Portis looking for more...

[skinfan43]

...production from himself in Saunders' system.

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-53961sy0jun19,0,4305501.story?coll=dp-sports-local

His excitement is certainly evident and warranted:

"Looking around at Brandon Lloyd, (Antwaan) Randle El, looking around at the guys who should have spectacular years along with Santana (Moss) and (Chris) Cooley, they are going to open up a lot for me," Portis said.

"You can't put eight people in the box. If you do, we will bomb you. You would rather give me 20 or 30 (yards) than give them 80."

Makes sense. Combine that logic with Saunders' history of producing top-notch running backs and you'll see why Portis is so giddy about the upcoming season.

[joethefan]

I think defenses will try to put 8 in the box first...then when we show that we can stretch the field not only with Moss but the other two then Portis will get his yardage in my opinion.

I think the only way they can go with 8 in the box is for us to go with a two WR set. Then if Cooley can get out, then the draw play will be a big weapon. for us.

But we have to show that we can be dominant with all three recievers first then they will respect the passing game, allowing portis to do his thing.

[shally]

...production from himself in Saunders' system.

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-53961sy0jun19,0,4305501.story?coll=dp-sports-local

His excitement is certainly evident and warranted:

fewer carries... more yardage... portis should have a perpetual smile on his face this year.. and he should be fresher come the playoffs

[SpicyMcHaggis]

Portis is far and away the player I am looking forward to seeing more next year. He's gonna dominate, and he's gonna let everybody know he's having fun doing it.

[redskinz#1fan]

I think defenses will try to put 8 in the box first...then when we show that we can stretch the field not only with Moss but the other two then Portis will get his yardage in my opinion.

I think the only way they can go with 8 in the box is for us to go with a two WR set. Then if Cooley can get out, then the draw play will be a big weapon. for us.

But we have to show that we can be dominant with all three recievers first then they will respect the passing game, allowing portis to do his thing.


Exactly! Teams aren't just going to come out and give us the respect that we deserve, so they will start off with 8 in the box. So we need to come out and prove to people that if you don't cover our WR's we will burn you deep all day long. Once that happens Portis will hit a hot streak and set the ground on fire. Me must stretch the the field in the beginning to make this whole thing work!

[28thegreat]

"I have to hit some home runs before these people write me off saying I can't do it anymore," Portis said.

"I'm looking forward to a couple of 90 yarders this year."

This sums up my feelings about Portis' year last year...and my hopes for this year. Though he pounded out 1500 yards last year, I never really got the impression that those yards were a threat to other teams. He just didn't break off too many game changers. I am anxious to see how a Saunders offense allows Portis the room to run and let's him become a true threat to change a game with one big run. We were always expecting it, it just rarely came. I know he is capable. Hopefully now we will see it a lot! Also should give opposing defenses fits to know that he can pound it hard as well as break it open.

[redskinz#1fan]

I hope that I can have the feeling that I had when Portis first touched the ball for us as a Redskin. I'm sure everyone remembers what I'm talking about, but if not let me remind you.


It was 9/12 and we were opening at home against the Bucs. Portis took his first handoff as a redskin and took it to the house for 64 yards. I was sitting up in the box seats and nearly fell out of the window, because I was so busy jumping up & down and giving chest bumps.

I had this feeling run through my body at that very moment, that I hadn't felt in a long time. We all know how the rest of that season turned out, but I think that Portis was just giving us a preview of what he was capable of. Now he has a supporting cast around him, so we should see a lot more of his game changing ability.

[thickskin]

I think defenses will try to put 8 in the box first...then when we show that we can stretch the field not only with Moss but the other two then Portis will get his yardage in my opinion.

I think the only way they can go with 8 in the box is for us to go with a two WR set. Then if Cooley can get out, then the draw play will be a big weapon. for us.

But we have to show that we can be dominant with all three recievers first then they will respect the passing game, allowing portis to do his thing.

exactly. just as in the past, the onus will be on the passing game to balance out the offense. our rb and ol are top notch, no one is going to just lay off of them to cover a few short wrs and an over the hill qb. once they fry a few secondaries, which they will, we'll start to see portis chew up yds and clock. i predict this happens sometime in the 3rd quarter of the season, meaning around 30 mins.

[vabeach_skinsfan]

Al Saunders on RB Ladell Betts

"The guy who has had an outstanding camp, and it's not a surprise to me because I watched him play in high school, is No. 46. He's an outstanding football player. I don't know that people realize what a quality player he is. He's a three-dimensional player: he can run the ball well and he puts it in the right place, he catches the ball well and he can block well enough for our offense to be very successful.

"Clinton Portis is one of the most dominant running backs in the National Football League. So having someone like Ladell has been a great plus for me. I knew he was good, but I didn't realize he was as good as he is. We haven't been in pads yet, but I would think that he is going to make a tremendous contribution this year. He has been a delight to be around."

I think having someone like Betts to relieve CP is going be very very beneficial for us. Especially during those late season grinds were we got to keep our guys healty. Especially those invovled in the running game.

[redwolf1218]

i cant remember the exact stat, but Portis had something like 8 runs of over 60 yards for Denver before he came here. that boosted his average yards per carry bigtime. also he almost never gets stuffed for minus 2 or 3 yards, like Barry Sanders used to do. if he can break a few long ones this year and also grind out the tough yards like he has been doing, then i am really looking for a big upswing in his yards per carry.

[redskinz#1fan]

i cant remember the exact stat, but Portis had something like 8 runs of over 60 yards for Denver before he came here. that boosted his average yards per carry bigtime. also he almost never gets stuffed for minus 2 or 3 yards, like Barry Sanders used to do. if he can break a few long ones this year and also grind out the tough yards like he has been doing, then i am really looking for a big upswing in his yards per carry.


Yeah he has had several grinf it out games since being with the redskins, so that has driven down his yards per carry. But I really like the fact that Portis was willing to change his style of play to accommodate our team and their needs. That says volumes about Mr. Portis! His stats will come back 10 X's the amount for the sacrafices and hard work he is putting into this team.

[Swirvi]

Not a lot of people know this and I can't remember where I read it, but Portis and Saunders have a secret goal of 2000 yards/16+ TDs this year. I agree that teams will stuff the box early on and portis will have to continue to grind it out. But I would think that by week 4, things will change and Portis will routinely get his 120+ yard games and get them easily with huge runs. I would imagine this would mean being spelled often and being taken out of games entirely by mid 4th quarter once he has his 125+ yards for the day. And of coures this means fresh legs for the playoffs! I think this will really benefit Ladell Betts this year too, who Saunders loves. With Portis being spelled more often, Betts will routinely get more downs and the majority of 4th quarters to gain garbage yards. I could definitely see Portis and Betts combine for 3000 yards this year, making them the best tandem duo in many seasons.

[Red Bear]

i think portis grinding it out the last two years can only help his career as far as being more versatility and knowing what to do if he does get in a pile. as far as betts, he needs to improve his 3.8ypc from last year. and not only did portis adapt to gibbs style of running, but gibbs also accomodated to portis strengths with the stretch runs. and what either back does is all gonna start up front with our oline

[BigPlayJay]

Not a lot of people know this and I can't remember where I read it, but Portis and Saunders have a secret goal of 2000 yards/16+ TDs this year.
That first came from Earnest Byner (RB coach) in an interview on redskins.com.

[DCassain21]

portis is going to have a carrer year i'm thinking 1,700 yds and about 14-15 tds with a 5 ypc

[IowaSkinsFan]

I think defenses will try to put 8 in the box first...then when we show that we can stretch the field not only with Moss but the other two then Portis will get his yardage in my opinion.

I think you are dead on balls accurate there. Just because we have Al Saunders doesn't mean teams aren't going to follow the blueprint from the Bucs and Seahawks in last season's playoff games. They will try to stuff Portis early and make Brunell and the passing game beat them.

[SkinsKY]

I think defenses will try to put 8 in the box first...then when we show that we can stretch the field not only with Moss but the other two then Portis will get his yardage in my opinion.

I think the only way they can go with 8 in the box is for us to go with a two WR set. Then if Cooley can get out, then the draw play will be a big weapon. for us.

But we have to show that we can be dominant with all three recievers first then they will respect the passing game, allowing portis to do his thing.

Teams stopped putting 8 in the box towards the end of last season. With Moss getting double and triple teamed, they had to pull some out. That's one of the reasons we were able to run Portis so much down the stretch. This team is not sneaking up on anyone and they will not underestimate us. The media may not respect us much, but I guarantee that other teams do.

[HollywoodKolt]

I think defenses will try to put 8 in the box first...then when we show that we can stretch the field not only with Moss but the other two then Portis will get his yardage in my opinion.

I think the only way they can go with 8 in the box is for us to go with a two WR set. Then if Cooley can get out, then the draw play will be a big weapon. for us.

But we have to show that we can be dominant with all three recievers first then they will respect the passing game, allowing portis to do his thing.


Couldn't have put it better myself. I think after the playoffs last year people doubt Brunell's arm strength. They don't think the man's got enough left in the tank to bomb it out there for Santana, Lloyd and Randel-El. But if he does, then any team trying to put 8 in the box is going to play.

I think this will be Portis's best season. His stats are going to look a lot more like his from the last 5 games of last season, and his first 2 years in denver than anything else.

But it all rides on Brunell's left arm, if he's still got it then guys will be open, and the line will open holes for Portis.

I think we're about to see a very special offense take the field.

[FanFromArizona]

I think we are going to actually reverse the course for the first 3 games....we will use the passing game to establish the run game. Brandon Lloyd will have a huge game against Dallas. You heard it here first.

[Swirvi]

That first came from Earnest Byner (RB coach) in an interview on redskins.com.

I couldn't remember and it was bugging me. Now it's all coming back to me.

[Dept_of_Defense]

I think we are going to actually reverse the course for the first 3 games....we will use the passing game to establish the run game. Brandon Lloyd will have a huge game against Dallas. You heard it here first.
I wouldn't be surprised if this happens. Will all the talent we have @ wideout, CP could be easliy overlooked.

[Red Bear]

I wouldn't be surprised if this happens. Will all the talent we have @ wideout, CP could be easliy overlooked.

i dont think clinton portis could ever be overlooked, hes the type of guy that teams have to game plan for on defense

[FanFromArizona]

i dont think clinton portis could ever be overlooked, hes the type of guy that teams have to game plan for on defense

Overlooked?
Brandon Lloyd, YES....Clinton Portis, NO.

Moss will be doubled, and Brandon will probably get either zone or single coverage.

We just have TOO MANY weapons for the Cowboys to cover everyone.
Brandon is going to continue his route over the Cowboys from last year.

[Red Bear]

Overlooked?
Brandon Lloyd, YES....Clinton Portis, NO.

Moss will be doubled, and Brandon will probably get either zone or single coverage.

We just have TOO MANY weapons for the Cowboys to cover everyone.
Brandon is going to continue his route over the Cowboys from last year.

i wasnt saying portis would be overlooked, dept of defense was.

[LadyNRedskinsfan]

i love that healthy chip on clinton's shoulder. the offense is going to be scary good once the whole team gets the scheme down.:awesomewo

[shally]

i love that healthy chip on clinton's shoulder. the offense is going to be scary good once the whole team gets the scheme down.:awesomewo

i agree... sure feels the way the preseason felt before gibbs record setting offenses in the mid 80's.. very exciting to think about it.

[the real moss89]

Overlooked?
Brandon Lloyd, YES....Clinton Portis, NO.

Moss will be doubled, and Brandon will probably get either zone or single coverage.

We just have TOO MANY weapons for the Cowboys to cover everyone.
Brandon is going to continue his route over the Cowboys from last year.

I agree. I think the opposing team would focus more on stopping a veteran who they know can dominate a game (CP), rather than focusing on randle el and Lloyd who are not really considered big threats and dominant players.

[shally]

I agree. I think the opposing team would focus more on stopping a veteran who they know can dominate a game (CP), rather than focusing on randle el and Lloyd who are not really considered big threats and dominant players.

also, the last time they faced cooley, he scored 3 td's on them.. how do you ignore him?
the only way the cowboys have a chance to slow down our offense is to go after brunell with everything they have and hope they can get to him before he has time to unload.. otherwise, he will pick them apart.. it should be wonderfull to watch the look on tuna's face when he realizes he hasn't got the horses to get it done...

[robotfire]

That first came from Earnest Byner (RB coach) in an interview on redskins.com.Worst kept secret EVER.

Clint

[HanburgerBum]

I think having someone like Betts to relieve CP is going be very very beneficial for us. Especially during those late season grinds were we got to keep our guys healty. Especially those invovled in the running game.


Saunders has been profuse in his praise of Betts. I believe AS was quoted as saying that the Skins may run schemes with both Portis and Betts in the game. That's kind of interesting in that Clinton is the far better blocker. So, does CP run interference for Betts? And, is it smart to use one of the Skins best skill position players that way?

[HanburgerBum]

Not a lot of people know this and I can't remember where I read it, but Portis and Saunders have a secret goal of 2000 yards/16+ TDs this year. I agree that teams will stuff the box early on and portis will have to continue to grind it out. But I would think that by week 4, things will change and Portis will routinely get his 120+ yard games and get them easily with huge runs. I would imagine this would mean being spelled often and being taken out of games entirely by mid 4th quarter once he has his 125+ yards for the day. And of coures this means fresh legs for the playoffs! I think this will really benefit Ladell Betts this year too, who Saunders loves. With Portis being spelled more often, Betts will routinely get more downs and the majority of 4th quarters to gain garbage yards. I could definitely see Portis and Betts combine for 3000 yards this year, making them the best tandem duo in many seasons.


While it is conceivable that CP can reach 2000 yds with fewer carries this season than last, that is highly unlikely. So, to reach 2000, I think Portis would be taking too many snaps. A bad idea both in terms of fresh legs for the playoffs and early burnout for his career. I don't care about individual goals like 2000 yds. Just get me the Lombardi trophy. I don't care if CP has less than a 1000 yds if the Skins get the trophy.

[Dept_of_Defense]

Overlooked?
Brandon Lloyd, YES....Clinton Portis, NO.

Moss will be doubled, and Brandon will probably get either zone or single coverage.

We just have TOO MANY weapons for the Cowboys to cover everyone.
Brandon is going to continue his route over the Cowboys from last year.
I never meant overlooked to the point where teams wouldn't gameplan for Clinton. They could've planned for Clinton all week, but in the midst of a game, if Moss, Cooley, Randle-El, and Lloyd are starting to kill opposing defenses, teams are going to change their gameplan and CP will get overlooked. That's why this year he's going to have more big yardage runs.

[Charlz]

http://msn.foxsports.com/fantasy/story/5718064?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=4768

3. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins
Portis returned to the good graces of fantasy owners last season after a subpar 2004 campaign, at least in the touchdown department. The Washington offense fed off their strong defense and the efficiency of quarterback Mark Brunell. Washington upgraded its offense this off-season with the acquisitions of Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El. Their additions will allow Brunell to stretch the field and create even more running space for Portis. Even with an upgrade of talent at wideout, Joe Gibbs always returns to the power running game. While one can't ignore the contributions of Chris Cooley and Mike Sellers last season, the duplication of their efforts, particularly those of Sellers, cannot be counted on. I suspect that several of those opportunities go back toward Portis this season.
2005 Stats: Ninth in NFL with 11 rushing touchdowns
2006 Projection: 15 rushing touchdowns

[SpicyMcHaggis]

http://msn.foxsports.com/fantasy/story/5718064?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=4768

3. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins
Portis returned to the good graces of fantasy owners last season after a subpar 2004 campaign, at least in the touchdown department. The Washington offense fed off their strong defense and the efficiency of quarterback Mark Brunell. Washington upgraded its offense this off-season with the acquisitions of Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El. Their additions will allow Brunell to stretch the field and create even more running space for Portis. Even with an upgrade of talent at wideout, Joe Gibbs always returns to the power running game. While one can't ignore the contributions of Chris Cooley and Mike Sellers last season, the duplication of their efforts, particularly those of Sellers, cannot be counted on. I suspect that several of those opportunities go back toward Portis this season.
2005 Stats: Ninth in NFL with 11 rushing touchdowns
2006 Projection: 15 rushing touchdowns
Sounds good to me!!

[Red Bear]

was it 2000 rushing yards or 2000 all purpose yards anyways? and as far as betts and portis on the field together. i think saunders means with one of the two split out wide...

[HanburgerBum]

was it 2000 rushing yards or 2000 all purpose yards anyways? and as far as betts and portis on the field together. i think saunders means with one of the two split out wide...


Why would the Skins split Portis or Betts out wide, when there is Randle El?
And, even if the 2000 yds meant all purpose yards, Clinton would still be taking punishment when he is a receiver. In any event, my point is that individual accomplishments should mean very little and should not be the goal the players are striving for. It's what TEAM makes the playoffs, goes deep into it, and maybe even win it all that matter.

Why should we care if Portis gets 2000 all-purpose yards? If less touches mean a fresher Clinton for the playoffs, Saunders should be thinking of ways to reduce his number of touches.

[redwolf1218]

Larry Johnson got 1750 yards and 20 TD's last year, despite 5 games with less than 10 carries (one of which he got 110 yards on 9 carries). he also caught 30-some passes for 300-and-some yards, so i expect something similar from Portis.

[HanburgerBum]

Larry Johnson got 1750 yards and 20 TD's last year, despite 5 games with less than 10 carries (one of which he got 110 yards on 9 carries). he also caught 30-some passes for 300-and-some yards, so i expect something similar from Portis.


As much as I like CP, I don't think he is going to get those Larry Johnson type of numbers. Even though it is aging, KC's offensive line last season was by all accounts one of the, if not the, best in the League. While the Skins Oline is good, it is not in that class. On top of that, the Washington Oline does not have proven depth. One key injury could dramatically cut down Clinton's effectiveness.

I am not against Portis having a big year. Of course, I want that. But, it should not come at the expense of over-working him like George Allen did with Larry Brown.

[Red Bear]

Why would the Skins split Portis or Betts out wide, when there is Randle El?
And, even if the 2000 yds meant all purpose yards, Clinton would still be taking punishment when he is a receiver. In any event, my point is that individual accomplishments should mean very little and should not be the goal the players are striving for. It's what TEAM makes the playoffs, goes deep into it, and maybe even win it all that matter.

Why should we care if Portis gets 2000 all-purpose yards? If less touches mean a fresher Clinton for the playoffs, Saunders should be thinking of ways to reduce his number of touches.

first off, its not unrealistic for football players to set personal goals. it doesnt mean theyre a me first player if they do. if anything it can give them even more incentive to thrive and to want to play as hard as they can. and i read a story about our offense and saunders and it mentioned something about splitting portis out wide, lots of teams split their running backs out wide on certain plays. if portis catches the ball and makes a big gain or picksup a first down on a 3rd or 4th down situation and takes a hit when hes tackled, its less punishment on him than trying to pound thru the line bouncing off people and trying to avoid a safety coming up in run support as well. with this and the lumsden thread its like you dont want any of our players to succeed or have goals theyd like to meet in their career and i know thats not true, but its how youre coming across imo. and speaking of randle el, perhaps portis goes out wide while el motions to the backfield takes a snap or handoff and tosses a pass to portis for a td on a play that has found a mismatch in the defense?