Show Payoff Coming Up Rival Pro t Leagues Set Sett For Title Tilts Sunday By Will ill NEW YO YORK K Dec 13 OB Pro UP-Pro- Pro Professional football presents its grand climax the climax the championship playoffs playoffs next next Sunday with the Chicago Cardinals and Cleveland Browns strongly favored to retain titles in their respective leagues The Cardinals will invade Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Phila Phila- delphia to dispute the National league crown with the Eagles Eagles Eagles-a a repeat of the 1947 finale The Browns will be host to the Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo falo Bills at Cleveland in the All All- America conference e decider The Cardinals and Bills warmed up for the occasion Sunday by staging last gasp rallies to capture divisional honors The Thc Cards scored two touchdowns touchdowns touch touch- I downs during a six-minute six spurt in inthe inthe i the last period to turn back their rivals the Bears 24 21 and to clinch western section honors Buffalo Bufalo exploded 2 21 points in in the last 15 minutes to quell Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Balti Balti- more 28 17 for the eastern title in the All Amen ca A turnout of at Baltimore witnessed the playoff game the first in the young conference The Philadelphia Eagles who had already clinched the National leagues league's eastern title subdued Detroit 45 21 just as a matter of final emphasis and closed their slate with nine victories two defeats defeats defeats de de- de- de feats and a tie lie This looks rather unimposing beside the remarkable record hung up by the Chicago champions The Cardinals won 11 games and dropped only one that earlier in inthe inthe inthe the year to the Bears The Cards donned tennis shoes to whip the Eagles 28 21 on frozen Chicago turf in the playoff game last year Then just by way of showing this wasn't an accident the champions conquered the Continued on Following Page Playoffs Next Pro Grid Loops Square OffIn OffIn Off OffIn In Final Tills Continued From Preceding Page Eagles 21 14 in the first game of the 1948 season their season their only meeting meeting meeting meet meet- ing during the regular run Vital won lost figures if it nothing else also make Cleveland an overwhelming choice over Buffalo Buffalo falo The Browns Broods who defeated the New York Yankees for the championship championship championship cham cham- the thc last two years shouldered shouldered shouldered dered majestically through 14 straight games to take the A A C western division crown The Buffalo Bills tied with Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Balti Balti- more for the eastern lead merely by breaking even even seven seven victories and seven defeats This necessitated necessitated necessitated the extra game Ray Mallouf the Cards' Cards second string quarterback furnished the I spark for the champions' champions two opportune OPportune opportune op OP- scoring thrusts in the last period His eye dead-eye heaving lit the fuse for an yard 85 march that whittled the Bears' Bears advantage to 21 2117 Then he completed a short pass to Charlie to set up the thermal final marker Elmer Angsman sm smashed shed 12 yards for the clincher Pat Harder the Cards' Cards upright upright- splitter ran his extra point conversions conversions conversions con con- versions to 53 straight with one after each of the three touchdowns and kicked a first period field goal that proved the winning margin mar mar- gin The Bears led by freshman Johnny Lujack who completed 15 of 24 21 passes for yards moved to the Cards' Cards yard 13 line in the final quarter only to have a Sid Luckman pass Intercepted by Red Cochrane in the thc end zone The Buffalo-Baltimore Buffalo tilt ended with a discordant note A large part of the crowd swarmed around Judge Tommy Whelan after the game and the president of the Colts Robert C. C Embry made an unofficial protest to League President President President dent Jonas Ingram Embry complained that a bad decision by one of the officials cost Baltimore the game There was a storm of protest from the Baltimore partisans when Johnny Menus MelIus of the Colts leaped on a loose ball only to have it ruled an incomplete pass rather than a fumble Baltimore was leading 17 14 at the time |