Don’t say Clinton Portis didn’t warn you. The Washington Redskins running back said the preseason was meaningless. He even wore a shirt during pregame warmups Sunday saying “Watch this.”
More than three hours later, Washington beat Miami 16-13 in overtime largely thanks to Portis and the defense. Quarterback Jason Campbell threw two interceptions with a 54.2 pass rating. Ladell Betts ran for 59 yards on 17 carries — the same number Portis used for 98 yards, including a touchdown.
Portis is still the cog in the Redskins offense. Forget that he missed nine games with injuries last year and skipped the preseason last month to stay healthy. It’s all about the regular season and Portis delivered by taking the “chip on my shoulder” and smashing it over the Dolphins’ helmets.
You see, Portis is ticked. Mad that people doubted his toughness. Upset that fans forgot he set the team rushing record two years ago. Angry that second-guessers wondered if Portis could still be a prime back.
They received the answer.
“I’m running with a chip on my shoulder from now on,” Portis said. “If I don’t, that pat on the shoulder … will then [have the same people] go behind my back and say get rid of him. It’s cool. I’ve got a chip for you.”
The tiger was poked once too often in training camp. Being rated the NFL’s 212th best player by one publication was more than a slap. Portis can be the funny guy, dressing up in strange costumes and creating new personas, but he’s also one of the tougher players this side of Riggo.
Saying Portis could no longer be productive was calling out his manhood. After first-quarter hit forced Portis to pad his ribs, he protected Campbell during a 12-yard, third-quarter run by hitting a defender helmet-first.
“You look in guys’ eyes and you can tell this guy knows how this thing is supposed to be played,” coach Joe Gibbs said. “One of the things you appreciate about Clinton is how tough he is.”
Betts is a playmaker that every team loves to have, but Portis is a game-breaker. There’s a big difference. Portis is the one who followed his blocks into the end zone with that quick burst. Portis is the one in the huddle come overtime, taking the final two snaps five and nine yards respectively before the Redskins won on a field goal.
But don’t embrace Portis this week as a recovered hero. He doesn’t need it. In fact, proving himself seems to be working so let it go another 15 games. It might carry the Redskins into January once more.
“We need naysayers,” he said. “We need the negativity. We don’t need nobody to jump on our bandwagon. We don’t need anybody to say the Redskins are the greatest team all of a sudden. Continue to leave us at the bottom of the barrel, continue to doubt us and me and my teammates will stick together and prove to you all that we’re better.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
