Portis Calls a Key Offensive Play

NEW YORK -- A really interesting Sunday. What do you want to hear about first? The origins of the Wildcat play, which has carried the woebegone Dolphins to wins over the two AFC Championship Game teams from last year? The future of Kerry Collins, who, in a month, has gone from a washed-up backup to one of the NFL's 20 most important players? The incredible case of Matty Ice? Plaxico Burress' future with the Giants?

None of the above, though I'll get to them all. My choice: The first play-call of Clinton Portis' life.

The Redskins are turning into one of the great stories of the year. They looked inept in a flaccid opener against the Giants. They've looked like the '67 Packers since. They won their fourth straight, 23-17, at Philadelphia Sunday, and afterward, I couldn't quite believe what Jim Zorn told me.

"Clinton called that fourth-down play,'' Zorn said.

Clinton Portis what?

Fourth-and-one at the Eagles' 38, 2:48 left, Washington up 23-17, Philly out of timeouts. Tricky call here. If Washington gets stopped, the Eagles take over with about 2:40 left and 62 yards to travel for the winning score. If Washington makes it on a running play and stays inbounds and plays its time-strategy cards right, the 'Skins should be able to run out the clock by kneeling three times and going home with a dramatic win.

Zorn had his thinking cap on, with Jason Campbell and Portis and a couple of the coaches on the sidelines. "I called the formation first,'' he said, "and then he called the play. He thought we should run a draw. I didn't say anything, and I looked at my plan. It was going to be very hard to run. But I thought about the play, and it was a good call. And he's a veteran. If a rookie had said anything, I'd have told him to shut up. But the call made sense. We ran it. He had to really hammer it out.''

The draw's a great call there, with the expectation that a strong back would either wham into the line, or the quarterback would throw a sure thing to either the back or tight end. The momentary element of surprise may have given Portis the sliver he needed to plow for three yards. Ballgame.

Portis was a monster in this game -- 29 carries, 145 yards -- against a D that had allowed 54 yards rushing per game in the first month of the season. Imagine how he felt, calling the last meaningful play of the game. Imagine the respect he felt from his coach. Imagine the ownership he feels in his team this morning, knowing the new coach, an offensive maven, thought enough of his brain and gut feeling that he could get the yard he needed.

There's a lot to like about these Redskins right now, and about their coach.

(cnnsi.com)