Evening star., 1943-10-25
ITS Air Game Emphasized as Sn Bears Maintain Pro Leads
Champs Need Ground
Attack, Narrow Win
Over Cards Shows
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

WV WI NJ SbuVVS
BY WALTER McCALLUM.
Washington's Redskins, riding
atop the National Football League,
realize today they'll need more than
a pass and prayer to win the
Eastern division championship, and
perhaps the league title for the Sec
ond straight year.
The word begins with the letter
'T'-and it isn't lazy-to describe
the show the world grid champs put
on before a sellout crowd of $40
at Griffith Stadium yesterday to lick
the victoryless Chicago Cardinals by
the skimpy margin of 1877. Had the
Cardinals been a little luckier and
had the Skins been favored little
less by the breaks that decree foot
ball victors, the Capital club today
might be toppled from its league
leading status.
For the Redskins, far below the
alert, line crushing level of play they
showed to overWhelm the Green Bay
Packers a week before, were lucky
to lick a fighting Cardinal outfit
on the verge of its initial victory
and thwarted only by the smartness
of Redskin Halfback Wilbur Moore,
who was an alternate goat and hero
as he fumbled, then came through
with pass interception which broke
the back of the Cardinals as they
seemed on the threshold of drive
which might have won the game.
Farkas Spearhead Of Attack.
The Skins need the same line
crashing spirit they showed against
Green Bay if they are to go through
an undefeated season. On the rec
ord they should win handily against
the Brooklyn Dodgers next Sunday
at Ebbetts Field. but the same lack
adaisical play they showed yester-
day will bring nothing but deep
touch of gloom to followers Of the
Redskins.
Sammy Baugh, who happens to
be Mr.. Redskin, had mediocre
day. He completed in his so min
utes OF play of IA pass at
tempts to bat 500, but Sammy
specialized on short ones. The
Skins gained only four first downs
rushing against six for the re-
juvenated crew coached by Phil
Handler and gained only three first
downs passing, against four for the
Cards.
The supposedly weak club proved
tough, as it almost matched the net
gains of the touted Skins with 169
yards against 179.
One factor which won the game
for the pro champs was the rush
they put on early in the second half
as they used Anvil Andy Farkas as
the spearhead of their attack to two
quick touchdoWns. The other factor
was the fourth-doWn pass by Car
dinal Walter Masters intercepted by
Wilbur Moore late in the last period
on his own 10-yard stripe when
the Cards appeared on the way to
tie score at least.
Moore Ends Card Threat.
Moore took the pigskin with two
minutes to play and ran it to the
Cardinals AZ. The Skins then froze
the ball and let time run out as
Center Ken Hayden bent over for
a fourth-down play.
Baugh's judgment in the final
quarter is open to question. He
risked a fourth-down pass on the
Cardinal 40 and, failing, the Cards
took over. The Redskins might
have dropped the decision had the
ensuing Card drive not been stopped
by Moore's interception. In all, the
game was a thriller, but only be-
cause the Redskins were well below
their level of the Green Bay game.
Nor did they gain any consolation
from the way the Giants, whom
they'll meet in December, crushed
the Phillpitts, 40 to a. Two games
with the New York crew wind up
the Eastern League season, sched-
uled for December and y. These
games may mean the Eastern cham
pionship.
Following a scoreless first half. the
popped by a do-or-die talk
by Coach Dutch Bergman, punched
over two scores in the third quarter.
Farkas took the opening kickoff in
the end zone and, gathering inter-
ference as he ran, tOted the ball 86
yards to the Cardinal IA, where he
was bunted out of bounds by Johnny
Grigas. Andy fumbled, but alert
Steve Slivinski, Redskin guard, fell
on the ball.
Aguirre Gets Scoring Pass.
Moore gained 8 yards, which the
Skins gave back in part when they
were offside for a 5-yard penalty
Then Baugh wheeled back to the
16 and tossed touchdown pass to
End Joe Aguirre in the end zone.
Bob Masterson, bad ankle and all,
kicked the extra point.
Eight minutes later. with play
swaying back and forth between the
20-yard lines, Fullback Bob Seymour
took Card kick from Johnny Mar
tin on the 30 and ran it to the Skins
At. Then Moore, the pass-catching
specialist, crossed the Cards by run
ming the end for IS yards to the
Card 18. Farkas drove to the l, then
took two plays to score Andy hurt
an already ailing leg on the play
and will nurse charley horse for
few days.
Baugh fumbled a poor pass from
raYofnr- of,G NHocfnrcny, t-oy,lnI II, f0,-
the spot, did not attempt kick for
point.
With five minutes gone in the
final quarter the Cards started driv-
ing, as Masters passes clicked,
Johnny Hall ran SO yards to the
Skins 81, but was called back when
the officials said he stepped out on
the Cards 81. Masters long pass
to Rucinski was good on the Red