn gave them the ball on WASH
ingtons 20, but some tricky ball
handling and a slow whistle on the
part of the field judge were helpful