Die Hard Sports Fan

With such an intense rivalry heading our way this Sunday, Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache had lots to say today at Redskins Park among convesation with Dan Steinberg of the D.C. Sports Bog. Now I don’t know about you guys, but with Eagles running back Brian Westbrook still questionable and it now being Thursday evening, I’m quite eager to hear how the Skins D is preparing to stop the number five passing offense in the league.

Blache’s interview with Steinberg eased my tension a bit, especially considering his brutally honest opinion on the use of stats as a coach.

“We don’t worry about numbers here,” he said. “Statistics are for losers. I’m not a stat guy. I’m not interested in them, because you can do anything you want with numbers, you can manipulate them, and work around with them…So I don’t believe in numbers, because any crook can play with numbers….For me, you either win or you lose; you don’t get second place because you had great stats….I’ve been around a ton of guys that will just sit and spout their statistics. Drives me crazy. It’s meaningless.”

Prior to being the defensive coordinator, Blache ran the defensive line in Washington while working under Greg Williams.  He brought the Skins from 27th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed in the 2006 season to 4th last year.  I guess you could also say he is partly responsible for the Skins D being 3rd in overall defense in the NFC. This is Blache’s fifth season in DC, but he’s got quite the resume of football coaching to back him up. Between the Bears, Colts and Packers, Blache has been among the league for 16 years and he coached lots of college ball before that.  Needless to say, the man knows what he’s doing.

“…I’m old school. I have no interest in a head job. All I want to do, I want to win Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins a Super Bowl championship, that’s my goal. Past that, a good glass of wine, a good Cuban cigar, and hell, life is beautiful.”

Now…how can a quote like that NOT bring a smile to your face and leave you optimistic on your Friday morning?

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The Washington Post published an interesting article today that featured a number of quotes from Clinton Portis. For instance:

“I wish I could go to a team for one week with the best offensive line, or the team with the best scheme, and switch places with their back and see how others would do in this system,” Portis said, sitting on a couch the other day at Redskins Park. “I get a lot of touches with nowhere to run. I could see if I got all those touches and had some lanes, but there’s nine or 10 men in the box. “You know, I’m dodging all the people in the backfield, fighting just to get back to the line of scrimmage, and people [are] looking around like, ‘Oh, he just missed it.’ I’m dodging people getting the handoff, because nobody’s really respecting us as a passing team.”

WOW! I wonder, when I read that, if he really intended to slam his QB and offensive line like he did. But, a moment later, he expresses confidence in Jason Campbell by saying, “I believe in him.”

Lightly speaking, perhaps Portis was interviewed after watching tape of Reggie Bush from last week. That aside, without a doubt, his comments will spark another round of Jason Campbell criticism. But, in this context, I do believe Portis has a valid point. He’s right. He is being asked to do what is inherently unsuccessful in this league; run successfully against eight, nine, or even ten defenders in the “box.”

When Portis arrived in D.C., it was the start of the second Joe Gibbs era. They tried to make a slash and dash RB into John Riggins or any of the other big, bruising backs we’ve had. And, as late as last week, we were still trying to run some of those “legacy” run plays that Joe Bugel loves so much.

Clinton Portis is not a bruiser. Though he ran with “violence” last week, and will do whatever is needed, which includes putting his head down and fighting for three, maybe four yards per carry, Portis is best used in space.

I realize that we are trying to gradually phase in the “new” by maintaining some of the “old.” But, unlike my willingness to be patient with Jason Campbell, I’ve grown tired of our running game. I love Joe Bugel. He’s a great guy, based on what I know of the man. I loved watching the Hogs back in the day and dominating the opposing team with John Riggins. But, that was then. This is now.

We need to allow Jim Zorn and Sherman Smith to implement a running game that will create the space Portis needs to flourish, much in the same way that the New Orleans Saints are doing with Reggie Bush. Still, as he said during the interview, it begins with a healthy passing game; one that is respected by the defense.

And, yes, I concede that a healthy passing game begins with our QB, Jason Campbell. Our offense is predicated upon a quick drop and release. If Campbell continues to hold on to the ball too long, the entire offense suffers. Given that to be the case, Portis will continue to have a career that is inherently limited by the lack of opportunities to run to daylight.

I’m not an individual that likes to dwell on the question of, “what if…” And apparently, neither is Portis. But, it’s hard to not wonder what his career would look like today if he’d been able to continue doing what he had in Denver. All other considerations included, such as avoiding serious injury, his growth as a person and a leader of the team, his willingness to train in the offseason, Portis would be having an NFL Hall of Fame career.

As it stands now, we’re just shortening his career.

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