Evening star., 1948-10-18
Great Performance
Here Makes Eastern
Flag Seem Cinch
by Lewis +. Atchison

street-sweepers cleaning up after a
carnival, the Philadelphia Eagles
today were firmly established as
odds-on favorites to retain their
Eastern title in the National Foot
bali League. The final count was
$50 and the figures clearly indicate
the margin between the teams.
But it will be at least two weeks be-
fore even the bravest forecaster at
tempts to call the order of finish.
Boston's upset Of Pittsburgh yester-
day and New York's outburst against
the Cardinals in a record breaking
scoring spree were storm warnings
that mean rough voyaging ahead for
everybody.
Philadelphia lost Tommy Thomp-
son, star passer and field general,
who received a shoulder separation
on the last play Of the first half
yesterday. With the Bears due in
Philly next Sunday the Eagles will
need him like set of molars In q
steak house. The letdown in their
second-half attack was noticeable,
for with Bill Mackrides running
things the visitors scored only 81
points. They chalked up "a under
Thompson.
Amazingly enough, Greasy Meals
gang couldn't distinguish between
the Giants and Tribe, walloping
both by identical 45-0 counts.
Comparing scores made one-at
least one observer-believe the
Eagles were only IA points better
than the Skins. That diagnosis was
correct for one period. Unfor-
tunately for the Tribe, the rules
required three more quarters.
Crown Looks Cinch.
The Eagles should be shoo-in
for the crown. Name your poison
and they had it, beginning with
Steve Van Buren. Easily the best
running back in pro football,
the Bayou blockbuster was COM
pletely recovered from the charley
horse that slowed him down in the
first three games. An antitank trap
couldn't have stopped him yeSter-
day. Van Buren scored three times.
Bosh Pritchard and Joe Muha
lived up to advance notices, but a
lot of guys the Skins hadn't heard
of were turned loose against EN-
and it hurt. They pounced on the
Tribe like wolves on 'venison, going
80 yards and then 70 for touch
downs the first two times their side
got the ball.
The Eagles had a line yesterday
that compared favorably with any
thing the Bears. Cards or Redskins
ever had in their heyday. Frank
Kilroy was here. there and every
where, usually with a crowd of COM
panions. They acted in a rowdy
manner. jumping unsuspecting Red
skin ball carriers at every opportun-
ity. They racked up the Redskin
line but good. Now and then Tribe
linemen, like Johnny Sanchez on
one occasion when he summarized
under the middle and stopped Van
Buren, came up with a good play,
but it didn't happen often enough.
Thompson Starts Early.
Thompson, who completed II of
his II throws for ITO yards, pitched
bis one touchdown pass to Pete
Pihos less than three minutes after
the start. WIN Buren,, whosrolled I'D
80 yards on short stabs through the
line and outside tackle, went over
from the 3-yard line less than two
minutes before the end of the initial
period and the rout was on.
=. Tom Mont saved the Skins another
six-pointer by knocking down
1hompson's peg to Pritchard on the
goal line early in the second period.
But Patton, who booted all the extra
points for the Eagles, kicked a 23-
yard field goal to keep the heat on.
Van Buren scored again from the
3-yard line, climaxing a 68-yard
march on which Noble Doss, lanky
Texan, was introduced to the Red
skins. Patton added, the extra point
to make it 24-0 at the half. At that
point the Polish-American Mummers
band came on the field to make the
day a complete triumph for Phila-
delphia.
Pritchard's 32-yard jaunt to pay
dirt added to the mounting score
at the start of the third period. It
followed a weak punt by Dick Poll
lon that skithered out on the Tribe s
own 44-yard stripe. Alex Wojcie-
choWicz set up the Eagles next score
by recovering Nussbaumer's tumble
on Washington's 37-yard line. Van
Buren ran over Mont for the final
7 yards.
Dick Humbert intercepted Sammy
Baugh's pass to start the final scor-
ing march, planting the ball on the
Tribes 47-yard line. Steele scored
on a 4-yard reverse around the end.
EXTRA Po1NTs-sammy Baugh
completed II of 20 passes for l16
yards =. Bob Nussbaumer, with "a
yards on three tries, was the Red
skins leading ground-gainer .
Don Corbitt, Redskin reserve CEN
ter, received broken arm in the
second half and will be out the re-
mainder of the season George
Savitsky, Eagle tackle who was
knocked cold in the last period, may
have suffered fractured vertebrae
. he dressed and left with the
squad for Philadelphia where
X-rays will be made today :.
Redskin Coach Turk Edwards spent
the afternoon on the roof top, main
tanning communication with the
bench via telephone he was not
trying to get away from 1t all, but
merely had better view of the
proceedings.