This week’s Flashback Friday details the 1943 game between the Washington Redskins faced the Detroit Lions in front of a home crowd of over 35,000 at Griffith Stadium A game that featured Washington Redskins Hall of Fame quarterback ‘Slingin’ Sammy Baugh intercepting four passes and throwing four touchdown passes in the same game.
Sammy Baugh Picks Off, And Throws 4 Passes
Sammy was the NFL’s top passer while also starring as a defensive halfback and punter for Washington. No one has ever matched his performance from that day. Several players have had four interception games, including current Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, but none of those same players played on both sides of the ball and excelled to the point Baugh did.
Baugh’s four picks against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 14, 1943, was only part of his big day. The Redskins star led his team to a 42-20 win on a chilly day in Washington by also throwing four touchdown passes and continually pinning the Lions deep in their own end with his quick, accurate punts.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions (3-5-1) | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 20 |
| Washington Redskins (5-0-1) | 7 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
Scoring
| DET | WAS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Redskins | Bob Masterson 10 yard pass from Sammy Baugh (Bob Masterson kick) | 0 | 7 |
| 2nd | Redskins | Bob Seymour 28-yard pass from Sammy Baugh (Bob Masterson kick) | 0 | 14 |
| Redskins | Lou Rymkus 21 yard interception return (Bob Masterson kick) | 0 | 21 | |
| 3rd | Redskins | Bob Masterson 10 yard pass from Sammy Baugh (Bob Masterson kick) | 0 | 28 |
| Lions | Jack Matheson 22 yard pass from Frankie Sinkwich (kick failed) | 6 | 28 | |
| 4th | Redskins | Andy Farkas 41-yard rush (Joe Aguirre kick) | 6 | 35 |
| 3rd | Lions | Frankie Sinkwich 39 yard interception return (Augie Lio kick) | 13 | 35 |
| 4th | Lions | Bill Callihan 40-yard pass from Frankie Sinkwich (Augie Lio kick) | 20 | 35 |
| Redskins | Joe Aguirre 4-yard pass from Sammy Baugh (Joe Aguirre kick) | 20 | 42 |
Team Stats
| DET | WAS | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 10 | 12 |
| Rush-yards-TDs | 21-80-0 | 29-106-1 |
| Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT | 13-34-170-2-5 | 18-30-180-4-2 |
| Sacked-yards | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Net pass yards | 170 | 180 |
| Total yards | 250 | 286 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2-1 | 2-0 |
| Turnovers | 6 | 2 |
| Penalties-yards | 8-75 | 6-60 |
Passing, Rushing, & Receiving
| Passing | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tm | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | |
| Sammy Baugh | WAS | 18 | 30 | 180 | 4 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
