By Al Hailey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Dec. 1, 1940; Page 18

Before getting down to the subject of Davey O'Brien, it might be a good idea to mention that the Redskins won themselves the Eastern Division championship of the National Football League yesterday but in winning they were overshadowed by the inspired play of the lowest team in the league — the Philadelphia Eagles.

Two touchdown forays — the first climaxed by a 26-yard dash by Wilbur Moore in the second quarter and the second topped off by Dick Todd with a 5-yard utback through the Eagles' middle — gave the Redskins a 13-6 victory, but the glory was all O'Brien's.

With the most amazing forward passing exhibition ever seen in Griffith Stadium, the 151-pound Philadelphia quarterback put the Redskins in the shade and stole the hearts of 25,838 fans who turned out to see the Skins with their ninth victory over the season to securely tie up the Eastern championship.

O'Brien, who only Thursday passed his team to its first victory in ten games this year, astounded the customers by playing 59 minutes 43 seconds and averaging a pass a minute.

The 5 foot 7 product of Texas Christian University, who today joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation, threw 60 passes, completing 31 of them for a new world's completion record in a single game — a mark which surpasses by ten the record broken by Washington's Sammy Baugh in Brooklyn against the Dodgers.

His passes piled up a total of 314 yards, which breaks the old record of ground gained through the air set by Pat Coffee with the Chicago Bears in 1937.

While O'Brien was the man of the hour and just about the entire Philadelphia offense, his former teammate at T.C.U., rookie End Don Looney had a starring role. Looney was on the receiving end of 14 O'Brien passes for a total that surpasses the all-time pass-receiving record for a single game by 5.

It was O'Brien's final appearance on a football field as a professional player, and he celebrated the occasion by passing the Eagles to a fourth period touchdown and throwing more balls than anyone has ever thrown in a single game in the history of the National League.

But despite O'Brien's great aerial circus, the Redskins managed to bring down to earth every scoring threat but for that 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter.

Todd Prevents Tie
In staving off the insipred goal rushes of the sadly undermanned Philadelphia club, Redskins had to rise to their greatest defensive heights, for O'Brien's passes all over the field had the Washington linesmen and backers up in constant sweat.

It was Dick Todd who saved the Redskins from the ignominy of what might have been a tie.

The Eagles had pushed down to the Redskins' 24-yard line and there were but 43 seconds to play when O'Brien started one of his famous backward marches to get set for a pass. He eluded a tackler, spotted End Joe Wendlick running madly to a yard of the goal line and tossed a perfect one that landed just inside the end zone.

Great Ovation
Wendlick turned to make the catch, but Todd came in with an almost super-human leap to break it up. O'Brien's next effort was a short pass which Rookie Steve Andrako batted down followed by a fourth down pass which netted no yardage at all, and as the Redskins took the ball he left the game to the roar of probably the biggest ovation ever given a pro player at Griffith Stadium.

By their victory the Redskins finished a full game ahead of the Dodgers, whose 14-6 victory over the New York Giants yesterday would have placed them in a tie with the Skins for the Eastern Championship had the Eagles come through with an upset.

Out in the Western Division the Chicago Bears rode triumphantly into supremacy by beating the Chicago Cardinals, 31-23, thereby making it the Redskins versus the Bears in Griffith Stadium next week for the world's professional championship.

Skins Cautious
Playing cautiously to protect their one-touchdown championship winning lead, the Redskins were entirely outclassed in the final quarter and for 15 minutes were unable to get outside of their 40-yard line.

Just as the Eagles were unable to penetrate Redskin territory at all until late in the second quarter, the Redskins couldn't get to first base after Baugh climaxed third-quarter action with a record-smashing 85-yard kick from scrimmage — the longest kick in pro football history.

It was this kick traveling from the Redskin 13 to the Eagle 2-yard line, where Todd downed it, that set the Eagles' touchdown drive off — a drive that turned out to be the longest sustained march of the year in the National League.

O'Brien Intercepts
The Redskins had done all the scoring they seemed to want to do earlier in the game and were merely intent on stopping O'Brien.

Set back in the first quarter when O'Brien intercepted Baugh's pas to Malone on his 22-yard line and ran it down the field 50 yards only to lose the ball on a fumble as Dick Farman tackled him, the Redskins' second scoring gesture was halted when Bob Masterson's fumble bounced right into the arms of Eagle Halfback Elmer Kolberg.

It was not until Todd took Kolberg's punt on his 38, returned to the 45 and then ran it up to the 50 at the end of the first quarter that the Skins could get moving.

Moore Scores
With a new line in front, Rookie Backs Roy Zimmerman and Bob Seymour took over and quickly drove down to the 26, with Zimmerman smashing through the middle for the last 14 yards. The fifth play — a reverse from Zimmerman to Moore — brought the Redskins their first touchdown. Moore swept wide running hell bent for leather toward the left sideline, twisted out of the grasp of Jay Arnold and went across the goal line behind a screen of interferers.

Rookie Sandy Sandford's kick went wide and the Redskins were shakily out in front, 6 to 0.

The second Redskins score came after the Eagles had moved down to the Redskins 41 and George Somers' field goal attempt went wide. Starting from their 20 with four minutes of the second half gone the Redskins called on Todd for a little duty and he obliged with a 3-yard starter and then a 17-yard sprint wide around his right end.

Near-Perfect Reverse
Todd then carried 6 more on a short reverse, lost a yard, but then picked up 5 of them on the next try. A pass, Baugh to Malone over the middle, gained 9 more yards and then the Redskins worked a near-perfect reverse.

It was Baugh to Ed Justice, and Justice swept around his left side behind three Redskins interferers for 28 yards to the Eagle 8. Again, the ball went to Todd, and Dodgin' Richard ploughed through the middle for 4. He was slammed hard on the next play for a 2-yard loss, but when the ball came to him again on a reverse from Baugh, he felt his way along behind the line until a hole gaped in the right side of the Eagle line. Masterson's placekick went squarely through the bars and into the laps of the Washington and Lee football team in temporary stands in front of the bleachers.

Eagles Begin March
That was the last Redskin move toward a score, but as the fourth quarter opened it appeared that they might have another very shortly. The Eagles were backed up to their goal on the 2-yard line as a result of Baugh's 85-yard kick but here's where things began to happen.

Twelve times O'Brien back-pedalled out of the reach of Redskin tacklers and passed, and ten times he connected. The first two — to Looney and Franny Murray moved the ball only to the 10, but on the next play, Lil' Davey decided to run when he was rushed and got through the mass to his 17.

His longest toss of the drive followed — a 38-yard heave to Looney, who was out in the clear streaking down the left sideline. Only the cagey running of Erny Pinckert saved the day at that time.

Pinckert Catches Up
Pinckert was the last man with a chance of catching the flying Looney, and when he overtook him from across the field he didn't try to make the tackle but ran past the Eagle end to turn him back inside. As Looney halted to cut back, three Redskin tacklers piled on him.

It proved to be a futile effort, however, for O'Brien kept right on passing over and around the Redskins until the Eagles were at the Indian 14. Thrown for a 5-yard loss by Red Morgan, O'Brien on the next play sent Frank Emmons right down into Morgan's territory and passed to him for the touchdown.

Emmons caught the pass on the Redskin 3 with Morgan literally hanging on his neck and squirmed away for the score. Franny Murray's placement kick was blocked by Andrako and Bo Russell.

While the game was unofficially a "Turk Edwards-Ernie Pinckert Day" affair, the cheers were all for O'Brien yesterday. Pinckert and Edwards, who this year were playing their ninth season with the Redskins, were honored at a between-the-halves ceremony in which Edward M. Curran, District attorney, presented them with silver service sets as a token of the appreciation of Washington fans. Both Pinckert and Edwards will be back with the Redskins next year, however.