Evening star., 1949-12-12
Bears Miss NFL Title,
But Lujack Winds Up
With His Best Day
by the Assoejotsd Press

WIN IT'D OVSI OUy
BY the As.oeiatsd Press
There's never been much ques-
ton about Johnny Lujack being
a fine replacement for Sid Luck
man as quarterback Of the Chi
cago Bears. but a look at this
former Notre Dame stars per-
formance against the Chicago
Cardinals yesterday dispels any
lingering doubts.
Lujack had his best day in two
years with the Bears. setting
National Football League record
for yards gained passing in one
game and otherwise taking some
of the edge off the disappoint-
ment the Bears felt in missing
the leagues Western Division
championship. The Bears went
into the Wrigley Field game need
ing a victory to take the division
title if the Washington Redskins
could whip the Los Angeles Rams.
The Redskins failed after the
Bears did their part well by trim
ming the Cardinals, 1921, as Lu-
jack pitched for six touchdowns
and. with Paul Christman Of the
Cardinals. put on the finest
aerial show seen in Wrigley Field.
Sixth Straight for Bears.
It was the Bears sixth straight
victory after slow start and gave
them a 9-3 season record, but
Lujack's performance outshone
everything else.
His six touchdown passes were
one short of the NFL record set
by Luckman against the Giants
at New York in 1943. And Johnny
nearly had three more touchdown
pitches. Julie Rykovich fumbled
on the 1-yard line after taking a
12-yard aerial, and Ken Kava-
naugh twice was brought down
from behind near the goal when
apparently touchdown bound with
Lujack heaves.
Altogether Lujack completed "a
of 40 tossed for 468 yards. %
yards more than the one-game
record set by Sammy Baugh of
the Redskins against Boston in
1948. His season total of 1888
yards also is the third highest in
NFL history. being topped only
by Baugh's 1888 and Luckman's
2.7l2. both earned in 1947.
Christman. who announced Sat-
urday that this was his final game,
bowed out in grand style and If
he hadn't been playing on the
same field with Lujack he would
have rnerited most of the atten-
ton. The Cardinals completed 10
of 81 aerials for $50 yards, with
Christman passing for all three
touchdowns with tosses Of 3. 40
and 10 yards. Fullback Pat Har-
der kicked all three Cardinal extra
points to tie Gene Roberts of the
Giants for the years scoring lead
ership with 102 points. Roberts
went scoreless against the Eagles
yesterday.
Van Buren Boosts Record.
The Eagles, who locked up their
third consecutive Eastern division
title two weeks ago and now seek
a second straight NFL champion
ship, merely made their 1949 rec
ord more impressive u1-1-O by
busting of the New York Giants,
1913. Some. 21,022 spectators at
Philadelphia saw the Eagles Steve
Van Buren, boost his season
ground-gaining record to 1,146
yards by adding SO more against
the Giants.
The Pittsburgh Steelers ousted
the Giants from second place in
the Eastern section by blanking
the weak New York Bulldogs, 27-0.
The Green Bay Packers, Ma
tional League kingpins three
straight years from 1929 through
1881, again afforded evidence of
how the. mighty have fallen.
They lost their finale to Detroit,
21-7. winding up the campaign
with q 2-l0 record.