Betts Expected to Again Have a Big Role
Clinton Portis has said he is fine with whatever role backup running back Ladell Betts has in the offense each season.
Well, it appears Portis will have an opportunity to prove it this season.
Coach Jim Zorn has expanded Betts's responsibilities, making him the primary running back on third downs. That previously had been Portis's domain -- as well as every other down for the Redskins' offense -- as long as Portis was physically sound enough to play or not on the sideline during a rare break for him.
Betts has earned the opportunity because of his impressive performance throughout the offseason and camp and the professionalism he has exhibited under Zorn, coaches and players said. The Redskins also expect Portis to benefit from more time off. Portis experienced a major drop-off in production during the second half of last season (he rushed for at least 80 yards just twice in the final eight games), and his late flop coincided with the team's 2-6 collapse. Fewer plays, the theory goes, should help Portis remain energized from start to finish.
The main reason for the change, though, is that Betts forced the issue because of what he's done on the field, and the Redskins are eager to give him more work.
"He has been preparing to play," offensive coordinator Sherman Smith said. "We told him, 'You need to prepare like a starter would prepare,' because of what we want to do with him. We've already committed to him that he's going to be our third-down guy, so he wants to take ownership of that. And just to be prepared that if something happens to C.P., he's going to go in there and we're not going to miss a beat. He's been great. He's had a great camp."
Of course, it's not as if Betts is unproven.
He has been a steady backup for seven seasons, and shone in his one big chance as a primary running back in 2006. With Portis sidelined for the second half of the season because of a hand injury, Betts rushed for a personal-best 1,154 yards, with a 4.7-yard average and four touchdowns. He also was big in the passing game, catching 53 passes for 445 yards and one touchdown.
Portis reclaimed top-back status under former coach Joe Gibbs in 2007 and played a key role in the Redskins' late-season sprint to an NFC wild-card berth. That season, Betts totaled 335 yards on 93 rushes (a 3.6-yard average) and had 21 receptions for 174 yards.
Last season, Betts sprained his left knee Oct. 12 in a 19-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams and never regained the strong form he displayed in the preseason. He gained 206 yards on 61 rushes (a 3.4-yard average) and caught 22 passes for 200 yards. Zorn last season envisioned a bigger role for Betts "before I got hurt. They were trying to figure out ways to get me involved. I was getting carries, and they even had situations where Clinton and I were in the game at the same time, but the injury kind of derailed all that. Hopefully, we can pick up where we left off."
That's the plan, Smith said.
"He's going to deliver; we're not worried about that," Smith said of Betts, who like Portis is considered outstanding in pass protection. "The thing we're doing with this also, for Clinton, is to give him some plays, some breaks, where we can put another guy in. You need two backs to do it today. One guy can't carry the whole load. We have a very good running back in Ladell Betts, and it's just foolish not to use him."
Portis is open about his disdain for practice and the preseason, but he enjoys the regular season and playoffs. Under Gibbs, Portis remained on the field until he got tired and wanted a break, players said, and Portis rarely wanted a break.
Portis sat out the preseason opener so Betts started last week's 23-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Redskins host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday at FedEx Field, providing Zorn, Washington's play-caller, with his first opportunity to test his new role for Betts.
I respect what Zorn is attempting to do because Betts too often has been a spectator on the sideline. Many players have told me he deserves a bigger piece of the pie, and not only because he is a good guy who works hard. Betts has proven what he can do with the ball, and it seems downright ludicrous to waste someone with his talent.
Portis, however, has a uniquely close relationship with owner Daniel Snyder. And Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, recently told my guy, Barry Svrluga, that Portis calls "me a lot before the draft, before free agency, [to] talk about guys. He's into it. He knows who's on the team. He knows who the players are around the league. He likes all that. He likes personnel stuff."
And that's why Zorn's plan is risky. Portis has the ear of the owner and the owner's No. 2 guy, and he has gone public in the past when he feels less than appreciated. If the Redskins win with Betts doing more, well, everything should be cool even if Portis longs for the good old days. But if they struggle and Portis is unhappy, well, that could be problematic, especially for Zorn.
"You have to make a commitment to it. You really do," Smith said, referring only to Zorn's plan for the Nos. 1 and 2 running backs. "You have a good running back in Clinton Portis so you say, 'Man, you don't really want to take him off the field.' But there are places where you can play a guy like Ladell Betts, and you rest Clinton Portis.
"Even if it's 15 plays a game, in the fourth quarter, Clinton Portis should be ready to go because he's rested. If we have 2 minutes and 4 seconds before the halftime, Ladell Betts should do that. That's another place Clinton can get some rest. So this is twofold: You want to get Portis rest, but you also want to take advantage if Ladell Betts. He's a good player."
Clinton Portis has said he is fine with whatever role backup running back Ladell Betts has in the offense each season.
Well, it appears Portis will have an opportunity to prove it this season.
Coach Jim Zorn has expanded Betts's responsibilities, making him the primary running back on third downs. That previously had been Portis's domain -- as well as every other down for the Redskins' offense -- as long as Portis was physically sound enough to play or not on the sideline during a rare break for him.
Betts has earned the opportunity because of his impressive performance throughout the offseason and camp and the professionalism he has exhibited under Zorn, coaches and players said. The Redskins also expect Portis to benefit from more time off. Portis experienced a major drop-off in production during the second half of last season (he rushed for at least 80 yards just twice in the final eight games), and his late flop coincided with the team's 2-6 collapse. Fewer plays, the theory goes, should help Portis remain energized from start to finish.
The main reason for the change, though, is that Betts forced the issue because of what he's done on the field, and the Redskins are eager to give him more work.
"He has been preparing to play," offensive coordinator Sherman Smith said. "We told him, 'You need to prepare like a starter would prepare,' because of what we want to do with him. We've already committed to him that he's going to be our third-down guy, so he wants to take ownership of that. And just to be prepared that if something happens to C.P., he's going to go in there and we're not going to miss a beat. He's been great. He's had a great camp."
Of course, it's not as if Betts is unproven.
He has been a steady backup for seven seasons, and shone in his one big chance as a primary running back in 2006. With Portis sidelined for the second half of the season because of a hand injury, Betts rushed for a personal-best 1,154 yards, with a 4.7-yard average and four touchdowns. He also was big in the passing game, catching 53 passes for 445 yards and one touchdown.
Portis reclaimed top-back status under former coach Joe Gibbs in 2007 and played a key role in the Redskins' late-season sprint to an NFC wild-card berth. That season, Betts totaled 335 yards on 93 rushes (a 3.6-yard average) and had 21 receptions for 174 yards.
Last season, Betts sprained his left knee Oct. 12 in a 19-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams and never regained the strong form he displayed in the preseason. He gained 206 yards on 61 rushes (a 3.4-yard average) and caught 22 passes for 200 yards. Zorn last season envisioned a bigger role for Betts "before I got hurt. They were trying to figure out ways to get me involved. I was getting carries, and they even had situations where Clinton and I were in the game at the same time, but the injury kind of derailed all that. Hopefully, we can pick up where we left off."
That's the plan, Smith said.
"He's going to deliver; we're not worried about that," Smith said of Betts, who like Portis is considered outstanding in pass protection. "The thing we're doing with this also, for Clinton, is to give him some plays, some breaks, where we can put another guy in. You need two backs to do it today. One guy can't carry the whole load. We have a very good running back in Ladell Betts, and it's just foolish not to use him."
Portis is open about his disdain for practice and the preseason, but he enjoys the regular season and playoffs. Under Gibbs, Portis remained on the field until he got tired and wanted a break, players said, and Portis rarely wanted a break.
Portis sat out the preseason opener so Betts started last week's 23-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Redskins host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday at FedEx Field, providing Zorn, Washington's play-caller, with his first opportunity to test his new role for Betts.
I respect what Zorn is attempting to do because Betts too often has been a spectator on the sideline. Many players have told me he deserves a bigger piece of the pie, and not only because he is a good guy who works hard. Betts has proven what he can do with the ball, and it seems downright ludicrous to waste someone with his talent.
Portis, however, has a uniquely close relationship with owner Daniel Snyder. And Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, recently told my guy, Barry Svrluga, that Portis calls "me a lot before the draft, before free agency, [to] talk about guys. He's into it. He knows who's on the team. He knows who the players are around the league. He likes all that. He likes personnel stuff."
And that's why Zorn's plan is risky. Portis has the ear of the owner and the owner's No. 2 guy, and he has gone public in the past when he feels less than appreciated. If the Redskins win with Betts doing more, well, everything should be cool even if Portis longs for the good old days. But if they struggle and Portis is unhappy, well, that could be problematic, especially for Zorn.
"You have to make a commitment to it. You really do," Smith said, referring only to Zorn's plan for the Nos. 1 and 2 running backs. "You have a good running back in Clinton Portis so you say, 'Man, you don't really want to take him off the field.' But there are places where you can play a guy like Ladell Betts, and you rest Clinton Portis.
"Even if it's 15 plays a game, in the fourth quarter, Clinton Portis should be ready to go because he's rested. If we have 2 minutes and 4 seconds before the halftime, Ladell Betts should do that. That's another place Clinton can get some rest. So this is twofold: You want to get Portis rest, but you also want to take advantage if Ladell Betts. He's a good player."
See my sig for a classic example of this last year.
