Evening star., 1943-12-13
New Workers F|ashv
In. 31-7 Win While
Tribe Looks Bad
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

10y svnA EN- NACShAA OWs
AS If they already hadn't played
through the longest season In local
pro football history, the debated
Redskins now face postseason
game for the Eastern division cham
pionship, first in the history OF the
National Football League for the
Eastern crown. AS the result OF their
7-31 loss to the New York Giants
here yesterday and the flip OF a coin
that sends the playoff game to
Gotham, the Redskins will move to
New York next Sunday, where
they'll meet the amazing Giants at
the Polo Grounds to break the tie
that now exists between them.
Psychologically, and considering
everything that has gone on in this
most topsy-turvy of all pro gridiron
seasons, the Redskins will be the
underdogs in the playoff game,
picked to lose to a Cinderellalike
Giant outfit that came from no.
where to lick the Skins twice just
when the Washington pros seemed
ready to wrap up the Eastern crown.
Latest chapter in the decisive edge
the Giants have had over the Tribe
in the seven years the Skins have
represented the Capital came yes
terday at Grifflth Stadium, where a
sellout crowd of 35,540 persons saw
the New Workers clearly outplay and
outmaneuver the Redskins, tossing
them into defeat as CALLING as any
the Skins have ever suffered.
There Won't Be Any Tie.
It came when the Skins needed a
win or tie to clinch the Eastern
crown. Net result is that the New
York team-a long shot, If ever
there was one-now is tied with
the Redskins, each team with six
wins, three losses and one tie. Now
they'll meet before a probable SELL
out crowd of $4,000 next Sunday at
the Polo Grounds, with the Eastern
crown hanging in the balance. If
they tie after 60 minutes, they'll
play until one scores. The winner
win 60 to Chicago to meet the West
ern division championship Bears at
Wrigley Field the day after Christ
mas. The Eastern playoff game
went to New York when the pro
football commissioner spun a coin
which fell tails" after Giant Presi-
dent Jack Mara had called it that
way.
Although the Redskins outgained
the Giants overall 3l2 yards to 200,
mainly because of Sammy Baugh's S
short, nat, bullet passes, the Giant
ground game, spear-headed by Bull
let Bill Paschal and the veteran
Ward Cuff, outgained the Redskins
l91 yards to so, the Skins backs
being bottled up for one Of their
lowest groundgaining totals of the
year. Not only that. but the alert,
keen Giants seized every scoring op-
portunity and created one. when
End Steve Pritko fell on blocked
Baugh kick in the end zone for a
Giant touchdown that tied the score
in the second quarter, after the
Skins had punched the scoring clock
first with the potent Baugh to
Aguirre touchdown pass that had
won several previous Redskin vic
tories.
Line Play Is Decisive.
Outplayed in the line as they were
outplayed in New York last Sunday,
the Redskin backfield, crippled by
the absence of injured Wilbur
Moore, lacked the driving potency of
Paschal and Cuff. Paschal who
played only two minutes of varsity
ball at Georgia Tech, gained %
yards on the ground to be the out
standing back of the game. and in
doing it. became one of the few
rockies to win the league ground
gaining championship. He nosed
out veteran Jack Hinkle of the Phil
pitts by single yard with 572 yards
to ST. for Hinkle. The veteran Cuff
gained 80 yards, winging his way for
20 of them through the entire Red
skin team in the third quarter for
the third Giant touchdown.
That blocked kick was the turn
ing point of the game" said Redskin
Coach Bergman. 1t came at 4::50 of
the second period. just four minutes
after the Redskins had gone into a
7-point lead, when one of Baugh's
punts was blocked. Giant Tackle
Frank Cope. charging fast, spun
Redskin Quarterback Ray Hare
backward. Rays back met the ball
as 1t doomed from Baugh's foot, and
the oval spun 40 feet in the air,
turning over backwards, and bounc-
ing crafty back across the Redskin
goal line. 1t was pursued by alert
Steve Pritko, who fell on it in the
end zone.
But it was only one of the many
things that befell the injury -riddled
Skins, as rookie Emory Nix. late of
Texas Christian, heaved 36 yards to
Frank Liebel and again "a yards to
Will Walls for two touchdowns, and
Ward Cuff squirmed through the
Redskin line for 20 for another.
Even Baugh Is Shaky.
Unlike the previous Redskin-G Giant
game in New York. when the Giants
won the game in the last four min
utes, they led yesterday from mid
way of the second quarter. At the
end the Redskins were a jittery
crew, fumbling and more inept
than they've been at any time this
year. And the usually accurate
Baugh, who ordinarily threads q
needle with q football at 25 yards,
was tossing serials at Giant inter-
ceptors and missing with touchdown
heaves when in scoring territory.
All in all, it was the most humiliat-
ing licking the Redskins have taken
In two years.
The Redskins scored first, after so
seconds of the second period, after
Dodging Frank Seno, on brilliant
27-yard gallop, worked the ball to
the Giant 20, where Andy Farkas
lost 7. Then Aguirre crossed over
under the goal posts to take a
Baugh heave. Bob MastersonS de-
pendable toe accounted for the extra
point. Twin interceptions, one by
Baugh and the other by Hank Soar.
found the ball in Giant possession
on their IS. where Emory Nix wound