Evening star., 1942-11-02
Tribe beUnimpressive
Against Mediocre
Foes Thus Far
Conquer Eagles Largely
Through Two Errors
Made by Enemy
BY LEWIS ATCHISON.

Oy LIE w 40 "A hxSx1x0OANs
Still shaky after nosing out the
Philadelphia Eagles, 1927, on Bob
Masterson's last-second field goal in
what probably was the dizziest,
widest pro game Of the season, the
Redskins eye the future with a con-
f1dence that bellies their ability to
hold so-called lesser opponents at
bay.
The Chicago Cardinals come here
next Sunday and a week later the
Skins journey to New York for their
second game with the Giants and
If they cop those two they're home.
Ray Flaherty thinks they will, al
though an encore of yesterdays
happenings isn't calculated to keep
him in a satisfied and happy frame
Of mind.
Pittsburgh and Brooklyn still cling
to their mathematical chances of
tying for the title, but Brooklyn
meets the Bears next week and
probably will be eliminated by sun
down. Pittsburgh, going up against
Detroit's hapleSs Lions, may pro-
long its chance, but the Skins per-
sonally can eliminate the Topping
warriors later in the month when
the Dodgers pay return call here.
Flaherty and other tepee dWellers
can say they expected tough game
from the Eagles, but it was nothing
like the battle that was unspooled
before 32,668 fans yesterday at the
stadium. And two mistakes in STRAIT
egy had a lot to do with the Phils
downfall if they weren't wholly re-
sponsible.
Offers Receivers Fumble.
One was fake criss-cross on the
opening kickoff of the second half
which was fumbled, recovered by
Ed Cifers, Skin end, and returned
Is yards for a touchdown that gave
the eventual victors 14-6 lead The
ether was Dick Erdlitzs kickoff fol-
lowing the Philadelphia score that
knotted the count at 20-all, which
Ray Hare ran back 95 yards for a
touchdown.
On the criss-cross Berry (Twenty
Crand) Davis took the ball and
started toward the sideline stands
Ted Williams crossed over from the
o her side Of the field on an obvious
criss-cross-one of the games Oldest
plays. But Williams thought it was
to be fake and had no intention
OF taking the ball when he reached
for it. Davis thought he had it and
let go. Cifers, who was down fast
on the play, grabbed the leather as
the two startled visitors turned to
look for it, and was off in flash
for the score.
Erdlitz, who is not Philadelphia S
regular place-kicker but was drafted
for the task when Len Barnums
first kick struck the cross bar and
was voided, violated one of the club S
cardinal rules in lofting the kickoff
following Philadelphia's touchdown
that made it 20-all Neale insists on
straight-line boot along the ground
for several reasons. One is that
there is good chance the ball will
take an insane bound, strike an
eligible receiver and be recovered
by Philadelphia. Another is that
such a kick if properly executed
gives the kicking team an added
split-second to get across the line
O into the enemy's ranks. This is
protection against what happened
when Hare gathered in the kick and
romped 95 yards for touchdown.
Nearly Survives Mistakes.
Even with those errors, however
Philadelphia came within an ace
of tying the highly-favored Tribe
and bagging what would have beer
one of the seasons biggest and most
dramatic upsets. This was the
team, remember, that had won only
one game and was being kickee
around with alarming regularity by
the other clubs.
On the statistical chart the bettel
team won for the Skins had de.
cided edge in yards gained al
though Tommy Thompson's passing
average far exceeded that of Samm!
Baugh. "Machine-Gun Tommy
completed II out of II tosseS foI
1913 yards while his more illustriou
opponent was connecting on II o
26 for 124 yards.
Oddly enough passes accounted
for only two of the eight touch
downs Baugh pitched beauty t.
Andy Farkas, who made a picture
book catch as Len Barnum triet
to blot him out of the play, ant
scampered the remaining 81 yard
to pay dirt near the end of the frs
period. Thompson matched thi
with a rifle shot to Larry GABRIEL
in the end zone early in the secon
period. Thereafter it was all don
with earnest, honest legwork an
no mirrors.
Farkas, who came all the way OF
his comeback with the finest exhi
bition of power-running he ha
shown since his brilliant days Q
1889. paced the Tribe with tw
touchdowns and had the ball i
position for third. and what woul
have been the decisive score, i
the waning seconds of hecti
final period. He was hit hard o
the 3-yard stripe at the end of
22-yard run and fumbled, but tn
play was disputed.
Farkas Makes An Error.
Andy claimed he saw his fox
out of bounds and thinking th
referee had ruled the ball dea
and the play over, let go of tt
leather. But the Eagles, sensin
at least tie and fighting for ever
inch, every advantage, were on tt
play, too, and when Ray Graves sa
the loose ball he pounced on
Much to Farkas' surprise Philade
phia got the ball.
Farkas had scored Washington
third touchdown on 20-yard III
through the middle of the lin
breaking into the clear and divir
over the final chalk-stripe wit
Pritchard wound around his tors
but Pritchard, the second Virginia
to run back a kickoff for touch
down this season, put his mates bar
in the ball game shortly thereafte
Pritchard took the kick on h