Portis on a run

ASHBURN Running backs and wide receivers are known for saying, "Give me the ball."

Offensive linemen, at least one of the Washington Redskins offensive linemen, has a different chant. It's more along the lines of, "Give me the Rolex. I'll take the plasma TV."

"Randy has been talking about a plasma TV," Redskins running back Clinton Portis said of right guard Randy Thomas. "He asked me for a Rolex this morning. The price of yardage is high around here.

"I cannot lead them into thinking I'm capable of doing that."

Portis, 27 and in his seventh NFL season, has been a capable running back for quite some time. When he arrived in the NFL, as a second-round choice of the Denver Broncos in 2002, he burst onto the scene with back-to-back 1,500-plus-yard seasons. His second year was 9 yards short of a 1,600-yard year.

He was acquired by the Redskins in 2004, and the yards suddenly got much tougher. Portis still put up good numbers, 1,315 yards in 2004 and 1,516 in 2005. But he required 60 to 70 more carries to get those yards than he had used in Denver.

This year, Portis is ripping off 4.5 yards per carry, has 514 yards in five games. He also has four touchdowns, and the Redskins are 4-1.

His 145 yards rushing on 29 carries and two catches for 13 yards against Philadelphia Sunday earned him NFC offensive player of the week honors.

And that brought out the requests from Thomas, which Portis so far has denied.

Portis spent the past three seasons denying he had lost a step and denying that all those between the tackle runs had taken too big a toll on his 5-11, 223-pound body.

"I think I'm an all-around back," he said. "I came into the league labeled as a scatback or third-down back. Now, you're seeing I can grind. I can break the big one. With the blocking and everything, I'd say just an all-around back."

Portis, who played for the University of Miami, takes particular pride in his blocking. He is adept at picking up blitzing linebackers and using his body almost viciously to cut them down. He stays in every play, sometimes even sprinting downfield to block for a receiver after a catch.

"He gets a lot of pub for what he does with the ball in his hands," said Redskins center Casey Rabach. "But the exciting thing for us is what he does when he doesn't have the football in his hands -- picking up blocks downfield, just crumpling people in pass protection."

Portis is known for many things around the Redskins practice facility. Three years ago, he donned a different costume and assumed a new persona -- Sheriff Gonna Getcha, Southeast Jerome, Southeast Jerome in Heaven -- for his weekly news conferences.

People still remember that, but that is not the Portis his teammates see.

"He's more business-like than what people expect," Rabach said. "He never really jokes around in the huddle, even though some other people do. He's definitely focused and taking care of the task at hand. Clinton always comes to work on Sundays."

His work on Sundays so far this season has Portis second in the NFL in rushing and on pace to have the best season of his career.

"I really don't have any goals," Portis said. "I didn't know how many yards I have or where I stand until someone just told me. It's much better to see everyone walking around smiling, happy, enjoying going out to practice because we're winning.

"That's much better than me in position to be at the top or to be an elite back again while everybody else is sitting around the locker room pouting. We're coming together as a team. It's working out great."

If things keeping going along as they have, Thomas might even get that plasma TV or the expensive watch.

"None of that," Portis said.

Furthermore

Eight players did not take part in practice for the Redskins yesterday: SS Reed Doughty (back), DE Jason Taylor (calf), DT Cornelius Griffin (shoulder), OT Stephon Heyer (shoulder), CB Shawn Springs (calf), LB Marcus Washington (hamstring), G Pete Kendall (knee), G Randy Thomas (knee). Doughty has a nerve issue in his back. Johnny Baldwin, a linebacker on the practice squad, injured his left knee during practice and was taken for an exam.
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