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Originally Posted by Beemnseven
I've been critical of Portis and the trade since Day One. And I still say that the front office probably gave up too much to get him. To me, it was a questionable transaction purely in terms of the pricetag. But that's not the fault of Portis. Up until the last five games, I looked at him -- along with the team that surrounded him -- as an average player, and nothing particularly special. But he, and the team as a whole have turned themselves completely around and are on a roll. At this point, there is no doubt that he has fully adjusted to this offense and its schemes, and has developed a cohesive rhythym with the O-line.
27 carries and 112 yards still doesn't quite equal an eye-popping average, but it's getting the job done. I don't think anyone argues with that. The heroes today were the defense and the 6 takeaways. Without those, this game is lost.
When this team was 5-6, I was unimpressed with Portis, Joe Gibbs, and the team altogether. Obviously, a five game winning streak and clinching a playoff berth changes things. Everyone who pays attention to professional football has just witnessed Joe Gibbs turn a perpetually struggling team into playoff contenders. I don't know if I agree with Howie Long and others who say that it was solely the play of Clinton Portis that carried this team. It would have been tough to do it without him, but many others have stepped up too.
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I agree with you on many points. I think what Long meant was that when it comes to a ball controlled offense that relies heavily on a running back, Portis has been THE guy to step up to the plate and deliever. You have to be a workhorse in this offense, and Portis has proven that he can be as such. It is also true, you have to consider Moss, Cooley, the defense......also Brunell. He hasn't been a Hall of Famer, but he's contributed to this team's success.