Evening star., 1943-12-18
Desperate Redskins to Gamble for Early Win Over Giant,
New Defense Planned
To Curb Foe Keen
Running Attack
BY WALTER McCALLUM,
Star staff Correspondent.


RYE, NY, Dec. 18.-Your Red
skins received orders today to put
everything they have into the first
few minutes of tomorrow's clutch
game against the Giants at the Polo
Grounds in Manhattan. There1l be
no feeling out, and no plays held
back in the first period. The Skins
either will pile up couple of touch
downs soon after the opening kick
off, or the Giants will plaster them
and possibly score a couple them
selves.
1--WE have nothing to hold back
now" said Coach Bergman as he
led his squad through q stiff work.
out on the frozen polo field at the
Westchester Country Club, where
the Skins are thinking and talking
nothing but football before the game
that will make or break their season.
I'VE haven't held anything back in
other games, but if there has been
any tendency to take it easy in the
opening quarter it won't do in this
one. 1t can be that the team which
scores first and gets a quick Jump
will win the game
That, however, has not been the
history of the two previous 1943 |
Redskin-G Giant games. In both bat
ties the Redskins scored first, and |
both times the Giants overhauled
and passed them. Dutch was re-
minded of that.
But maybe this time we'll score |
couple Of times quick" he said. "If
we do they may have hard time
catching us"
Redskins Defense Revised.
Variations in the line shift to
cope with the Giants spread plays
when the flankers go wide from the
line. and with the man in motion,
have been put into action by the
Skins in their training here. It's all
too technical to discuss, but Berg
man thinks he will stop the Giant |
running attack, which has far out
shone the running of Redskin backs |
In previous conflicts.
Wilbur Moore, ace halfback, is
stalking around the corridors of this
swanky club, hopefully awaiting
word from DR.. Robert E (Pete) |
Moran, Redskin physician, that he
can play in Sundays game. The
word isn't likely to come, but Will
bur is willing. No man on the squad
Is more anxious to get at the Giants
than Moore, badly injured in the
flrst Giant game December 5, but |
the matter is in the hands of DR..
Moran and unless he gives the
word Moore will not play. "He
would be a big help to US" said
Line Coach Turk Edwards. Il mean
he'd help us both on offense and
defense, and how he wants to 60"
Wilbur worked out in yesterdays
early session in the club gym, 60
ing through the new shifts and for
nations prepared for the Giants.
DR.. Moran may arrive today, and
It's a cinch Moore will ask per-
mission to play.
Pass Receivers Curbed
Main problem of the Redskins is
not to enable Sammy Baugh to
pass the ball as he alone can. do,
but to shake loose his receivers AFTER
they get the oval. In retrospect With
past Giant games in mind the
Gothamites haven't bottled Baugh
as much as they've stopped hisare-
ceivers. Usually the ball catcher
has been downed in his tracks.
Sammy has tossed one touchdown |,
pass in two games, the one on which
Joe Aguirre scored last Sunday for
the only Redskin touchdown. In all
Sammy has tossed only six touch /
down passes against the Giants
since 1886 so effectively have Steve
Owens young men stopped receiv-
erS of Baughs bullet heaves.
Owen has concentrated not so
much on stopping Baugh, whom he
admits is more or less unstoppable,
but on stopping the men who catch :
and carry Baugh's passes. This job I
has been delegated to Ward Cuff, :
Giant blocking back and possibly
the most valuable man on the New
York squad, and to the veteran
Hank Soar, now a private in the {
Army Soar is expected to get the {
usual week end pass to enable him
to play against the Redskins. He
intercepted two Baugh passes last
Sunday and generally was a nuis-
ance to the Tribe.
Tribes Runners Miss.
Redskin runners have been no
marvels this year. Over ten regular
league games they've averaged 1O9
yards per game. Baugh has tossed
% touchdown passes, most of them ,
bullets. If his runners had the
same capability as Baugh there
would be no playof today, Basket
ball shoes for the entire squad ar
rived today. The first order brought
only II pairs of rubber-soled shoes
from a Washington store, but a
phone call resulted in an express
shipment of enough for all players.
They will be used Sunday if the |
Polo Grounds turf is frozen hard .