Injured running back doesn’t think he can go
ASHBURN – Clinton Portis still hadn’t seen his MRI. But the Redskins running back knows one thing: His groin isn’t in good shape. And it’s why he said it’s unlikely that he’ll play against Green Bay on Sunday.
Portis, on his weekly radio show, said his groin is still too tender. He said, “I don’t think so” when asked if he would play.
“I don’t think the team would let me attempt to play, but who knows,” Portis told 106.7 “The Fan.” “I’ll take my time to make sure I’m healed.”
Portis injured his groin in the Redskins’ 17-12 victory over Philadelphia. He carried one time in the fourth quarter after tweaking it a second time. Until the Redskins reveal what the MRI showed, it’s impossible to guess how much time Portis could miss.
“I think my recovery will be fast,” Portis said on his show. “For myself it’s just being able to come back and not having a setback as far as conditioning or anything else when the timetable is up, being able to perform at a high level and pick up where I left off in the Eagles game.”
The Redskins traditionally have not fared well minus Portis. They’re 5-12 without him since he joined the team in 2004.
His absence leads to questions:
Can Ryan Torain handle a full load?
Injuries have been his biggest issue. And the Redskins limited his work in the preseason, at least in some part, because of his injury history. This has to be a major concern, especially for a team that wants — and needs — to control the ball and use the run to set up play-action passes. Torain was solid vs. Philadelphia, with 70 yards on 18 carries, and has 116 yards in two games. But he’s also two weeks removed from the practice squad.
“He has a big upside,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “I can guarantee he won’t be put on the practice squad the rest of the season.”
Who is Chad Simpson?
The Redskins are about to find out — that is, if he stays as the No. 2 back. Simpson, signed Sept. 21, does have speed (he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the scouting combine in 2008). But he’s been cut by two teams, including the Bills this summer. He’s small (5-foot-9, 212 pounds), but strong. However, he’s best used as a kick returner, though he hasn’t exactly stood out in that role in the past.
Who will protect the passer?
Don’t expect Simpson to do it; that was a major knock on him coming out of Morgan State and it hasn’t exactly changed in the NFL. Also, his hands aren’t good. Torain has been inconsistent here. He fared well Sunday but other times he gets caught with his head down. Practice squader Keiland Williams is a possibility if he’s promoted. This was his strength in college, though he’s been questionable at it in the NFL. If promoted, the Redskins would have three former practice squanders as running backs.
