Evening star., 1947-09-29
Redskins Drop Avery.
De Fruiter, Gaffney
After 45-42 Loss

By Lewis F. Atchison

Waivers were asked today on three
Redskin veterans as club official!
moved swiftly in the wake of yes.
terday's 45<42 defeat by Philadel'
phia to bolster a wobbly defense
Don Avery, 255-pound tackle, re-
garded as a fixture In the line, ant
Halfbacks Bob DeFruiter and jim
Gaffney were dropped. If no
claimed by another National Foot
ball League club within the 49,
hour limit, they will be assigned t,
the Wilmington Clippers Of th'
American League or released out
right.
The action indicated that botl
President George Marshall ant
Coach Turk Edwards are ready tt
burn down the wigwam If necessary
to put some fire in the squad
Marshall did not say where HI
would look for replacements, blu
emphasized that he was ready tt
make any trade or purchase tha'
would help the Tribe. Aggressive
ness will be a prime requisite fol
sticking with the team this year.
II don't mind honest mistake!
when a player is trying to do hi.
BEST" he said, "but we will insist or
having a fighting team"
Lethargic Attitude.
Edwards, plainly disappointed by
the setback, which came on his 40th
birthday anniversary, confirmed
that the lethargic attitude of the
three players was the only~reason
for dropping them. He had counted
heavily on them, especially Avery
who on occasions has performed
brilliantly for the Redskins. Gaff-
ney seemed to hit his stride in a pre-
season game against Detroit al
Denver, but didn't measure up de.
fensively against the Eagles yester.
day. De Fruiter's loose defensive
play against passes also was blamed
for his release. Probably the tastes
man on the club, De Fruiter was 9
key man in the aerial defense.
Avery, ironically, threw one Of the
key blocks in Eddie SaenZ's 94-yard
touchdown run with the opening
kickoff of the second half of yester-
days game. But on other occasions
the big fellow was as helpless as the
rest of his mates against a bruising
Philadelphia attack sparked by
Steve Van Buren, and Bosh Prit-
chard.
Seven minutes, three at the very
beginning and four at the tail-enc
Of the game, decided the Redskins
fate. In the SO intervening minutes
the teams waged a dizzy but spec.
tacular battle that finally added ur
to record National League score
The 81 points tailed erased the ole
mark of 10 manufactured by Greer
Bay (55) VS.. The Chicago Cardinals
(24), November /, 1912.
Field Goal Is Margin.
Exactly minutes and Al seconds
after the start of the game Joe
Muha booted a 40-yard field goal fol
what proved to be the Eagles margin
of victory. -Four minutes from the
finish the Redskins chalked up Their
sixth touchdown and seemed to have
an excellent chance of winning. But
Philadelphia not only held the bal
for those four, precious minutes
thereby baking any chance Of an
other Washington score, but actually
moved 81 yards through the line
from its own % to the Tribes %
where the game ended.
Washington's hero - again - was
Sammy Baugh, who completed 81
of "a passes under some unbelievable
circumstances. Jim Youel's screen
pass to Jack Jenkins for 9 yards in
the second period was the only Red
skin throw not credited to Baugh
Sammy's whip-like tosses accounted
for 364 yards and the Tribe had
net gain of only 387 yards.
Sharing the spotlight with the
veteran slingshot was tall, willowy
Hugh Taylor, rookie end, who
snagged three touchdown passes and
was hauled down scant four yards
from another after making beau
(See REDSKINS, Page A-190