Guess we don't have to hear about Portis not being a "Gibbs" RB anymore...

[wilbur58z]

...judging from the fact Saunders is now running the offense.

It should be interesting to see how the media feels about Portis now that, in the their eyes, he's essentially a Saunders back now and following in the tradition of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson and not John Riggins.

I expect CP to get a lot of respect from the media leading up to the '06 season because they're going to think Saunders will use him better and thus he'll have his biggest season yet as a Redskin.

[Stew]

I can agree with that.

[Goaldeje]

Given the kind of season he had this year under Gibbs, that kind of foolish talk should have ceased on itw own.

[H-O-G]

Saunders made the running schemes for L.Johnson and P.Holmes. Portis is now a 1700 yard back.

[Macd36]

Portis has a chance to do very well under Saunders offense

[portis&taylor]

i agree i think portis will flourish under saunders

[atloldskin]

Yeah, as a Joe Gibbs running back, Portis only set the single season rushing record for the Redskins and was the driving captain and personality of the team! He really sucks.

The best thing is more is still to come from Mr. Portis!

[wilbur58z]

Given the kind of season he had this year under Gibbs, that kind of foolish talk should have ceased on itw own.

I know.

But we would have heard about how Portis was so banged up at the end of this season and that he takes too much of a beating in Gibbs's offense.

But we won't now...and I'm glad of that because I want to see Portis get more respect. He should be regularly mentioned as one of the league's best backs and he hasn't been since coming to DC, even after having the type of season he had this year.

[BrunellSuperbowl]

Portis needs to be used in more spread formations. This pounding him into the line only worked at home it seems

[coldpacker]

I know.

But we would have heard about how Portis was so banged up at the end of this season and that he takes too much of a beating in Gibbs's offense.

Maybe under Saunders we'll draft a sleeper RB. And we'll actually give him carries every other 3rd posession to make sure Portis stays fresh throughout the season.

[wilbur58z]

Maybe under Saunders we'll draft a sleeper RB. And we'll actually give him carries every other 3rd posession to make sure Portis stays fresh throughout the season.

I think Saunders will like Betts. He's close to Larry Johnson's size and is a good receiver. I can't see them drafting another RB. But you never know...

[Mania]

I feel Saunders will definitly utilize more zone formations with Portis and get him in open space better than Gibbs did. I also feel that he will get him into the passing game more than Gibbs.

[Thinking Skins]

Honestly, this is one of the areas that I'm curious about with Saunders and Gibbs. Its probably a given that Gibbs will let Saunders implement his own offensive scheme. But how similar is it going to be to Gibbs's. We've been saying that Saunders will have the same scheme as Gibbs but with a few 'tweaks'; I wonder what those tweaks will be.

Are we going to have more running plays like they have in Denver to give Portis the opportunity to run in space?

Are we going to look a 'different style' of offensive lineman than The Dirtbags we have here? (I know Bugel calls them that, but it just seems like I'm insulting them)

And will Portis keep the extra 10 pounds of muscle that he added last year to become a 'Gibbs' type back?

I have a lot of little questions about things like that that I'm eager to see the answers to in training camp.

BTW, anyone know when training camp starts. It'd be nice to have a lil counter on the number of days left til training camp.

[STaylorLayintheWOOD]

Given the kind of season he had this year under Gibbs, that kind of foolish talk should have ceased on itw own.

Amen to that. he was on fire the 2nd half of year, if he puts that together the whole year he will have even better numbers than in denver. saunders will definetly help with make portis a truly elite back in the league as well.

[twenty-eight]

portis should change his name from clinton to "to the house"...so at the end of the day he would be To the House portis....i like that

[ADF]

It should be interesting. If anything, our whole offense (including Portis) should benifit from the tempo, volume, and unpredictability of Saunder's offense.

[Jumbo]

It should be interesting. If anythng, our whole offense (including Portis) should benifit from the tempo, volume, and unpredictability of Saunder's offense.

I have been wishing we'd use Portis more in the passing game since he arrived. I know we have a lot of people to get the ball to, and we haven't even got our #2 WR yet, and CP gets plenty of touches as #1 back, but I'm still drooling at the idea.

[Mister Looney]

I don't think that there is such a thing as a "Gibbs RB". Riggins wasn't the only RB Gibbs had success with. Have we forgotten T. Smith, R. Ervins, and Byner? They weren't exactly the bruising FB types that Riggo was. The great thing about having Gibbs back as coach is that he is willing to adapt. He is not so stuck in his ways that he feels there is nothing more to learn as a head coach in the NFL. The Saunders hiring is evidence of that. Gibbs will succeed regardless of who his RB's are, or his QB and WR's are. Gibbs was simply born to succeed.

[Mooka]

Anyone who claims Portis isn't a "Gibbs" type of back is ignorant and doesn't understand Gibbs or Portis.

Gibbs picked Clinton to come here. Clinton has turned himself from the stretch, outside speed back everyone thought he was, to a tough physical runner here in Washington.

Everything people knocked him on, toughness, leadership capabilities, "system back," physical running through the tackles, blocking, putting his body on the line, etc. Clinton has proved everyone wrong.

Now about Saunders, Larry Johnson was about as physical a back I've ever seen . We'll see what tweaks Al does to the running game, but remember that Clinton prefers runnning between the tackles. He prefers to be able to see the whole field and see where the holes are developing.

[jimster]

I don't think that there is such a thing as a "Gibbs RB". Riggins wasn't the only RB Gibbs had success with. Have we forgotten T. Smith, R. Ervins, and Byner? They weren't exactly the bruising FB types that Riggo was. The great thing about having Gibbs back as coach is that he is willing to adapt. He is not so stuck in his ways that he feels there is nothing more to learn as a head coach in the NFL. The Saunders hiring is evidence of that. Gibbs will succeed regardless of who his RB's are, or his QB and WR's are. Gibbs was simply born to succeed.

exactly.

People are stuck on the "Gibbs type of back" because we had a couple of big guys through the years like Riggins, Rodgers and Riggs. But in the 90's he only used Riggs part time and Byner was only about 5 pounds heavier than Portis is now.

[philal0102]

yeah there is no doubt that this season will be his biggest yet.

[skinpride1]

Saunders made the running schemes for L.Johnson and P.Holmes. Portis is now a 1700 yard back.

I agree!!!Portis will rack up 1700 yards in 2006!!!I think Betts numbers will also increase!!The only thing that worries me is a couple of spots on the offensive line.I think they will be fixed in the offseason!!!

[thamensh]

I too am hoping that Saunders/Gibbs will utilize Portis in the passing game much more than he's been involved the past 2 seasons. More screens, dump-offs in the middle like NY uses Tiki, as much as I hate to use them as an example... We could use a Joe Washington type of 3rd down back as well as a Riggo type of bull for short yardage... Portis definitely took too much punishment this yr... we need a mike bragg type of punter too.. whatever happened to the 'coffin corner?'... what the hell else does a punter have to do w/this time that he can't put the time into learning this most effective field position weapon... lastly, PLEASE KEEP LAVAR!! WE NEED HIM!!

[PCS]

I think that is one of my favorite statements, in a sarcastic type way. Portis is not a Gibbs type back. Ok. Now let's think about that for second. Who brought the man in? :doh:

[Warhead36]

I really want to see the 5 YPC back Portis was in Denver. The slashing cutback home run hitter.

I don't mind pound it out 3 yards and a cloud of dust type but that just isn't Portis. He may say he loves gut and power, maybe he really does, but I think deep down Portis wants to go back to his old style of running.

And Saunders will help get him back there.