Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

If you were Zorn, would you be inclined to sit or start Portis this weekend? On the one hand, Portis is pretty banged up and could use the rest, the Ravens defense will likely stuff whomever we have in the backfield, and it's unlikely that we will win this Sunday. On the other hand, Portis is our best weapon (healthy or not), we have our backs to the wall in terms of the playoffs, and I'm afraid that Betts will get Jason killed when he's back there in pass protection.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

I say play more Betts and keep Portis to 15 carries..

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

Sit him -- give him an extra week and he will be good for 3 100+ games against Cin SF and Phi (3 wins) making us 10-6

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

[quote=hooskins;507650]I say play more Betts and keep Portis to 15 carries..[/quote]

yea i was thinkin somethin like that....maybe start CP...give em the first couple carries...let em disappear...then bring him in on 3rd downs..or really run him in the 2nd half or the redzone when/if the D is broken down.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

Play him. You can't assume anything in today's NFL, not even that SF and Cinci are automatic victories with a healthy Portis.

Play to win. Play him. He'll fight through.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

i rarely agree with schneed. but he is spot on. the key phrase is play to win. and besides, anytime Betts gets some carries, he fumbles:(

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

If he says he can go, I say F it, let'm play.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

Play to win the game, if it gets out of hands either way, sit him down.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

Betts is a worry as far as turnovers go, especially against a Raven's D in a game that will likely be decided by a few field goals and field position. Also, Betts is not the blocker Portis is.

However, as GTripp pointed out in his weekly offensive breakdown, Portis badly missed a few blocking assignments last Sunday, which is very unlike him. Now add a jammed neck to the equation, and you've got to wonder how effective he'll be. We all appreciate his toughness at this point, but if he's too hurt to do his job properly...

My opinion is he should be splitting carries this week. I agree with SGG that Baltimore will in all likelihood stuff whoever we put back there. If we rotate him and Betts evenly, at least we'll have fresher legs toting the rock.

We need some creative playcalling on offense or we're gonna get murdered by that defense.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

I would prefer to sit him, let him rest for the remaining games, and let Betts get some action. I'd rather go in with Betts against the Ravens and a relatively healthy Portis against our remaining opponents, than play a banged up Portis and only aggravate his injuries.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

We lived and died by the success and failure of CP. if he can play he has to play. When he's effective we win. When he's not getting the job done we lose. We can't afford to lose this one

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

Either way works for me; However, I wonder if Portis being out, would push Zorn to be more aggressive.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;507649]If you were Zorn, would you be inclined to sit or start Portis this weekend? On the one hand, Portis is pretty banged up and could use the rest, the Ravens defense will likely stuff whomever we have in the backfield, and it's unlikely that we will win this Sunday. On the other hand, Portis is our best weapon (healthy or not), we have our backs to the wall in terms of the playoffs, and I'm afraid that Betts will get Jason killed when he's back there in pass protection.[/quote]

No matter who we start its about the playcalling are we going to play into their strength and run the ball or are we going to exploit the fact that they have a pathetic secondary, even with Reed back there he can't run backwards only forwards, thats why he makes the plays he does its always action in front of him. So we cant 2-5 yard pass on them.

If we start CP get Cooley and the WR involved early/often. and spell Betts 1/2the time in first half and see where we stand. Ravens at home are going to be amped up in front of the night drunk crowd. If CP is limping we need BETTS to step up for once this season.

I'm telling you all, we need to start spreading the offense and roll out more, too many drives are being stalled without a first down b/c of bad pocket presence and poor blocking. Spread it out and they won't be batting down passes at the line. DUH ZORN.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

sit him, this game won't be won on the ground.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

[quote=Schneed10;507667]Play him. You can't assume anything in today's NFL, not even that SF and Cinci are automatic victories with a healthy Portis.

Play to win. Play him. He'll fight through.[/quote]

So Portis at 50% to 60% is better than a 100% Betts?? I say sit him down. Every team in the NFL plays back ups. Betts has carried the load and he a very capable NFL RB. He just needs to hold on to the damn ball.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

[quote=prinzeofmoval;507688]We lived and died by the success and failure of CP. if he can play he has to play. When he's effective we win. When he's not getting the job done we lose. We can't afford to lose this one[/quote]

So is CP are whole team?? We can win w/out him. If we can't then something is wrong.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

Unless Portis is healthier than he was last week, he's got to sit. Against Dallas and Seattle, he was healthy enough to contribute to our offense. Against the Giants he was not, which suggests that his condition is deteriorating week to week.

I have no idea if sitting Portis down for a week will do any good in the long term, but in the short term, if Portis is too hurt to block even, we've got to not kill him.

I would give him a week, maybe even two, to recover. We'll need a more effective Portis than we just saw to handle the Eagles in two weeks.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

I was talking with some people last week right after the Giants game about Portis. Does anyone know what incentives are in his contract? No games missed, leads the league in yards by the end of the season type stuff? He could be chasing money, but I don't think CP is totally motivated by that.
I think without CP in the game or chances of winning get cut down big. Let him get his start, bring him in on a couple first downs but let him rest. He's having a big year, and we are still in the playoff hunt, Portis will not let himself not be in this game.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;507687]I would prefer to sit him, let him rest for the remaining games, and let Betts get some action. I'd rather go in with Betts against the Ravens and a relatively healthy Portis against our remaining opponents, than play a banged up Portis and only aggravate his injuries.[/quote]

So say we sit Portis. Do you think we should use Betts like we use Portis- and by that I mean how we use Portis when we're successful- running the ball about 30 times in a game (not saying Betts would get all of those carries)? I'm not sure how effective it would be, but when we can run we usually win. It's fun to speculate, however I'm pretty sure Portis is playing.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

[quote=skinsfan69;507726]So is CP are whole team?? We can win w/out him. If we can't then something is wrong.[/quote]

Ah yes..the games we won he averaged about 120 yards a game. the games we lost he didn't do as much. It wasn't Jason Campbell for damn sure.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

[quote=skinsfan69;507725]So Portis at 50% to 60% is better than a 100% Betts?? I say sit him down. Every team in the NFL plays back ups. Betts has carried the load and he a very capable NFL RB. He just needs to hold on to the damn ball.[/quote]


I agree with you, but to be honest with Betts fumblitis this season, he isn't the nice steady backup he usually is for us. Plus our line is also banged up. I would sit CP out of this one for the simple fact that the Ravens D and Ray Lewis are just going to beat him up even more. Rest him and split the carries with Betts and Rock.Without Portis our offense sucks!!!!!

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

I guess you got the best of both worlds. He played for the first half and sat the second.

Really all I wanted to do was see if I could get the last post on the page to the top again.

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

[quote=skinsfan69;507726]So is CP are whole team?? We can win w/out him. If we can't then something is wrong.[/quote]

Like i said when he has a bad game we cant compete

Re: Portis: Sit or Start Him?
 

[quote=prinzeofmoval;509734]Like i said when he has a bad game we cant compete[/quote]

True and I dont understand why Zorn benches him sometimes. He must really believe the hype on Betts. If it is an important game. I want the ball in Portis hands. That's how we won the previous games. They may stop a couple of plays but CP always eventaully starts churning. I dont get Zorn. I am befuddled. He went away from his bread and butter and his play calling has been horrible.