Tony Canadeo, the hard running left half who has gained 235 yards in 39 attempts for an average of six per lug. Fullbacks Walt Schlinkman and Ted Fritsch carry the dynamite at fullback although rookie full Bob Summerhays has been showing promise...WHERE WE DON' T SHINE: The Packers' passing - that's where we don't shine. The Bays were absolutely last in this department, the figure show, having completed only 13 out of 63 attempts for a percentage of 20.6. Just to show you how low that 20.6 is, it can be added that the second low is a lofty 42.3 percent by the Pittsburgh Steelers who never did specialize in passing. The New York Giants have the best percentage of completions, 52.8. The Cardinals, with Paul Christman and Jim Hardy tossing, completed 46.6 percent on 35 receptions out of 75 attempts. The Packers' passing attack is really starting from scratch this season. The quarterbacks failed to complete a single aerial (in 13 attempts) in the opener against the Bears. Business picked up in the Ram game as the Bays clicked on four out of 21 pitches. The passers went wild against the Bulldogs in New York Friday night, making nine out of 30...GIRARD COMPLETES SIX PASSES: Quarterback Jug Girard completed six of the 13 for 119 yards, Stan Heath four for 60, and Jack Jacobs three for 53. Here are the Packer pass completions for the last two games: Rams: (4) Jacobs to Ted Cook, 39 yards; Girard to Bill Kelley, 11; Heath to Kelley, 19; Heath to Kelley, 12. Bulldogs (9): Girard to Cook, 13; Girard to Cook, 51; Girard to Cook, 8, Girard to Nolan Luhn (touchdown), 14; Girard to Dan Orlich, 12; Heath to Girard, 12; Heath to Forte, 17; Jacobs to Ralph Earhart, 13; Jacobs to Forte, minus four. The Packers are banking on their passing attack, which is being worked overtime this week, against the Cardinals. It would seem safe to predict that the Packers could cause plenty of trouble with a "good" passing game to go with their powerhouse running. The backs and ends remained on the practice field an extra half hour Wednesday working air maneuvers. Girard, Heath and Jacobs did the throwing to Cook, Kelley, Luhn and Steve Pritko, the new right end...THROW BOOK AT JOHNSON: The work of Glen Johnson, the 260-pound tackle, brought smiles from Coach Curly Lambeau and Assistants Tom Stidham and Bob Snyder (Aide Charley Brock was at the hospital welcoming a new daughter). The Packer offensive team threw the book at Johnson, playing defensive left tackle, and the big bruiser busted up just about everything coming his way. Besides, he was making tackles on plays down the middle. Guard Joe Etheridge, who has been working with Red Vogds on offense, injured his knee in practice this morning but he'll be ready for the Cards. Back Bob Cifers was running hard, indicating that a groin injury was healing. He may see plenty of duty at right half Sunday.
FRIENDLY CHEERS? THE PACKERS WILL NEED 'EM IN MILWAUKEE
OCT 13 (Green Bay) - The weather will be good' the roads are in excellent shape - and the Packers play in Milwaukee Sunday. Add the three together and you'll get the point of today's mix. The Packers have some serious business at State Fair Park - a transaction that could boost them into a a second place tie in the Western division. The Packers will be meeting the Chicago Cardinals - defending Western division champions who missed their second straight world's title by only 7-0 in that snowball battle in Philly last December. Despite the heartbreaks in two of their three league games this season, the Packers are now tied with the Cardinals in third place - a situation that intensifies Sunday's game. The Packers could use a million friendly cheers Sunday and that's where you fans of Green Bay and Northeastern Wisconsin can help. The Packers figure they've got a better than even chance of upsetting the Red Shirts and thus set the stage for a revenge battle against the Rams out in Los Angeles the following Sunday. It's a good bet that approximately 1,000 fans from Green Bay and the NEW area will travel to Milwaukee Sunday. But why not 5,000 or 6,000! The importance of the game. since the loser will practically out of the running, makes for an excellent weekend of football. The weatherman tells us that excellent fall weather can be expected. The map at left shows you a quick route to Milwaukee. The route, which eliminates travel through the congested part of Beer town, can be covered in two and a half or three hours. Incidentally, the detoured section of Highway 57 below Plymouth is now open and the new blacktop stretch is in excellent shape. One of the unusual sidelights in Milwaukee will be "what goes" on the sidelines. The Cardinals are co-coaches by Buddy Parker and Phil Handler, a couple of sharp Texans, while the Packers are tri-coached by Bob Snyder, Tom Stidham and Charley Brock. Advisory Coach Curly Lambeau placed the field operations of the Packers in charge of this trio last Sept. 30. Parker and Handler took over the Cardinals after the resignation of Jimmy Conzelman, who went into the advertising business after leading the 1947 Cardinals to the championship. Handler and Parker have served 19 and 12 years, respectively, with the Cardinals as players and coaches. Assisting H and P are Dick Plasman, the former Bear end, and Marshall Goldberg, the ex-Cardinal back flash. Goldberg also serves as scout and detected the Packers in three of their last four games. The Bays will bump into an old friend - Bob Nussbaumer, the former Michigan speedster, who played for the Packers in 1946. He went to Washington in the trade that brought Jack Jacobs to Green Bay. Washington sold him to the Cardinals last winter. Nussbaumer, a Chicago boy, is used mostly on defense. The Packers, who snapped a nine-game (league) losing streak by whipping the Bulldogs in New York Friday night, have a chance to break the five-game skein of losses administered by the Cardinals. The Packers had won 15 straight over the Cards before the Bays dropped the nightcap in 1946 by a 24-6 score. The Cardinals nudged the Packers, 14-10 and 21-20, in 1947 and won by counts of 17-7 and 42-7 last fall. The Packers are convinced that next Sunday is the time to end the Cardinal spell. The Packers gained a heap of confidece in New York and, with a break or two in the right direction, they could hand the Reds their third straight lacing. Sunday's game will be the 50th meeting btween the two clubs - the Packers' second-oldest rivalry. The Packers won 29, lost 17 and tied three. This will be a most unusual weekend for our football town since there will be no games played here. East, West and St. Norbert college are out of town in addition to the Packers.
CARDINALS BEWARE! LAMBEAU STILL LEADS THE PACKERS
OCT 13 (Chicago Tribune) - The report that Curly Lambeau had stepped out as coach of the Green Bay Packers was very much exaggerated, something like the announcement of Mark Twain's death. The Cardinals will have to contend with the monsieur from the north Sunday when they meet the Packers in Milwaukee. Curly remains the head coach of the Packers, insists George Strickler, the club's publicity chief, who is in Milwaukee drumming up business for the game. George said that his news release was not followed to the letter and that the interpretation was made by sports reporters that Lambeau had resigned as head coach when he had nothing of the kind. "Curly merely has delegated the field and bench details to his three assistants," explained Strickler. "He has done this because of his confidence in Bob Snyder, Tom Stidham and Charley Brock. This leaves Curly free to do the most important job of the moment - to rebuild the Packers. He'll be on the bench Sunday to lend his steadying influence." The new setup, in which Lambeau's three assistants do the mechanical work on the field and bench, has proved to be a happy arrangement, reports Strickler. Just to be sure that everything's going along smoothly Curly occasionally takes a spin out to the club's training camp at Rockwood Lodge, 16 miles from Green Bay, and breaks bread with the athletes. Through his horn-rimmed spectacles he still pores over scout reports and watches game movies. His three aides have won the confidence of the players, Strickler says. The Packers already have made a few strides in their attempt to bring back the team's luster of other years. Their newest additions are Steve Pritko, veteran end, and Glenn Johnson, a Swedish-Indian tackle from Arizona who had been with the New York Bulldogs. The Packers' old-time fame, of course, was built on their passing attack, a weapon which has been dulled in the past few years. Curly's main chore now is to restore the Packers' air power. The addition of Pritko gives the team four good pass catchers, the others being Nolan Luhn, the stringbean from Tulsa; Ted Cook from Alabama, and Bill Kelley, a rookie from Texas Tech. Coach Snyder is working overtime trying to instill guile and finesse into the youthful quarterbacks, Earl (Jug) Girard and Stan Heath, a couple of Wisconsin products. Jack Lavelle, the New York Giants' veteran scout, after watching Girard and Heath in action against the New York Bulldogs last week, predicted that both would be high powered T formation agents within a year or two. To make room for Pritko and Johnson the Packers dropped Don Wells, an end, and Ed Smith, a halfback. The Packers, who jolted the Bulldogs, 19 to 0, after losses to the Bears and Los Angeles Rams, are confident they'll whip the Cardinals and pass them in the National league's western division standings. "We'll be tough and ready to play a game Sunday," said Co-Coach Phil Handler of the Cards yesterday when he was told the Packers are making pre-victory notes. Ends and other linemen worked yesterday to sharpen their blocking, which was on the sagging side at Philadelphia last week. The backs worked on pass offense. Charley Trippi still was favoring a pulled muscle in his leg, but the coaches said he, and Pat Harder, will play against the Packers.
A CHANGE - GREAT T FORMATION QUARTERBACKS OF ANOTHER ERA GIVE WAY TO NEW
OCT 13 (Milwaukee Journal) - The old order changeth, indeed, speaking of pro football's great quarterbacks. Sid Luckman of the Bears, at 32, has slowed down almost to a walk. It was never more obvious than Sunday in the small part he played against the Rams. Sammy Baugh of the Redskins, at 35, has begun to stumble around, although he can still whip the ball. And Paul Christman of the Cardinals, now 31, now has more bad moments than good in a growing proportion. Only Tommy Thompson of the Eagles, at 31, and Bob Waterfield at the Rams, at 29, among the great T formation quarterbacks of the last decade, still seem to have most of their skill. And the new order? Johnny Lujack of the Bears, at 24, is certainly first. He has proved his greatness beyond any doubt. Of the others who may reach it with him and hold it over a span of years, as Luckman and Baugh did, you can take you pick - Chuck Conerly of the Giants, at 25, Harry Gilmer of the Redskins at 23, Fred Enke of the Lions at 24, Norm Van Brocklin of the Rams at 23, Bobby Layne of the Bulldogs at 22, Frank Tripucka of the Eagles at 22, George Blanda of the Bears at 21 and Jug Girard and Stan Heath of the Packers at 22...JUST A MYTH: Much is made of the fact that football handicappers sometimes pick this or that game right or very close. They are held in a little awe. Not enough is made of the fact, though, that football handicappers pick a lot of more games wrong - and wrong by a mile. Consider just a few games in the National league in the last week. The Cardinals were seven point favorites to beat the Bears a week ago. Score: Bears 17, Cardinals 7. The New York Bulldogs were seven point favorites to beat the Packers Friday night. Score: Packers 19, Bulldogs 0. The Detroit Lions were seven point favorites to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday night. Score: Steelers 14, Lions 7. The Bears were seven point favorites to beat the Rams Sunday. Score: Rams 31, Bears 16. Washington was a 13 point favorite to beat the New York Giants Sunday. Score: New York 45, Washington 35. The Cleveland Browns were one point favorites to beat the Forty-niner Sunday. Score: Forty-niners 58, Browns 28. The Buffalo Bills were six point favorites to beat the Los Angeles Dons Sunday. Score: Los Angeles 42, Buffalo 28. In none of these games did they even pick the winner - and this was not exactly an unusual week. The list could be continued every week. Gottlieb Mahoney, who never saw a football game, could do almost as well...DOUBTFUL CONDITION: What condition the Chicago Cardinals will be in for their game with the Packers at State Fair park Sunday is a matter of speculation. The physical beating they took from the Bears a week ago was a bad one, and the rough game they played against the Eagles Saturday night didn't help. Pat Harder, who didn't play at all against the Eagles, is a doubtful starter here, and Charlie Trippi and Boris Dimancheff both are apt to be below their best level of efficiency. The Cardinals have said little about Harder's injuries. Oh, just a pulled muscle in his side, they have tried to explain. But knowing Harder and his love of the game and how a year ago he had "shots" in his ankle so he could play in the all-star game, this doesn't see right. Harder must have more than a pulled muscle in his side. One story is that he has torn ligaments, another that he has several cracked ribs. Trippi has a chronically bad knee and, while he played most of the time against the Eagles, he wasn't himself. Dimancheff, too, came out of the game with a bad knee. The Cardinals need these three, and without them in good shape, this could be much more of a football game here Sunday, stumbling as the Packers have been, than some folks think.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CHICAGO CARDINALS
OCT 13 (Milwaukee Sentinel-Lloyd Larson) - Looks like a couple of "what's wrong" teams will square off Sunday when the Packers meet the Cardinals at State Fair Park. You see they're asking the question about the Cardinals, too, as a result of the 1947 champions' defeats at the hands of the Bears and Eagles. Which is no source of happiness to the ex-champs, as their spokesman, Publicity Director Eddie McGuire, made very plain Wednesday. "What's wrong with the Cardinals?" Eddie repeated way of kicking off. "Nothing but the darndest string of injuries to key men ever suffered by a pro team. Imagine having a fullback like Pat Harder sitting on the bench for two games. And how about getting along with Charley Trippi, Mal Kutner, Gerrard Ramsey and Elmer Angsman operating at about 50 percent efficiency? That's what happened to us. Anybody who suggests we don't have the finest spirit in the world is crazy. But you can't beat teams like the Bears and Eagles on spirit alone. It takes ball players and their best efforts to boot." But things are looking up for the date with the Packers this weekend. "Most of the boys should be ready to go at top speed," said McGuire. "Harder is particularly anxious to put on a show for the home folks. Boris Dimancheff is the only back definitely out of it. So the Packers can look forward to a rough afternoon."...OLD HOME WEEK FOR CARDINALS: There's an old home week tough to Sunday's game for five of the Cardinals: Harder, Ray Apolskis, pre-war star center at Marquette; Clarence Self, who wound up his Wisconsin halfbacking career last year; Dick Lopefe, ex-Badger tackle and Milwaukee East graduate, and Bob Nussbaumer, who launched his pro career with the Packers. Apolskis seems to be getting better with age, for he's enjoying his greatest season since joining the Cards back in 1941. Self, now being used as a defensive specialist, is doing a surprising job for a man of his height. Speed and desire help balance the books. Nussbaumer, who went to Washington in the Packer deal for Jack Jacobs, also is devoting himself to defensive chores.