Mister I: Betts isn't better than Portis, people.

[Lanky Livingston]

Sure, we saw Betts’ “burst,” and Rock Cartwright’s too, but math don’t lie:

Betts’ yards per carry in Games 1-8: 3.5
Betts’ yards per carry in Game 9: 4.4

Cartwright’s yards per carry in Games 1-8: 3.4
Cartwright’s yards per carry in Game 9: 4.6

Something was different. Maybe it was the play-calling or the revamped offensive line, the mood of the team or the game plan, but something was definitely different, and it was bigger than Betts replacing Portis.

http://misterirrelevant.com/index.php/2009/11/16/betts-isnt-better-than-portis-people/

And the rebuttal from Stet Sports:

It is impossible to make the claim that Ladell Betts is a better running back than Clinton Portis. Not only has Portis delivered the goods in Washington, but over his tenure in the NFL, he’s one of the best of all time.

So no, the calls for Portis to lose his job are unfounded based on the stats. But can you make personnel decisions based on stats alone? Is there something in team chemistry and familiarity with schemes the can be a deciding factor beyond production?

If there is something to those things, then Ladell Betts should be the starting running back for the Washington Redskins.

http://www.stetsports.com/2009/11/betts-not-better-than-portis-but-certainly-a-better-fit/

 

[Lanky Livingston]

Personally, I think the team is fed up with Portis, his mouth, and his never-ending guaranteed money. I think the OLine actually blocks better for Betts and Cartwright, the two blue-collar guys who do their jobs and STFU. Portis has thrown a lot of people under the bus (including Sellers this past week), and I honestly think the rest of the team is over it. Betts is definitely better for this team, and we'll see that in the coming weeks, hopefully.

 

[Bulldog]

That's a really SMALL body of work to judge Betts and Cartwright on BEFORE the Denver game

Two years ago, didn't Portis run for 1,200 yards but with ony a 3.9 yard average? What's his average this season?

I don't think the 30 year old Betts is a long-term answer to the post- Clinton Portis era in Washington, but he should be more of the equation in helping to level out the running game for the balance of 2009.

It is clear Portis even before the concussion was a bit overweight and had the ongoing ankle issues. He was clearly not the same back he was when he stayed in DC in 2008 and worked in the offseason program before rushing for 1,487 yards.

I don't think at his age you are going to see those kinds of numbers again for him.

He may be now where Shaun Alexander was in 2006 a year after his 1,808 yard performance in 2005.

He was done. Injuries had finally taken a toll on his quickness and he was never the same back.

The team ran him in 2006 and 2007 but he was finally released and ended up in Washington a year later as a 3 game street free agent.

No, we need a new set of backs in 2010 with better speed and pass catching ability.

Could Betts be a PART of that equation as the between tackles rusher in 2010?

Maybe, depends upon the coach and the system, as well as who else the team brings in.