Our Problem is simple...Ride Clinton Portis

[21cents]

Run the ball. How did we start out that 6-1 start last season? we ran with clinton portis.

How did we manage to loose majority of our games 2nd half of 2008? poor running because of the injured oline.

So far this season our oline has been run blocking very poorly. We need to find a way to get the running game going and the wins will come. Also the redzone problems this season has alot to do with Portis not having the holes to get those tds. Portis is a guy we can depend on getting double digit tds a year. Without his rushing tds the offense doesnt put up points. This season we have yet to score a rushing td. Our oline this year reminds me of 2004 (Remmember when portis had no room to run for TD). We need to fix this problem asap.

Also note the ability to run the ball gives the redskins the time of possission which enables us to control the game and how our defense plays.


Oline blocking+Running game=Win Games and control the clock

In 2005 when redskins went on that 5-0 finish to make the playoffs they relied on their running game. Clinton Portis rushed for 5 straight 100 yard games to take redskins ino playoffs.

In 2006, redskins needed 4 straight wins to make the playoffs. The team didnt win 4 straight because todd colling came in. The team won because we went back to running the ball and clinton Portis posted 4 straight 100 yard games.



http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/216226/portis.jpg

Theirs a reason Joe Gibbs traded for portis. Gibbs built the team around portis. He has made clinton the center piece of the team. In order to win games we HAVE to ride portis....Thoughts?

Redskins are 21-4 when Clinton Portis rushes over 100 yards. 80% Winning

[FearDaSpear]

Amen. lol

[spjunkies]

Unfortunately Mr. Portis is a mediocre back now.

[Stophovr6]

Portis can't carry this offense anymore.

[MEANDWARF]

Portis can't carry this offense anymore.
Especially with the shakey OL that we have.

[Smurf85]

Unfortunately Mr. Portis is a mediocre back now.

No his o-line is just getting older and slower every year. That's what happens when you don't have any draft picks every year.

[snyderhastrillions]

Yeah lets average 3 yards a carry per game. (not portis fault the oline is just average and he probably has lost a little burst since Denver) The key to this team's long term success on offense is to have better red zone play calling. Run left behind samuels will not always be the answer. What about pitchouts and play action on the goal line? What about doing 5 wide and doing a campbell qb sneak for a td? I mean seriously our offense can move the ball but then we get into the redzone and go into a funk. I do believe it is more of a mental issue than it is a talent issue and mental issues I believe can be fixed quicker than a talent issue. Is our offensive line great? No. This team was 6 points worse than the giants in week 1 so today's loss is not armagedon. Last time I checked you can still reach the playoffs with 2 losses on your record. Do I believe this team has enough talent to win the next 3 games with ease? Yes but if they press too much and worry and fret then they will lose to the bucs. the chiefs, the panthers, and every other team they ever play. This team today lacked attitude, execution, and some poor coaching on defense, which is supposedly the strength of this team.

[jkypoo]

Maybe we can start transporting the team to and from games in a bus that is missing a wheel and has an alignment problem. That will help us get on track...

[s0crates]

Totally agree, but Zorn is a pass happy retard.

[Smurf85]

Totally agree, but Zorn is a pass happy retard.

I don't know if you guys are watching these games or not. Portis couldn't get anything going and we were down all game. They tried to run, but the o-line broke down once again. It's a little hard to run the ball in this league with no blocking up front. Running the ball is not going to help this team. We will just end up losing by more.

[s0crates]

I don't know if you guys are watching these games or not. Portis couldn't get anything going and we were down all game. They tried to run, but the o-line broke down once again. It's a little hard to run the ball in this league with no blocking up front. Running the ball is not going to help this team. We will just end up losing by more.First of all I did watch the game. I noticed that when we tried to establish the run in the second half we were able to score, unlike the first half where we made almost no attempt to run the ball.

Second of all, I know our o-line is not looking that great, but Portis is still averaging about 4 yards a carry. It might help if we actually committed to the run and got into a rhythm.

Seriously though, do you think giving Portis 12 attempts and Campbell 41 attempts is a good game plan? I'd like to see Portis get 25 touches a game, as it is he hasn't even gotten 20 yet. This team is not built to run the west coast dink-and-dunk okie-doke offense. This team is built to run the football.

[No Excuses]

An aging Portis + an offensive line that can't block a sack of potatoes = recipe for disaster.

Running the ball is half the reason we are the butt of all jokes at the moment.

[Laxpunk2006]

In some of these short yardage/obvious run downs I'd like to see Mike Williams come in as a TE. Even if we run the opposite direction if we're already tipping our hand he has to be a better run blocker than Chris Cooley or Fred Davis.

I think as a whole we need to dip deeper into the roster. If we're going to dress 5 RB's (including Sellers) then lets use these guys. Throw a screen to Alridge or let him take a stretch play. Days that Marko gets activated lets see him run a package of plays. I'm not calling for major changes in the starting lineup I'd just ike to see more variety in personell throughout a game. Why not get exotic with some of our defensive fronts?

[Soup]

The Oline can't push the lions for one yard. The redskins can have Peterson back there and they still would have problems moving the ball.

[SirClintonPortis]

FA/Draft targets to 'hunt': RG/RT/C/LT.

[hkHog]

The guy has two bad ankles, Zorn ran him into the ground last year and he is still just too beat up to take us anywhere on his back.

[abdcskins]

I don't know man, our running game has looked pretty damn crappy so far. O-line is mediocre and Portis simply isn't finding the small holes that are available. He looks slower and does not have any type of jukes. I really want Dorsey back.

I refuse to believe that Portis is done at 28 though, which he turned on 9/1. That would make me feel like crap.

[spjunkies]

I don't know man, our running game has looked pretty damn crappy so far. O-line is mediocre and Portis simply isn't finding the holes. He looks slower and does not have any type of jukes.

I refuse to believe that Portis is done at 28, which he turned on 9/1. That would make me feel like crap.

Shaun Alexander was done when he hit 29...

[abdcskins]

Shaun Alexander was done when he hit 29...

Yeah, I guess a lot has to do with the beating that RBs take as they go through their careers. Portis runs hard and does not avoid hits for the most part. It is a young man's game nowadays. The prime of a running back's career is 23-26 in my opinion. It is sad but true. I see it in myself, I am sure that NFL players see it too.

[s0crates]

I don't think Portis is done. If he is though, then so be it, that doesn't change the fact that we need to establish the run. We are never going to win by throwing the ball 40 times a game, at least not with our current roster. I think Zorny is a bit to horny for the pass, and it is ruining our offense.

[hkHog]

I don't know man, our running game has looked pretty damn crappy so far. O-line is mediocre and Portis simply isn't finding the small holes that are available. He looks slower and does not have any type of jukes. I really want Dorsey back.

I refuse to believe that Portis is done at 28 though, which he turned on 9/1. That would make me feel like crap.

Well, last year Zorn did "ride Clinton Portis" (as the OP asks for) right into the ground. He might be able to get better but right now he has bone spurs in both ankles and looks slow. He is too much of a warrior not to play but maybe he should sit for a few weeks to prolong his career.

[Spartacus87]

I don't think Portis is done. If he is though, then so be it, that doesn't change the fact that we need to establish the run. We are never going to win by throwing the ball 40 times a game, at least not with our current roster. I think Zorny is a bit to horny for the pass, and it is ruining our offense. I'd say Portis is pretty close to done. He has about 2,100 career carries, the vast majority of which came in some tough running years here in Washington.

He's only 27 in actual age, but in NFL RB years he's probably a lot closer to the magically dreaded 30.

I know he got some contact through the blocking, but that 4th and goal run today against the Lions in the 1st quarter really needed him to punch it through. He looked like Betts on that play, which is a scary thought.

[iMeast]

Clinton Portis can be your work horse if he has any semblance of an open path. The offensive line has improved when it comes to pass blocking, but the run game has gone to pot.

HTTR

[str8jacket]

It's awfully hard to ride an injured horse, especially when the horsemen blocking are also injured.

[TheItalianStallion]

Portis is still good, but there's only so much that you can do when the Oline sucks at run blocking. The Oline is okay at pass blocking, but now that Thomas is gone, I don't see us getting a whole lot out of our running game.

[polywog999]

Maybe Portis is the problem.

[DiscoBob]

What games have you been watching?

We can't run the ball to save our lives....if 1st & 2nd runs net 2 yards (which happens whenever they run on first and/or second down) you put yourself in bad 3rd and longs....

[Cooley4President]

There are no holes, plain and simple. Coaches have shown that they have NO confidence in the right side of our line, and the left side isn't doing much either. Running the ball is the answer, but just blindly handing the ball off more isn't.

[PlayAction]

I don't think Portis is done. If he is though, then so be it, that doesn't change the fact that we need to establish the run. We are never going to win by throwing the ball 40 times a game, at least not with our current roster. I think Zorny is a bit to horny for the pass, and it is ruining our offense.

The WCO is more pass happy than the old Skins offense. While I agree it would be nice to establish the run I don't think the Skins can do it anymore. The OL is no longer a run blocking line. Heyer is a better pass blocker than run blocker. We have a rookie at RG. Samuels is old and nursing knee injuries. Dockery doesn't appear to have "it" anymore. Portis doesn't have any holes to run through but is also worn down from all the carries under Gibbs/Saunders/Zorn. Betts is 30. Bottom line----the Skins have neither the OL nor the RB to effectively establish the running game.

Worse, the Skins don't have enough viable weapons in the passing game to be effective with a pass happy offense. The three second round pass catchers have yet to do enough to justify their draft positions.

[hobie-k]

Have you lost your marbles?

Portis is done. He might have a good break here or there....but he is not and never will be what he was when he came here. Right now, running is not an option. If we can salvage anything this year (which is highly doubtful)...we need to air it out. And Moss showed he can make plays yesterday if the ball is thrown to him. What a complete waste of talent-he'd be a star receiver if he was elsewhere. All these guys would.

[PorkSkins]

The real problem is we haven't had a 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 back since Stephen Davis. Fat Albert used to play TE in High School. He wants to play offense. Put him in at H-Back on 4th and 1 and let him run the ball. He can fall forward for one yard. I'll say it again for the upteenth time on ES, we will NEVER win a game riding JC's passing. Since we are not a threat to go long, teams are stacking the box on defense. It's kind of hard to run when you are matching 5 OL against 9 defensive players.

[Mr. Blitz]

Love Portis..... but he is now a broken down back.

[ntotoro]

Portis is finished. RB's at 28 don't just suddenly stop getting nagging injuries and pick up speed, especially when they get the amount of touches Portis does.

[zoony]

Is our problem simple, or is our solution simple?

....

[Voice_of_Reason]

Portis has lost his burst and is no longer committed and is out of shape. You can see that in him physically.

The OL can't run block.

Amazingly, the 'Skins are moving the ball primarily through the air. They've transformed from a run first team to a pass first team.

Doesn't matter what they do, they have to be able to score more points.

Don't run left on goal line plays. Should be a 15 yard penalty for stupidity at this point.

[MattFancy]

I dunno why CP hasn't had 20 carries in a game yet. How did he only have 12 yesterday??? We go as Portis goes and so far we haven't gone very far.

[Mursilis]

I don't know man, our running game has looked pretty damn crappy so far. O-line is mediocre and Portis simply isn't finding the small holes that are available. He looks slower and does not have any type of jukes. I really want Dorsey back.

I refuse to believe that Portis is done at 28 though, which he turned on 9/1. That would make me feel like crap.

I agree that Portis isn't quite "done" in this league, but he's no longer at the elite level where he can still be effective with mediocre blocking. Between the weak O-line play and the fact our passing game (especially the deep passing game) isn't scaring anyone and backing off the safeties, CP is getting little support and the running game is easy to stuff.

[Robbnva]

I think I heard on the radio this morning, skins have the oldest average age of any team in the NFL

Portis is hurt and won't be productive.

gotta give alridge a chance to see if he can do anything cause we need some explosiveness in our backfield

[Burgold]

Portis is not the answer. He falls without contact at this point. He can't break a tackle, can't cut, and can only gain exactly what's there. There was an old football rule (usually said about punt returners) that the runner must make one guy miss. Portis has been incapable of doing that this season. This team gets more negative and one yard runs than any other.

Is that Portis' fault? Yes.
Is it the O line's fault? Yes.
Is it the coach's fault? Yes.
Is it to the opposing D's credit? NO. If every team has the same exact result and make our run look that pathetic and weak, then it's us and not them. We are a pathetic run team.

[cphil006]

Run Portis Run

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I think the best approach for us is to go shotgun every play.

We can't run for ****. And Campbell is actually pretty good out of the shotgun.

[skinznsoxrox]

Here are the facts: We are 21 and 4 when Portis gets 100+ yards. We are 14 and 32 when he does not get 100.
Even in 2006 when Betts replaced him, we were 3-3 with Betts when he got 100+ and 0-2 when he didn't. The back does not necessarily have to be Portis in order for us to have a shot to win!!!
It really is not that hard to see that in order for this team to be effective, they need to establish the run. Campbell is clearly not going to go out and win very many games for us on his own, but he will not lose them either.
If this team is ever going to be successful, they need to establish the run early, often, and unpredictably.
We all know that the line is old and wearing down, so it is beyond time to invest in some new offensive line help.
Now if only Danny and Vinny could see this. :doh:

[skinfan2k]

We dont have the same line as we did in 2006 and 2005. That was a top 3 line.

[Spartacus87]

The fact that Portis couldn't punch it in on that 4th and goal play from about 2 or 3 yards out in the 1st quarter said everything fans already had a feeling about, but just don't want to face.

Portis is pretty much done.

If next year has no cap, clearing guys like Portis and Moss off the books could be a pretty good idea.

[TotalRecall]

I guess you didn't hear...people age. Portis is not getting 30 carries a game, because he will get banged-up again and will be useless by the second half of the season.

[Stew]

I dont think our O-line is as good as it was last year... sad but true. I think that the one thing that can help our O-line is getting out from behind it faster. Que Alridge.... oh wait, he was inactive.