Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-15
Redskins Strength
Doubtful, but Morale
Is High for Rams
By Lewis 7. Atchison
Ssur stoff Correspondent

LOS ANGELES. Aug. 1.-THE
Redskins may not be quite ready
to meet the powerful Los Angeles
Rams here Wednesday night in
the ninth annual preseason
game sponsored BY the Los
Angeles Times for Charity, but
pros from the Nations Capital
will give it the old college try.
Morale is good. OF their six
exhibition games with league op.
ponents. the Redskins veterans
would rather win this one more
than any other. The Rams have
won the last three for q 5-3 edge
in the series and. think what you
win about the preseason games.
they take pride in beating the
Redskins.
There are too many question
marks about the Redskins as
they taper on for the game. It
remains to be seen whether Jack
Scarbath and AL Dorow can
supply pro brand Of passing
at quarterback. and whether the
ground offense has IMPROVED.
Then. too. there Is the matter
Of depth in all positions.
Consistency Is Doubtful.
Scarbath and Dorow rate aces
high with their teammates, but
the football experts visiting the
training camp wonder If they
are consistently accurate enough
with their passes to take .
pro team into contention for
the championship.
The Redskins have one break
way runner in Billy Wells Of
Michigan State, and another sit
ting on the bench in Scooter
Scudero from San Francisco.
Charlie Justice looks as good
as he did last year, when he
was among the leagues leading
ground-gainers. and Bob Goode
rambles like his old self at full
back. Paul Barry seems to have
regained his old form at half
back and should be improved
over last year. But the men
standing behind them, mostly
rockies, are INFESTED.
The team has no outstanding
punter. but the signing Of Ben
Agajanian, 35-year-old former
Rams place-kicker, may solve
the kickoff problem and give the
team a three-point punch inside
the .opposition's 40-yard line.
Line Reserves Weak.
The Redskins line, extensively
and defensively, is big. It can
stand up with that Of the Rams,
but if there is a break in ranks
caused by injuries. there is no
telling what may happen. The
gap is big between the first and
second-stringers.
Added to this is the fact that
not everybody is in perfect ply
steal condition. A number Of
bay windows are noticeable,
among the linemen in particular,
and q player who doesn't get in
condition in camp doesn't get in
shape at all. n
The Rams had two good ex-
hihition games and won both.
Their Improvement in the sec
ond was marked. They look
ready physically. Maybe they'll
run out Of gas in November or
December, but they pointed for
this game and apparently are
on the target.
In Norm Van Brocklin, the
Los Angeles club has a veteran
quarterback Of championship
stature. The Dutchman does
everything and does it well and
he was the leagues second lead
ing paSser last year. Behind
him is Bill Wade, an INFESTED
rookie who won't get q chance
unless the Rams roll up a COM
handing margin.
Rams Are Big and Fast.
The Los Angeles eleven boasts
the leagues second and third
leading ground-gainers in Dea-
con Dan fowler and Skeets
Quinlan. It has big. fast ends.
like Tom Fears and Bob Boyd,
and a line that will come close
to matching the Redskins
weight and possibly have an
edge. in speed.
Tackles are supposed to be the
Rams biggest weakness. with
only Tom Dahms and Charley
Toogood back from last year.
Even so. Coach Hamp Pool has
rockies like big Danny Lipscomb.
q 270-pounder, and 250-pound
George (Spud) Murphy, 900
pounu Alan SCHWARTZ, ana .
couple Of others whose size alone
should make them tough to run
against.
Finally, the Rams will have
three former Redskins in Don
Doll and Hall Haynes from last
years team, and Jack Dwyer.
who was with the Washington
team three years ago, in their
secondary defense. All three rate
high as pass defense men.
On paper, with the game three
days away, 1t seems that the
Redskins will do well to hold the
Rams to q two-touchdown mar
gin. The Redskins don't figure
to win. even though their spirits
are high. A Washington victory