Evening star., 1946-12-08
Edwards Hopes
To Tie for Title
By Maneuver
Iowon, Subbing for
Bough, Never Has
Fuced New York
By Lewis F. Atchison


NEW YORK, Dec. 7. - Jimmy
Ycuel will start at quarterback for
the Redskins tomorrow in last
ditch bid to tie the New York
Giants for the Eastern Division
title of the National Football
League. 1t will be Coach Turk Ed
wards initial move in a battle of
wits with cagey Steve Owen and
will pay handsome dividends il
successful.
New York, reaching for its eighth
division crown in, IA years, rates a
slight edge over the Tribe and the
psychological edge is all in its favor.
They can do no worse than prolong
the race by losing, while tie will
give them the crown and the du-
bious right" to play the Chicago
Bears a week from tomorrow for the
league championship.
The game will be played before
a sellout crowd of some $4,000, al
though announced losses of person.
mel from the rival camps throughout
the week threatened to leave both
benches bare. AS it is, Washington
will be completely devoid of ram
bling Dick Todd, its best running
back, and End Doug Turley. Paul
Stems injured knee won't stand
too much pressure. but he'll get in
the game for a spell. anyway.
First Start Against Giants.
Edwards is gambling on Youel
because the Giants never have seen
the corn-fed Iowan closer than
from the grandstand. Owen, rated
one of the slickeSt defensive coaches
in the senior pro circuit, seems to
have Baugh's number. He figures
Sammy can't run and when Baugh
passes Owen simply pulls his de-
fenses back to stop the threat of a
pay-of pitch. Sam can pitch the
short ones from now to doomsday
for all Steve cares.
But Youel can run, throw and
kick. He isn't in Bill Dudley's class
as a ball carrier and he doesn't
measure up to Baugh on short
passes or punts. But in all-around
ability he has an edge on both. He'll
be genuine threat every second
Washington has the ball and Owen
may have to revamp his plans
hurriedlv if the younester gets hot.
Edwards, too. is depending on
Steve Bagarus for an encore Of last
years performance which left the
Giants limp and red-faced. Most
of the season the skeedaddle kid has
been hobbled with a groin injury, a
hurt that can put him out of action
instanter, but he seemed ready for
action when the Tribe wound up
practice at College Park.
Giants Always Trouble Spot.
New York always is trouble spot
for the Skins. 1t was here, two years
ago, that field goal by Joe AgtIirTe
was ruled out, leaving the Tribe
with a 3-point deficit instead of
1916 tie. The year before Bill Pa
schal burst through the middle and
steamed Sc yards for the winning
score in a 14-10 duel.
TOUGHEST memory, of course, is the
1889 game in which Redskin "Bo"
RusseI's last-second field goal was
ruled out by Referee Bill IIalloran.
On the other side of the ledger is
the 1887 game in which the Skins
swamped the Giants, 49-14, with Cliff
Battles galloping 215 yards on 16
trips with the ball. Battles feat
still stands as a league record.
More than 5000 Redskin fans
were headed for the Polo Grounds,
bent on roofing their fayorites into
a playoff at Washington. If that
happens the league championship
games will be played December %
in the home park of the Eastern
winner.
In the only other National League
games scheduled tomorrow, Green
Bay meets the Rams at Los Angeles,
the Philadelphia Eagles wind up
their season against the red hot Bos-
ton Yanks, and the Bears collide
with Detroit. None has any bear
ing on the divisional races.