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Betts Not Better Than Portis, But Certainly a Better Fit
Published: November 16, 2009
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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.
I acknowledge that he isn’t a better player than Portis, but I won’t concede that Betts doesn’t give the team a better chance of winning than Portis at this stage of their careers . Portis has been run down , badmouthed and pinpointed for a lot of the Redskins woes over the last few seasons. From being all too anxious to share his opinion, to injuries, to this year’s apparent breakdown in physical ability, he’s been the target.
Betts, on the strength of his status as a career backup, hasn’t had the extensive injury history, and or the spotlight that inhibits trust and rapport with teammates. That’s not to say that Betts wouldn’t make many of the same assessments that Portis has over the years, but it is to say that he doesn’t have the frequent platform to regularly deliver an opinion.
So we don’t hear it. And when we do hear him, it’s usually the sound of a great teammate with a positive outlook.
Betts has proven beyond serviceable as a starter for the Redskins, and may be more versatile in clutch situations given his experience as a third down back. Maybe the running game against the Broncos worked for a multitude of reasons, and maybe the least of those was Betts’ ability.
But Betts is the back who wound up with a hundred plus yards on the day, and were it that easy to put together a game like that, Portis, an all-time great, would’ve found a way to do it against the far-inferior competition of weeks past.
And if you do think it was Betts talent, it’s not as if yesterday’s performance was a flash-in-the-pan fluke. Portis and Betts have long been interchangeable , even with the coach who brought Portis to Washington.
Teammates, coaches and pundits may have their minds made up on Portis given his contract and his career stats, and Portis has earned both well.
But is the question of the Redskins starting running back more on justifying the wealth and history of the injured starter, or with recognizing the back-up who provides the better chance to win?
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Respect for John Riggins
Published: November 12, 2009
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I was all set to pen a post about how John Riggins was nothing more than a bigger, more popular version of Brian Mitchell; a former Redskin hardwired to blow hard for fast money.
But after reading this piece from the Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins , you get a background on Riggins that puts brains behind the bluster, and reasoning behind the rage against the Redskins. He’s a guy with a troubled childhood and issues with authority, which have saved him and plagued him throughout his professional life.
I don’t know how dark Daniel Snyder’s heart is, which is among the more infamous shots Riggo has taken at the Skins’ in the last few weeks, but I do know that he isn’t the first former player to claim it. And he likely won’t be the last. The thing about Riggins that gave me more respect for him instead of guys like Mitchell, is that he as willing to spit his truth on a youtube video in the middle of the woods as he is on a radio or television broadcast.
Where most guys want to be regarded as hard nosed truth tellers, Riggins will let you keep the nose. He’s eloquent and humorous; both unintentionally at times. And where the Redskins have tried to alienate him as a voice of criticism, he’s been willing to continue his personal quest for a better ‘Skins franchise; whether he is paid for it or not.
It’s not to make Riggo’s pain more soluble or justifiable against any other sports pundit, but it is to say that there is no mask that he hopes to create out of hit. Who he is on the air is who he’ll be off of it, so it seems. There doesn’t seem to be the same disingenuous feel to his rants as there is with Mitchell, who proudly accepted a place into the Redskins Ring of Fame after a number of years of criticizing ownership and players in as an employee of the team with ESPN980.
So here’s to you Riggo. Hope you stick around.
And you WILL stick around.
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More Time for Lardarius Webb?
Published: October 29, 2009
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Not that we know that Lardarius Webb is overwhelmingly better than any of the other Ravens cornerbacks, but we have witnessed how bad they can be.
At least he has a sense of mystery about him.
He’s been pretty good on special teams, and coaches up and down the Ravens sideline rave about him in the local media. And because fans are accurately identifying the secondary as the number one weakness on this team, what do you have to lose by putting him in?
A fourth straight game? That was possible with him standing on the sidelines.
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The Unbreakable Jim Zorn
Published: October 24, 2009
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It’s hard to tell what is a sicker part of the entire Washington Redskins-Jim Zorn saga, the fact that Daniel Snyder is arrogant enough to publicly humiliate his head coach without firing him, or that Jim Zorn has enough resolve to stick it out for the money.
Obviously, Snyder’s foolishness has the staying power of 10 years of futility, but there is something admirable about Jim Zorn’s refusal to buckle to the whim of a petulant billionaire .
This same guy, beloved by his players for his folksy, stay-medium approach to life and vocation, is anything but when it comes to maintaining his integrity, and getting his money.
And he, like Snyder has become so accustomed to doing over the course of his business career, is dictating the deal…for the better or worse of the Redskins.
It seems so far away that the Skins’ were 6-2, and people were lauding the play calling and the direction of the team. Now, at 2-4, things have fallen apart right at Snyder’s doorstep.
No one blames Zorn for doing the thing’s he knows or doesn’t know how to do. His merit as a head coach and coordinator have been questioned since he was hired.
Instead, Snyder has managed to become reviled and revered at the same time. Fans are in all-out revolt mode against the Redskins , but at the mere mention of the words ‘fired’ or ‘new playcaller,’ the sheep are all too happy to once again obliged the Snyder money machine.
As if that makes everything all better.
While everything crumbles around the Redskins franchise, the one person that everyone expects to fold like a wetnap is standing tall. Jim Zorn can’t be bought, can’t be broken and can’t be forced out.
You can question his playcalling , but with the way he’s handled the last week of his professional career, can you really blame his qualities as a leader and model of grace?
Not really. And in many ways, that makes him a great head coach.
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Jason Campbell is Mr. Monday Night
Published: October 20, 2009
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Jason Campbell will be your starter for next week’s Monday Night Football massacre . And its a good thing, too—there’s no way Todd Collins emerges from the game against the Philadelphia Eagles with health, pride or sense of self-worth.
But Campbell is the right man for the job. The last time JC faced the Eagles on Monday night, Washington defeated Philadelphia 20-12 behind 209 yards passing, one TD and one interception. For his career, Campbell is 1-1 on Monday night.
Considering that the next option is Todd Collins or Antwaan Randle-El, I’d say Washington football is in good hands with Jason Campbell. At least until the Hogs play toro with the Eagles’ front four and Campbell fumbles.
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Missing Matt Stover
Published: October 20, 2009
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John Harbaugh may have confidence in Steve Hauschka , but it does very little for the Ravens fans lamenting the loss of Matt Stover to the Indianapolis Colts.
Sure, he may have been old and up for a new contract. But there is no one in the NFL worth more money than Matt Stover. He missed a few last season, and it was clear that he wasn’t the kicker he had been over his Hall of Fame career.
But in the waning seconds of the game against the Vikings, in a dome with no weather issues and all of the pressure of the final moments, you still would’ve had more faith in Stover than you did with Hauschka. Maybe it was his veteran status, maybe it was the way he put the Ravens on his back for so many wins in the past.
The loss to the Vikings was a kick in the pants that likely would’ve happened even if Stover was the kicker. But the Colts think otherwise, and in days where ‘clutch’ is at a premium in Baltimore, you begin to think that Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh may have been less-than-clutch in waving goodbye to Matt Stover.
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Goodbye, Jim Zorn: Daniel Snyder’s Impatience Shows with New Offensive Hire
Published: October 7, 2009
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The initial reaction to Daniel Snyder bringing in Sherman Lewis as an “offensive consultant” was that the team was doing everything it could to repair patchwork personnel and inconsistent play calling.
But you know what time it is when Snyder makes any kind of decision: Something better happen now, or somebody’s getting fired.
Former Washington GM Charley Casserly agrees:
“The other thing is, I’m dead set against bringing people in in the middle of the season like this, okay? This is the kiss of death, men….And it’s nothing against Sherman Lewis, I know Sherman Lewis, but I’ve never believed in these things, I’m not for it. It’s a philosophical thing that business people believe in.
“Obviously Dan Snyder’s believed in it because he’s done it on more than one occasion here before. I don’t….Historically, consultants lead to other people getting fired.”
So, in summation, Jim Zorn will probably be fired before the halfway point of the season. The team has one winnable game—a home contest against Kansas City—in their next four. Snyder, who has proven himself to be an egotistical novice in most business decisions relative to the team, has to be smart enough to know that his squad is looking at 3-5 through the first eight.
So why not lessen the pain and the gnashing of teeth from fans by dumping Zorn ASAP?
Surprisingly, as unfair as it may be to Jim Zorn, it makes sense.
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Daniel Snyder Ain’t Saying Nothing
Published: October 7, 2009
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The media love fest for the owner of the Washington NFL franchise continues. At first, I thought I was one of the few area bloggers begging for accountability not only from the ownership, but from the fans who allow its reign to wreak havoc on their team.
But the Washington Post has begun to really tear into the true issues with this team, which all begin with Daniel Snyder. First, Sally Jenkins rips Snyder to shreds with a column, which Colin Cowherd gleefully read on his show last week.
Today, it’s Leonard Shapiro’s turn.
This is a guy who once made his fortune with a company called Snyder Communications, and yet about the only time he meaningfully communicates with the people who passionately live and die with his team comes during photo ops, when he holds up the jersey of another high-priced superstar he’s just signed in the offseason.
Yep.
Something has to give here, people. The Washington Post has it’s teeth sunk into Daniel Snyder and won’t let go until Snyder either sells this team, or vows publicly to keep his hands off of it.
And the Washington Post is one of the few newspapers not dying, so their bite isn’t one easily healed.
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Raven Reviews: Not to Critique Baltimore, But Shouldn’t Willis McGahee Start?
Published: October 2, 2009
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By no means do I want to go and spoil a good thing, but it is a legitimate question to ask, given the early productivity of the Ravens’ running back tandem in Ray Rice and Willis McGahee.
Both are fairly middlin’ when it comes to total yards on the year; they rank 19th and 20th in the league, respectively. But look a little closer and see that McGahee seems to be as productive as Rice in a reserve role, and slightly more adept at finding the end zone.
With six fewer carries on the year, McGahee has four more touchdowns, the same number of runs for 20 or more yards (1), nearly twice the amount of first downs (11), and nearly one yard more in per carry average (5.9).
Of course, much of this is relative to when McGahee carries the ball; primarily in short yardage situations and around the goal line. But if you are trusting McGahee, with his injury history and all to shoulder the bulkier rushing assignments, would it be blasphemous to enter him as the starter and allow Rice to be the speedy, hands-out-of-the-backfield, change-of-pace back?
We’ve seen New Orleans make Reggie Bush into this kind of weapon. We’ve seen the New York Giants and San Diego Chargers have the same effect with Ahmad Bradshaw and Darren Sproles. I know that everything is going well with the Ravens offense, and there’s no reason to create controversy where none exists.
But for what he’s earning, and the rebirth of his running prowess, shouldn’t McGahee have the opportunity to take back what he’s lost? Rice is good, there’s no question about it. But McGahee has been showing signs since last season of returning to form as an elite back, and if the franchise has designs on making him a tradeable commodity in favor of Rice, the least they could do is show off his talent as a starter.
And in turn, preserve Rice for the stretch run of the playoffs
Again, I’m not advocating Rice losing his gig; it’s all just supposition. I’m sure no one wants to go there in trading a great back and reducing the offense’s ability to wear down defenses. It’s no secret that the Ravens haven’t always been in love with McGahee’s work ethic or propensity for injuries. But that seems to be behind him, and it may be worthwhile to consider maximizing his talent for short term goals and long term success.
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Redskins Media Watch
Published: September 28, 2009
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So, we know this might be the most volatile day in the history of Washington sports talk media. On the radio and on the web, Redskins fans are going to be chiming in on their despair in record numbers.
So consider this just another resource to deposit your angst. If you’re on hold for radio, typing on forums, or just banging out a letter of dismay to Daniel Snyder, feel free to write in here. If you’re listening to local or national radio and television and want to be the first to post the same insane comments analysts will make later, do it here.
Consider this your safe place. It’s the least I can do on this, one of the lowest points in Washington’s football history.
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