Evening star., 1943-12-12
-Four Of Seven
Ai|ing Champs
Due 10 Play
SeI|out Crowd, Sixth
In Row Here, Will
See Crucial Tilt
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

Before the sixth straight home
game sellout crowd of the season
the Redskins come up to the clutch
game of the year this afternoon at
Griffith Stadium with the Eastern
division pro championship hanging
in the balance as they clash at
2 pm. with Steve Owens Giants.
The Skins, with several major
team members missing or so crippled
they will not be at full efficiency,
need win or tie with the Gotham
ties to clinch the Eastern crown. If
the Giants win, playoff game will
be necessary, the place to be decided
by a flip of coin today by Ma
tional Football League Commits
sioner Elmer Layden. A Giant win
also will necessitate a reshuff1ing of
plans for the league championship
playoff. originally set for December
19 at Chicago The Chicago Bears,
who won the Western title Novem-
ber 28, have been resting since that
date.
Seven on Ailing List.
Only three Redskins we're missing
from yesterdays final practice ses-
sion as the Washington club wound
up its workouts for the crucial Giant
game. Dick Farman, veteran guard,
who for three weeks has been Suf-
fering with a nerve injury; Wilbur
Moore, badly hurt in last Sundays
Govt ctil ~,
Hospital, and Alex Piasecky, a re-
cent victim Of the flu, were the alb
sentees. But Capt. Bob Masterson,
nursing a cod; Willie Wilkin. Bob
Seymour and Andy Farkas are not
In the best of shape for a game that
can make or break the season for
the PeGskins. If they drop today's
they'll be underdogs against the
game for their third loss in a row
Giants in a playoff.
Coach Dutch Bergman, forced by
Injuries to his kew men to reshuff1e
his squad, says he will start rookie
Frank Seno at right halfback in
place of Wilbur Moore. and prob
ably will start George Cafego, hero
of the victory over the Bears, at left
half, reserving Sammy Baugh until
the team gets in scoring position
Once Sammy gets in, however, he
may stay in, for the Skins are not
long on reserves. Seno played in
the George Washington University
backfield last year, on a team which
won two games. Cafego was &C
quired by the Redskins from Brook
lyn a month ago, and ran the
team for most of the game against
the Bears.
Giants Physically Sound.
The Giants, physically in good
shape, and hopeful of winning to-
dav's game and working into a play
off for the Eastern title. arrived in
the Capital last night and went
to the Willard Hotel. Main threats
in the Giant backfield are Bill Pas
chal, the rookie from Georgia Tech.
who scored the winning touchdowns
against the Redskins at the Polo
Grounds last Sunday: Ward Cuff,
blocking back and pivot man in the
lShy oiCIiG lSNNlSC DldyO, III dO-
dition to his placement kicking;
Hank Soar, pass defense expert,
and Tuffy Leemans, veteran Giant
triple threater.
Paschal is the main threat, for
the Giant passing game is pitiful
when compared with that of the
Redskins and the Incompatible
BaUgh. Paschal comes to Wash
ingt0n leading the league in ground
gaining. He gained 1873 yards
against the Skins last Sunday, much
of the real estate being covered in
one 53-yard gallop in which he out
paced Baugh to score the winning
touchdown.
On comparative scores the Red
skins loom far stronger than the
Giants. but such scores mean moth
ing. On November IA the Bears
Sunday the Redskins licked the
Bears. 21-7. and last Sunday the
Giants whipped the Redskins. 14-10
Skins 13-Point Favorites.
Washington's gambling rialto has
Installed the crippled Redskins as
13-noint favorites, which also means
nothing. The football game will be
played with a football at Griffith
Stadium and not under some odds
makers hat.
The whole situation is quite a
turnaround for the Redskins Two
weeks ago they were on top of the
pro grid world, with six wins and
one tie. Since then they'd dropped
two in a row, to the Philpitts and
Giants, and now have their backs
to the wall, in spot where they
must win Or tie or see their season.
long labors tossed into a single play
off game for the Eastern CHAMPION
shin
Coach Bergman will not definitely
ro"ornline on his starters until Just
before game time, but here are the