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Ladell Betts - Better with More Work

Gman84

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From my nfluk.com blog:

58 games with 10 carries or less: 252 carries for 842 yards at 3.3 avg and 2tds

16 games with 10-15 carries: 118 carries for 719 yards at 3.8 avg and 3tds

5 games with 16-20 carries: 84 carries for 407 yards at 4.8 avg and 1td

10 games with 20 or more carries: 248 carries for 1201 yards at 4.8 avg and 6tds
 
Unless doctor's orders say otherwise, it's gonna be hard to keep Clinton from playing against Dallas. He looked like he wanted to be out there yesterday and I'm sure he'll bend pal Danny's ear this week.

I really liked the way Betts ran yesterday but the Broncos D hasn't been good the past three games. Running against Dallas will be a different story. I'm assuming Betts will get a little more time next week anyway.
 
Zorn said in today's presser that Portis won't play if he can't practice.

Portis hasn't practiced since training camp.

But yeah, I think Portis will try and play.

Although I've seen more from Betts in his limited carries than I have from Portis all season, hopefully Portis has the kind of success we've seen from Betts in his limited carries.
 
Zorn is a fool.

If he's going to be fired at the end of the season in any event, he should play the players that are healthy and give the team the best chance to win.

What is he afraid of? If Cerrato and Snyder want him to play Portis and he disagrees they can fire him and he can go home and collect the rest of his money.

At some point, Zorn has to stand up for himself and not come across as such a wall flower.
 
If Zorn has been told from above to play Portis and he doesn't, he can be fired for cause, thus forfeiting the balance of his contract. Not saying that is the case, just pointing out that it is a possibility.
 
If Zorn has been told from above to play Portis and he doesn't, he can be fired for cause, thus forfeiting the balance of his contract. Not saying that is the case, just pointing out that it is a possibility.

Good point, Neo. Zorn can only come out smelling like a rose if he's following what those above him instruct him to do and then is fired because of lack of success with it. He then would be a partial scapegoat-but a well compensated one. On the other hand-pure speculation here, of course,-but what happens to the whole "Zorn-begone" scenario if all of a sudden the Skins pull off 3 or 4 more wins with the "new" way of playing? That in itself could be interesting to watch.

After having given it some thought, I'd like to see Portis play with the new OLine arrangement also just to help settle the question of whether his ball carrying capability can be as productive to the team as Betts has been. That may also help answer the question that has been raised that the level of effort being displayed by the Oline is "different" due to dissatisfaction with players' perception of CP's attitude toward them.
 
I don't know whether a coach's contract includes language in regards to who he plays on Sundays. Knowing Snyder and Cerrato, though, and also knowing how naive Zorn is, he probably signed a contract that in fact emasculated himself that much by dictating every action he could and could not take.

There is no way Shanahan or Holmgren accept conditions on how or when they use players on the roster.

I am really getting sick of Portis and his act. He is a lot like Arrington was back in 2004-2005.

A guy whose candle was flickering in his time in Washington, but used that last bit of time to justify himself to the media and make subtle hints that whatever is happening that is negative isn't really any of his fault.

Portis claims he just shows up and runs as hard as he can and does what he is told, etc. as the 'good soldier'.

Did that include coming to camp out of shape and starting the year against the Giants as if it were the first day of training camp?

Guys like Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith didn't need a coach over them to convince them to stay in shape over the offseason and be ready to play.

That's one of the reasons Portis in my mind while a talented player in his prime is not an elite back.

And at age 28, it is doubtful with the way he conditions himself that he is going to be a back that is in the NFL at age 32 or 33.

Like Edge, Portis is nearing the end. Edge at 29/30 was essentially done. He was recently released by Seattle.

I expect the same for #26.
 
I think Portis act has worn thin on his teammates as well. Be curious to see how things play out if Danny brings in a good GM, plus if we have an uncapped year.
 
yeah, seemed like the offensive linemen and Campbell have had enough of the team's coddling of Portis as well from their comments as reported through on the Theismann/Weisman show this morning on WTEM.

at some point, the truth gets out.

and then we begin to understand slowly but surely why the team has performed this poorly.

clearly, Zorn is not a strong enough figure to maintain discipline and make guys like Portis and Haynesworth practice and prepare so that they can play and stay away from the weekly injury report.

Parcells, Dungy (now Caldwell), Sean Peyton, these coaches don't end up with players that need to be coddled because they set a tone where that kind of nonsense isn't going to be tolerated.

Just look at Jason Taylor. The Redskins paid him $6M in 2008 to play 3 or 4 games and drink gatorade. Then to get back on the Dolphins, he had to get on his knees and beg for another chance. Parcells gave him a $1.5M deal and he has started every game.

Suddenly, his own big mouth has become quiet again.

Talk about being robbed!

Parcells loaned Taylor to the Redskins for 1 year, removed $7m from his cap and got a #2 pick in the bargain.

And somebody is actually going to tell me that Cerrato deserves an NFL job?

Give me a break.
 
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Got to agree with Bulldog on this one. Not like Betts is a scrub. At 3-6, I would hope to God you play whoever gives you even the slightest chance of a win. Portis *may* be the better back, but he's not playing better, and theres no reason to believe he's suddenly going to start looking all-world. Right now, give me Betts and Cartwright, both of whom look to be about twice as hungry as CP has all year.
 
Nothing uglier than watching a premiere athlete start to fade. A guy like Portis is used to being able to get on the field and perform and wave a finger at his critics. Now, with the number of carries he has logged and breakdown of his body over time, he is no longer capable of willing himself to such performances.

But the ego is the last thing to go. While he may no longer be physically what he once was, in his own mind he IS.

And that is a problem for the coaching staff and ultimately for the team.

Notice that when Portis was acting as a 'shadow' GM when Gibbs was here and telling everyone who the team should draft or trade at WR, OL, DL, and the secondary not once did he endorse the team bringing in a change of pace back.

Portis liked the fact Betts deferred to him and allowed CP to regulate how much each of them played on Sundays. Betts never bucked for additional playing time and Portis no doubt was grateful for not being pushed when he wasn't performing that well at times.

A responsible organization, however, would have drafted runners to work in as the next generation if Betts and Cartwright didn't look like they had the stones to stake a claim to the job.

Now, Betts is on the field and productive. But, he isn't going to fight to stay on the field when CP is ready to come back. And CP knows that.

The Redskins need to move forward and remove the label of 'sacred cow' from several of the veterans that have gone out to dinner with Snyder at Olives.
 
The Redskins need to move forward and remove the label of 'sacred cow' from several of the veterans that have gone out to dinner with Snyder at Olives.

Olives? Not Michel Richard Citronelle? Gee, and I thought Danny was a big spender...how disappointing. :rolleyes2:
 
I've noticed this throughout his career.

For whatever reason, he's just not good at spot duty. He's not the kind of guy you can throw in when your #1 back needs a breather.

If you let him play an entire game, however, he looks great. He was explosive, broke tackles and looked better than Portis has all year.

On a side note, I think Portis must have been at practice teaching Quinton
Ganther how to block. The dude was obliterating blitzers and staying with his block!
 

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