Vegas bookies had it right calling a the Broncos game surprisingly close at first glance as the Skins were only a 3.5 point underdog. In fact they probably would have fallen within that spread had it not been for punter Hunter Smith who is a special team virtuoso now credited with two touchdowns to his name.
It’s kind of weird what winning does to fans. After the win many fans were chanting ‘We Want Dallas’. They definitely don’t speak to the majority of fans. In fact they were probably just basking in the euphoria of a rare win in which we scored more than 17 points in over a year!
Now why did we win? Let’s break it down into simple terms. The Skins were coming off a bye, well rested. The Broncos were coming off a Monday Night game on a short week. And Clinton Portis didn’t play in today’s game meaning Ladell Betts carried the ball over 100 yards rewarding the few fantasy football players that picked him up this week.
Is this a sign to come for the future? Hell no. This type of perfect storm of us coming off a bye and a team coming off a short week only happens once every seven years. We’ll probably be back to our old ways unless of course Portis continues to be hurt and Ladell Betts gets the starting nod a lot more.
Why is Betts better than Portis? Here’s why…
1. He practices much more than Portis and has taken half of the 1st team snaps as Portis because Portis is a lazy bum and he already got paid.
2. Less miles on Betts’ legs. Portis took a beating during the Gibbs’ era where he was used as a John Riggins/Stephen Davis type of running back when he obviously wasn’t.
3. Furthermore, Portis tends to not use his blocking properly. He’s a quick cutback type of RB while Betts is more patient and tends to let the blocking develop. Betts’ running style helps the offensive line because not only is he simply effective in the running game, but at least they can use some play action in the passing game and the defense can’t just pin their ears on the quarterback anymore.
