Portis running over zach thomas

[RandyHolt]

CP hasnt really lost his speed, he just seems to do to much when he gets in the open field. He cuts back too soon. No worries on his speed. He raced against Laron Landry and it was basically a tie. If he has lost a little bit, it has been replaced with toughness from him bulking up to be Riggo the past few years.

The truck incident happened about 10 yds downfield and was amongst a lot of other players. I think the announcers made a comment about it even on the replay. Ellis definitely got his bell rung as well, that I am certain.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

i was under this same impression though. When he got that pitch play on the fake reverse i was waiting for him to take it up a gear. I really thought he was gonna go all the way. Comparing that run with the run against Tampa, it looks like he has lost a step. i don't think he is a worse running back because of that because he gets all the hard yards and gets first downs on second efforts but it does mean he is not a homerun hitter anymore.

I don't think he's lost a step, I think that step has changed from a 5th gear to shifting in to 4x4 mode. Instead of worrying about his speed, he's worked on his power.

[ArsheimSkins]

http://www.redskins.com/do/videoGallery

Go to "Portis Highlight" - it happens at 0:49

Thanks for that man! Portis threw ZT!!!

[jbowman]

I think most players lost a step playing in that heat and humidity on the field.

[Santana_Fan]

http://www.redskins.com/do/videoGallery

Go to "Portis Highlight" - it happens at 0:49

That was nice. I hope somebody can make a gif of that. I'll put it on my phone.

[Zguy28]

I think his speed is still there, he was right there with Landry when they raced.

Practice is one thing. Gametime is another.

I see this sometimes in youth coaching, a guy is really fast but once padded up they become slow while others don't.

Check out this video from 5 years ago:

http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g172/whetrich/?action=view&current=portis-first-run.flv

Tell me he still has that speed.

[Zguy28]

i was under this same impression though. When he got that pitch play on the fake reverse i was waiting for him to take it up a gear. I really thought he was gonna go all the way. Comparing that run with the run against Tampa, it looks like he has lost a step. i don't think he is a worse running back because of that because he gets all the hard yards and gets first downs on second efforts but it does mean he is not a homerun hitter anymore.

Exactly. That's all I was saying.

[kingfish50]

Knocked Zach on his rear end.

[One Shot]

Seriously? You're joking, right? :doh:

No....Portis has lost speed. It's not a diss, it's just how it is. Portis is still a boss. But he's gotten older, heavier, and his running style has been changed. He's a downhill runner now, less agile. The first thing I said when he got tackled was, "The Portis of 5 years ago would've scored on that play". Like I said, I'm completely happy with Portis right now, he does things now that he couldn't do 5 years ago. You win some and you lose some.

[drums and skins]

Portis did look a little slow on his break away 31yard run, but I think he still has his speed. If the weather wasn't so hot and humid, I think he would have taken that one to the house, but when the weather starts mellowing out and gets fairer and colder, it will be better for the rushing game and CP should be able to have some big runs. I love it.

Anyways, usually I see a highlight of CP trucking or decleating someone...

I didn't catch it during the game and haven't seen any highlight reels with it so I could snag it and make a gif of it. I'd love to do it, so if anyone can find a video to use as a source, I'll gladly make that gif.

[Santana_Fan]

Practice is one thing. Gametime is another.

I see this sometimes in youth coaching, a guy is really fast but once padded up they become slow while others don't.

Check out this video from 5 years ago:

http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g172/whetrich/?action=view&current=portis-first-run.flv

Tell me he still has that speed.

He definitely looks a lot smaller/slimmer in that video though. I'm not saying you're wrong either though.

[RandyHolt]

I am pretty sure they showed a replay of the trucking from a different angle during the game, that may make a better gif. It is of less importance but I am still proud that he rang ellis's bell late in the game, not many RB's will ever knock a lineman out of the game.

@double Thanks for that video link and time stamp. Again:

http://www.redskins.com/do/videoGallery

Go to "Portis Highlight: 9-28" - it happens at 0:49

[cyfar]

I love CP but he's not the same runner that he was in that video. I first noticed that when he had his big run in the Giants game, he's nowhere near as fast as he was in that Tampa video. He's changed up his running style quite a bit since then. Yeah the speed has slightly deminished but he's still good for a big gainer like Sunday.

[iMeast]

http://www.redskins.com/do/videoGallery

Go to "Portis Highlight" - it happens at 0:49

Thanks for the link. :eaglesuck

HTTR

[GregW8705]

Practice is one thing. Gametime is another.

I see this sometimes in youth coaching, a guy is really fast but once padded up they become slow while others don't.

Check out this video from 5 years ago:

http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g172/whetrich/?action=view&current=portis-first-run.flv

Tell me he still has that speed.

Bare in mind that this was the first touch of the game for him, he was much smaller, and the safety took an awful angle. I'm not convinced that there aren't more differences in those plays than just Portis' speed.

[RandyHolt]

Look at the changes in his weight since he has been here, and the role he has been used in. And look at his neck in his profile pictures of the past 5 years, the guy has worked out like crazy, he had to do it to survive all the running in between the tackles that he had to do under Gibbs. He has also been our short yardage and goal line back many times over the past few years. He had to get bigger to make it through the years.

[RandyHolt]

That same runner in that 5 year old video could never truck a middle linebacker. I agree he looks slower but we all know he is much much tougher and perhaps the most physically aggressive blocking back in the league.

"The man's a menace!"

[cphil006]

great play... just down get worn down... I like how we have a bye later in the season. We will need a break by then.

[redman]

I loved the long run, especially the play call which was brilliant, but I have to say that at the end I don't know which was worse, the feeling that Portis had lost a step, or the realization that he was brought down by a freaking arm tackle by a DB in the open field.

[#98QBKiller]

The odds in Vegas say to put your money on Brian Dawkins getting trucked by Mike Sellars on Sunday

[Destino]

I agree with ZGuy, Portis has clearly lost a step or two. The break away speed that made him famous prior to landing with the skins is all but entirely gone. He's known as a tough/smart runner now, almost no one talks about his speed at all. No radio show, no announcer, no footbal analyst... no one. The days of Portis being a speed back ended when gibbs asked him to bulk up and run between the tackles.

If you watch that footage Zguy posted you'll see that Clinton could run away from people and actually gain distance as he went. These days he's almost always falling forward/off balance and looking for the tough yards.

He's a great back that does so much for this team so don't get it twisted. I don't want him replaced and I'd argue that his overall utility for this team makes him special. But on the topic of speed alone? He's not what he was.

[Bang]

On thee long run, it really looked to me like his speed was good, but they just had the angle on him. He looks bigger because he had a big pad on his back that I had never seen him wear before.

~Bang

[Enter Apotheosis]

Practice is one thing. Gametime is another.

I see this sometimes in youth coaching, a guy is really fast but once padded up they become slow while others don't.

Check out this video from 5 years ago:

http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g172/whetrich/?action=view&current=portis-first-run.flv

Tell me he still has that speed.

That video tells me one thing... and its not that Portis has lost a step. What did Portis do on that play that he did in Denver and doesn't do nearly as much of now?

One cut and go. He didn't try to stay behind his blockers, he didn't lower his shoulders, he didn't have to dance around in the backfield any to find a seem, he saw daylight and hit the hole as fast as he could. That's the primary difference between the Portis of now and the Portis of then... its not raw speed its HOW he picks up most of his yards.

[eljeasel]

He still has his speed IMO but he's definitely lost some shiftiness. He didnt even really try to juke the last guy. Just slightly changed direction.

He slipped on the turf (like many other players did that game). I havent really seen much to say hes lost his speed or shiftiness

[jrockster21]

CP hasn't lost his speed. He's just never had great open-field vision, i.e. with one man to beat I can remember several times he went the wrong way to beat him and ended up getting tackled. He is a great cutback runner, and excels at finding the cutback lane, which is why he was so great in Denver's zone scheme. But he has definitely not lost his speed - as someone else mentioned, his neck-and-neck race with Landry early in camp proved that beyond a doubt.