Clinton Portis and the ‘Skins

By Justin Shaw

The blockbuster trade that occurred before the 2004-2005 season between the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins was one of the most analyzed and watched trades in NFL history.  Two superstar Pro-Bowlers switched teams in a rare player for player swap, which sent Champ Bailey to Denver and Clinton Portis to Washington.  Everybody had an opinion on which team got the best of the deal, however after two full seasons it looks like both teams benefited tremendously.  The Broncos got a game changing playmaker that has turned the tide in many Bronco wins, and Portis had two solid seasons with 1,315 and 1,516 yards in his first two years with the Redskins.

So what can the Redskins expect from their star running back this season?  A break out campaign.  If Portis can get good blocking from his front five he has a great chance to run for over 2,000 yards this season.  The Redskins have so many offensive weapons now after adding receivers Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El that the pressure is now off of Portis.  He doesn’t have to carry the offense like he did the past two seasons due to a poor passing game in front of him.  Don’t get me wrong, Joe Gibbs loves Portis and will still give him 20 touches a game, but he won’t need to be the main guy all the time.

The Redskins have a tremendous core of receivers and tight ends this year for Mark Brunell to throw to.  Along with Randle El and Lloyd, they have receivers Santana Moss and David Patten, and they have tight ends Chris Cooley and Christian Fauria.  Brunell will have many options on offense and will be able to move the ball through the air with success.  This will prevent defenses from keying on Portis and putting eight or nine men in the box.  With defenses having to play the pass game as well as the run game, Portis will thrive and have his best year in a Redskins jersey yet.  Although he has never eclipsed the 1,600-yard mark in a season, look for Portis to flirt with 2,000 this year.  He is an outstanding athlete and is smart in between the tackles, always finding the holes and accelerating through them.

When Portis runs for over 100 yards in a game the Redskins are 12-2 in the last two seasons.  That is a huge stat and for the Redskins to continue to win and make a Super Bowl run he will need to keep breaking the century mark.  Portis also gains almost two-thirds of his yards on first down plays, which means that he will get the Skins into many short yardage situations on second and third downs, setting up outstanding opportunities for Brunell to play-action and go for the deep strike.  There’s a reason that Joe Gibbs traded his franchise player to Denver for Portis in 2004, and Clinton is making he and Daniel Snyder look good by performing at a very high level.  This season should be his best yet and if all goes well for the Skins they will definitely be a major factor in the NFC playoffs and possibly make a run to a Super Bowl appearance.