Clinton Portis isn’t worried about being replaced as the Washington Redskins’ starting running back.
Making his weekly appearance on the Mike Wise Show with Holden Kushner on 106.7 The Fan, Portis said that having his role reduced to that of a third-down back in the second half of Sunday’s 30-16 loss to St. Louis didn’t bother him.
Coach Mike Shanahan said on Monday that he went with Ryan Torain on first and second down instead of Portis because his starting running back had been bothered by a wrist injury. Torain got three carries in the second half, opposed to Portis’ one carry.
Wise and Kushner asked Portis -- who had a 27-yard run in the first half that could’ve been longer had he not fallen down intentionally to avoid the risk of turning the ball over as several Rams players converged upon him -- if he thought the second-half change would be permanent, or if it was upsetting. But Portis took the high road.
“Going forward, I have no idea,”
he said. “I’m going forward and preparing, and if my number’s called, I’m going to go out on the field and do what I can to help the team. If not, I’m going to cheer on my teammates and congratulate whoever it is, and if we’re winning, I’m going to smile like everyone else.”
Portis raised some eye brows by falling down instead of fighting for more yardage on the 27-yard run, but he said even after going back over the game, he believes he did the right thing.
"I did fall on purpose. If you go and look at the 27 yard run, there are five Rams players behind me, and no Redskins,”
Portis told Wise and Kushner. “All week long, we was coached to sacrificed yardage for the ball. The whole gameplan was … them being some of the top strippers in the NFL, I really couldn’t see around me and to continue to fight for a few extra yards and risk losing the ball when we were trying to get momentum, that’s not thinking about the team.”
When asked what the game plan for Sunday’s game against Philadelphia entailed for him, Portis refused to say if he expected or deserved to start. He does, however, still have confidence in his abilities as a starting running back.
“I have no idea, and I don’t think it matters,”
Portis said. “I think nine years of being in the NFL and being a starting running back, you’re going to go through adverse times. I always think of myself as the No. 1 back and always prepare myself as the No. 1 back. When it comes to competition, I’m feel like I’m going to outplay anybody and on the opposing team. The stats might not reflect it, but when it comes to what you do for your team, I think what I have done for my team the last nine years, you can tell the difference in the games when I’m in or out. What I do for my team, and the excitement level of what I give on the field is always better than the next guy. So, I’m going to continue to prepare that way.”
Wise told Portis that he has often been described as soft (not sure who is saying that), and asked for Portis’ take on that. Portis, known as one of the best pass-blocking running backs in the league, simply shrugged off the so-called criticism.
“People are going to believe what they want to believe,”
he said. “If they turn on the film any Sunday, they’ll see whether he’s big or small, I’m trying to give him all 214 pounds of me, just like he’s trying to give it to me. If you ever see me back down from any man on the football field, then my time is up in this league. … I’m going to look any man eye-to-eye and try to give it to him.”
The subject of Portis’ job security again was brought up, and Portis refused to question Mike Shanahan, or express uneasiness about his role. Instead, he said that his body of work both this season and in previous years, speaks for itself.
“Week 1, I got MVP after our victory against Dallas -- offensive MVP. And then Week 2, it was like, how close, if we had’ve won, I would’ve been offensive MVP,”
Portis said. “And then compared to week 3, we go through little bit of adversity, and then it’s “Are you going to be the starting running back?” In the NFL, I don’t think in a week my play from Houston to St. Louis, I don’t think my play diminished or I fell off the map. But that’s up to them. The organization, they make the calls. We just go out an execute. As for myself, I’ll be OK.”
Shanahan would’ve been proud of Portis. Wise again tried to bait Portis into saying that he was upset about being reduced to a third-down back on Sunday. "Man, that would've bugged me had I gotten into the groove like you did in the first quarter and not gotten some carries down the road," Wise said, and then asked Portis if he should’ve spoken up for himself and demanded “to get at least a rep or two,” in the second half. But Portis didn’t take the bait. (One, because he respects Shanahan, but secondly, because he did in fact receive playing time in the second half.)
Portis responded with, “I don’t have to say anything to anybody. You know 26 is on the roster. Use me how you choose to. ... Other than that, nice talking to y’all. Have a good time on the show.”
