Portis needs a new character -- leader

Clinton Portis posted MVP-caliber numbers this past Sunday, but true MVPs don't let their squads lose to the lowly St. Louis Lambs. By now, everybody's heard Portis' grumbling about his Washington Redskins not having their mind right heading into the Rams game, but the person who really needs to pay close attention to those comments is Clinton Portis himself.

I have a hard time swallowing this "Mr. Serious" spiel from Portis. After all, this is the guy who's concocted more stupid characters than Eddie Murphy played in "Norbit." This is the guy who once chuckled with Chris Samuels about Michael Vick's dogfighting ring. This is the guy who once wore a Ric Flair-style gold title belt on the Denver Broncos' sideline, despite not being the champion of anything I'm aware of. This is the guy who guaranteed the Redskins would earn a berth in last year's NFC Championship game, but ultimately didn't deliver.

Portis can run around in phony championship belts and play all the fake characters he wants, but until he displays some real character, his Skins aren't going to win any real championships.

Portis has six rushing TDs on the season and leads the league in both rushing attempts (136) and yards (643). Recently, he has been even more impressive, posting three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances. Portis also hasn't fumbled yet this year and is a stud blocker in pass protection. But the Redskins need more -- they need Portis to be their unquestioned leader.

Jim Zorn is a first-year coach who isn't exactly Tom Coughlin when it comes to his temperament. Jason Campbell hasn't done enough yet to be the true leader of that locker room. Mr. Taylor just got to Washington. Chris Cooley is too busy accidentally exposing himself on the Internet. If someone's going to step up and be the face of the Redskins, it's going to have to be you, Sheriff Gonnagetcha. What's truly "gonnagetcha" team somewhere is you stepping up and becoming a leader. Portis should have let his teammates know they weren't taking a desperate Rams team seriously enough.

If Portis had stepped up, assumed a larger leadership role and talked some sense into his teammates before or even during the game -- for instance, when Marcus Washington went all "8 Seconds" and celebrated a routine play against a league laughingstock -- I wouldn't be writing this right now. Santana Moss's brutal two weeks wouldn't have mattered. Pete Kendall getting all young Tiki Barber with the pigskin? Wouldn't have mattered. None of it would have mattered, because the Redskins would have won that game.

Portis can come out and give us all the lip service he wants, but if he led half as well as he played last week the Burgundy and Gold would be sitting pretty in the NFC East right now. Instead, the Redskins pulled an even bigger Week 6 choke-job than the rival Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants did. Coach Janky Spanky can keep making excuses for his team, but until he truly steps up and becomes the man in D.C. he'll be Christian Slater (he's still alive?) -- his own worst enemy. If he does step up, I can see him winning the MVP award and carrying his team deep into the playoffs.

(foxsports.com)