NY Times: Redskins Redesign Plays to Launch Portis

[bubba9497]

Redskins Redesign Plays to Launch Portis

http://www.nytimes.com/?oref=login

ASHBURN, Va. - As Clinton Portis left here in January after his first season in burgundy and gold, his Washington Redskins coaches hinted at tweaking the playbook for 2005.

In the weeks after he nodded, then shrugged off the whispers, the Redskins' staff overhauled the offense, every move with one goal in mind.

"They asked me what I felt about some things," Portis said during the team's June minicamp. "But when I got back, we had a changed offense."

The Redskins, their coaches pledge and their star tailback seems certain, will be different in 2005, and everyone involved points to Portis as the new offense's fulcrum. To highlight his speed and cutback skills, management signed smaller, faster wide receivers, and the coaching staff designed wider formations that should give Portis more room to run.

Almost anything would rank as progress over 2004, when Washington ranked 30th in yardage and 31st in points among the N.F.L.'s 32 offenses. Portis, acquired in the March 2004 trade that sent cornerback Champ Bailey to the Broncos, posted the poorest season of his three as a professional. He averaged 3.8 yards a carry, 1.7 fewer than the average for his first two seasons, and scored five rushing touchdown, compared to a total of 29 in his first two years.

Despite the ballyhooed trade engineered by Coach Joe Gibbs, Portis, who weighed about 200 pounds all season, looked out of place and misused in a Gibbs system designed for a bigger power runner.

"Sometimes you have to adjust," said Joe Bugel, the Redskins' assistant head coach for offense. "We're used to a 235-pound, 240-pound back. So we opened it up, tried to create running lanes for him. He's quick as a cat."

To help, Washington signed the free agents David Patten and Kevin Dyson, who have Super Bowl experience. On March 9, sandwiched between the two signings, the Redskins traded wide receiver Laveranues Coles to the Jets for Santana Moss, one of the N.F.L.'s fastest players, who also excels in the return game.

Even with the loss off Coles and the absence of receiver Rod Gardner, who has demanded a trade and has not participated in the off-season activities, Gibbs said the team had upgraded the position by adding speed. The Redskins will throw more, and earlier in the game, Bugel said, forcing defenses to pay more attention to receivers on the outside and open space for Portis. Portis could also help as a pass blocker, a role in which he thrived at the University of Miami.

"We're not a clustered offense anymore," Portis said of the changes. "Last year, the receivers, everybody was inside the numbers. This year, everybody is spread out. So it's different."

So is Portis, as Gibbs repeated throughout the full-squad minicamp last weekend. After avoiding Redskins Park for much of the 2004 off-season, Portis reported early in the spring and worked out on site. Mentored by the strength and conditioning coach John Dunn, whose nickname is Mother, Portis said he added 20 pounds of muscle in his chest and shoulders. Rosters released by the team indicated a 10-pound gain, placing him at 212 pounds this month.

Fellow Redskins said Portis's presence at voluntary spring sessions motivated them. An additional boost came during minicamp, when they said they realized he had not lost any of his quickness.

"With Clinton, he told Mother Dunn and the guys, 'Tell me what I need to do,' " Gibbs said. " 'I want to be part of this. I want to be a leader.' Any time that happens, it carries over to everybody else."

The leadership continued on the field, especially later in the spring, when Washington surprised the league by picking Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell with the 17th pick over all. Campbell, who led Auburn to an undefeated 2004 season and won his final 15 games at Auburn, grew up in Laurel, Miss., a town of 18,000 that Portis also called home until middle school.

"He's been the guy who's been helping me out," Campbell said of Portis. "We come from a similar background, so he's always talking to me, showing me things, making sure I get better."

Portis, too, needs to get better, at least statistically. After being named the N.F.L. offensive rookie of the year in 2002 and reaching the Pro Bowl in 2003, he eclipsed the 100-yard mark five times in his debut season with the Redskins. He went seven games, from Oct. 3 to Dec. 5, without a touchdown, and his 3.8 yards a carry for the season ranked last among the N.F.L.'s top 20 rushers.

Now Portis is set on improving on those numbers. The result, they all hope, will be playoff games in January.

"When Coach Gibbs came back, for a running back, he decided to pick me," he said. "We have a lot of talent around me, like last year. Now we're going to expose it."

[warren]

"The leadership continued on the field, especially later in the spring, when Washington surprised the league by picking Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell with the 17th pick over all."

eh?

[SkinsTillIDie]

So is Portis, as Gibbs repeated throughout the full-squad minicamp last weekend. After avoiding Redskins Park for much of the 2004 off-season, Portis reported early in the spring and worked out on site. Mentored by the strength and conditioning coach John Dunn, whose nickname is Mother, Portis said he added 20 pounds of muscle in his chest and shoulders. Rosters released by the team indicated a 10-pound gain, placing him at 212 pounds this month.

Very interesting, and good to hear (especially as he hasn't lost a step). Once again, Nunyo was wrong -- in his chat he said that Clinton hadn't gained any weight. Ha.

Another optomistic article, explaining basically why this offense will be much better this time around. I am leaving for the next 6 weeks :(, but this is the perfect article to go out on. I have all the confidence that our defense will be just as good - if not better - and our special teams will actually be special. Our offense has been holding us back, but this piece really emphasizes that the coaches changed what they got wrong, will play to our strengths instead of our strengths playing to the system, and we will open the field for both our passing and running games.

This bodes well for the 2005 Redskins. I cannot remain optimistic enough. We will be good this year, I can feel it. We will be a professional franchise, and we will be successful. All the pieces are in place. Coaches, players... I can feel it in my bones.

And with that, I leave you. See you August 11

:helmet:

:logo:

[skinshog]

Originally posted by SkinsTillIDie

Very interesting, and good to hear (especially as he hasn't lost a step). Once again, Nunyo was wrong -- in his chat he said that Clinton hadn't gained any weight. Ha.

Another optomistic article, explaining basically why this offense will be much better this time around. I am leaving for the next 6 weeks :(, but this is the perfect article to go out on. I have all the confidence that our defense will be just as good - if not better - and our special teams will actually be special. Our offense has been holding us back, but this piece really emphasizes that the coaches changed what they got wrong, will play to our strengths instead of our strengths playing to the system, and we will open the field for both our passing and running games.

This bodes well for the 2005 Redskins. I cannot remain optimistic enough. We will be good this year, I can feel it. We will be a professional franchise, and we will be successful. All the pieces are in place. Coaches, players... I can feel it in my bones.

And with that, I leave you. See you August 11

:helmet:

:logo:

I can feel it as well, lets just hope that this time its for real. But with Gibbs continuity and adjustment, how couldn't it? :helmet:

[flexxskins]

I think that it is very strange that no one on the coahing staff has mentioned Portis's muscle mass gain once this off-season. But if it is true and he also has'nt loss a step, that will probably make him virtually unstoppable.

[flexxskins]

Originally posted by bubba9497

Redskins Redesign Plays to Launch Portis

http://www.nytimes.com/?oref=login

ASHBURN, Va. - As Clinton Portis left here in January after his first season in burgundy and gold, his Washington Redskins coaches hinted at tweaking the playbook for 2005.

In the weeks after he nodded, then shrugged off the whispers, the Redskins' staff overhauled the offense, every move with one goal in mind.

"They asked me what I felt about some things," Portis said during the team's June minicamp. "But when I got back, we had a changed offense."

Should continuity with the offense be a concern after the staff has now "overhauled" the offense? Just when these guys were able to get the Spurrier way of doing things out of their system and adjust to the Gibbs way; along comes a overhauled offense that includes, the shotgun, zone blocking etc... I guess I am just hoping that we dont hear after a game that, "it's just a new system that we need to get used to".

[Sebowski]

17, 25, who's counting?

:hammer:

[ChocolateCitySkin]

andyman mentioned the wait earlier... and when they say overhaul-- i doubt they mean a completely new offense.

[Art]

Interesting thing to me is this article is pretty in depth and even polite and kind. And, it's from a New York paper. Strange no local outlet can figure out there's a mild market for this type of reporting that doesn't validate the changes made will work, but at least explains them without taking a dozen needless, pointless, incorrect shots during the telling.

[Tommy-the-Greek]

Originally posted by flexxskins

I think that it is very strange that no one on the coahing staff has mentioned Portis's muscle mass gain once this off-season. But if it is true and he also has'nt loss a step, that will probably make him virtually unstoppable.

I get the feeling alot of guys have added 10-20 pounds of muscle this offseason so it isn't a big deal it is just part of the program.

I saw a picture of Dockery that amazed me. The man looks like he has totally transformed his body. He has gone from Baby Huey to a chisled Cro-Magnon/Neanderthal.

[tr1]

Portis continues to impress me...he's gonna have a monster year.

[Woofer]

Originally posted by Art

Interesting thing to me is this article is pretty in depth and even polite and kind. And, it's from a New York paper. Strange no local outlet can figure out there's a mild market for this type of reporting that doesn't validate the changes made will work, but at least explains them without taking a dozen needless, pointless, incorrect shots during the telling.

Right on all counts.

Raises the questions:

1) Why would a paper from out of town write such a nice piece; especially a paper from a rival team's home town?

2) What is wrong with the NY Times? Are they not in touch with the rest of the Redskin-hating world?

3) Are they starting a new trend, a "Kinder and Gentler" world?

[autographcollector]

Must be a DC transplant recently hired by NYTimes.

[HapHaszard]

A very interesting article, and one I wouldn't expect from a NY paper. Time will tell who's right, our local rags or the NYT. I trust Gibbs and expect big things to happen this year.

[ntotoro]

Originally posted by Art

Interesting thing to me is this article is pretty in depth and even polite and kind. And, it's from a New York paper. Strange no local outlet can figure out there's a mild market for this type of reporting that doesn't validate the changes made will work, but at least explains them without taking a dozen needless, pointless, incorrect shots during the telling.

I agree, except for one thing. When they said this...

He averaged 3.8 yards a carry, 1.7 fewer than the average for his first two seasons, and scored five rushing touchdown, compared to a total of 29 in his first two years.

...they failed to mention that he still did run for 1300 yards in an offense not designed for his skills, while missing two games and basically getting benched for two others.

Nick

[portis&taylor]

Finaly all you guys who havent WAtched portis play before he was a skin will get to see him at full potetinal he is great this will be our year!:logo: :helmet: :point2sky :gaintsuck :eaglesuck :dallasuck :wewantd:

[Spaceman Spiff]

what do the nytimes care about us?

[Art]

Originally posted by portis&taylor

Finaly all you guys who havent WAtched portis play before he was a skin will get to see him at full potetinal he is great this will be our year!:logo: :helmet: :point2sky :gaintsuck :eaglesuck :dallasuck :wewantd:

I think most of us have seen and know what Portis is capable of. Last year he didn't have the number of explosive runs you are accustomed to him having, but he proved a toughness and grind it out quality you might not have envisioned he had coming in.

I like that this article goes about explaining the strategy the team is going to try this year. How smaller, quicker receivers fit in with the plan for Portis. There's one thing Gibbs is KNOWN for as a coach. That is catering his offense to his players. Last year he got to learn his players.

Now he's adding people to make it go.

[Idaho fan]

"Redskins redesign plays to launch portis"

Great article - wish more were like this. I was some what skeptical last year when the Skins made the trade for Portis. I was not sure his attitude was what we needed. The past year since the trade he has shown that he is not only a great player but hard worker also. He has "gained 12 lbs and not lost a step"! We have wider formations designed for his style of running along with a healthy O-line! Oh man, this is gonna be a good year.:logo:

[honeydont]

yeah its going to be a great year for us. The entire 2004 season was our 0-5 1981 start. Do you remember what happened the following year? THATS RIGHT. In the words of Brian Tracy all great achievement begins with thought. Think success and success will follow in reality. :helmet: :gaintsuck :eaglesuck :dallasuck

[RDSKNfaithfull]

I think all of this may be B.S. and the media is making more out of this than it really is. Don't expect us to come out with Denvers offense. We will may see it every three games or so (we saw it against Chicago last year) Gibbs still has the mind set Portis can do well with any play they call.

[flexxskins]

Originally posted by Tommy-the-Greek

I get the feeling alot of guys have added 10-20 pounds of muscle this offseason so it isn't a big deal it is just part of the program.

I saw a picture of Dockery that amazed me. The man looks like he has totally transformed his body. He has gone from Baby Huey to a chisled Cro-Magnon/Neanderthal.

You are right. Have you seen Salave'a recently?

[flexxskins]

Originally posted by RDSKNfaithfull

I think all of this may be B.S. and the media is making more out of this than it really is. Don't expect us to come out with Denvers offense. We will may see it every three games or so (we saw it against Chicago last year) Gibbs still has the mind set Portis can do well with any play they call.

I think that I agree primarily with what I think that you were saying. But if by "it", you mean the new blocking scheme, shotgun formation and just new plays in general...why would we only see "it"/them every three games or so? I happen to believe that Portis only needed to make minor adjustments to be able to break open more long runs and increase that 3.8 per carry avg. stat. Simple adjustments like lining up deeper in the backfield.

[Joey T]

Where is Tom [Giants Fan] when you need him:gaintsuck

He's usually good for a quip or clip:laugh:

Portis @ 12 lbs. heavier/same speed means trouble for the rest of the NFL.

I like what I'm hearing about our o/line beefing up and trimming down, especially Dockery. Could he be Tre incarnate?

[stupidsuck]

thats good to hear, I certainly expected the coaching staff to try what has worked in the past last year and now seeing that changed are needed, that's what's happening.