Jim Zorn and Clinton Portis conducted a 10-minute, iron-out-the-differences meeting on Wednesday, and when it was over the coach of the Washington Redskins and his star running back declared their public dust-up to be finished as quickly as it flared up.
“There was something on my chest that I needed to get off, and I did,” Portis said of his radio show appearance Tuesday, in which he criticized Zorn for benching him during the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. “Anytime you get something off your chest that you need to get off your chest … you feel less stressed. We’re on the same page. We realize it was a situation we let go too far.”
Said Zorn, “We had an excellent conversation and got things clarified.”
The trouble began on Sunday night, when Portis spent all but two of the Redskins’ second-half offensive snaps against the Ravens on the sideline. Ladell Betts and Mike Sellers replaced him after the first series.
While Portis watched, the Redskins struggled in a 24-10 loss that marked their fourth defeat in five games and left them a game behind in the race for the final NFC playoff spot.
On Tuesday, Portis let it rip on the radio in a wide-ranging rant directed mostly at his coach.
Portis mocked Zorn, who calls the offensive plays, during the running back’s weekly paid appearance on ESPN 980, the team-owned radio station. He complained about his role in the offense, suggested he might need to be placed on injured reserve, criticized what he called a lack of communication and discussed the possibility of severing ties with the Redskins.
“We got a genius for a coach, so I don’t know,” Portis said when asked what adjustments the team needed to make on offense. “I’m sure he’s got everything figured out.”
But on Wednesday, Portis said he is “cool with everything” and that he has no intention of moving to another team.
“[Coach Zorn] said what he had to say, and I understand his point and where he was coming from,” Portis said. “I tried to get him to understand [my point]. Everybody wants to win. We both got egos. Me and Coach Zorn got a pretty good relationship. We’re going to have to continue to work together. He ain’t going nowhere. I don’t think I’m going nowhere.
“I’m a Washington Redskin. I love [owner Dan] Snyder. Mr. Snyder love me. Before this turns into a whole ’nother ’Clinton Portis wants out of Washington’ [thing]. I love the Washington, D.C., area.”
The on-air tirade wasn’t out of character for Portis, whose behavior once caused Zorn’s mild-mannered predecessor, Joe Gibbs, to hurl a water bottle in anger over questions about his star’s health and practice status.
“With Clinton, I wasn’t that surprised,” Zorn said. “It’s not a dire situation. He was just frustrated … based on a lack of communication.”
Zorn said he would have preferred Portis discuss the frustrations with him, running backs coach Stump Mitchell or offensive coordinator Sherman Smith before going public.
Zorn, however, said he won’t ask Portis to stop appearing on the radio each Tuesday.
“I don’t want anyone walking around on eggshells,” Zorn said. “He didn’t get any answers, but he wasn’t asking questions either. In his mind, he was getting mixed signals [about whether to block or run a route in certain passing situations]. You can’t remedy that on a radio program. You gotta remedy that with [a coach].
“There’s a protocol. I shouldn’t have to seek that out. He had some legitimate concerns. He had some legitimate confusion. Just come in, no problem.”
Portis’ teammates didn’t want to take sides in the squabble. Guard Pete Kendall said the running back and the coach butted heads because they’re similar.
“Two of the most competitive guys here - emotional guys, too,” Kendall said. “It’s not hard to figure out how either one’s feeling. If you can’t tell by looking at ’em, you just have to ask.”
The Redskins held a previously scheduled players-only meeting Wednesday before Zorn addressed the team and met with Portis.
Middle linebacker London Fletcher was the most vocal of the co-captains at the meeting.
“[Questioning the calls] is not something you should do as a player,” Fletcher said. “Coaches coach and players play. Regardless of whatever the call is, you go out there and execute that play to the best of your abilities.”
But Fletcher said he wasn’t talking about Portis.
“Clinton’s not one of those guys,” Fletcher said. “You watch him play and there’s no doubt he’s out there fighting, giving his all. He believes in what’s going on, what’s being called. He’s not a guy you have to get that message across to at all.”
As for Zorn, Fletcher said: “You got to get to know your players and understand what’s going to motivate them, what’s going to frustrate them. Some coaches are great at it. It’s a learning experience.”
Portis’ teammates said they hope the crisis between the coach and the star is history.
“It’s like your mom or your dad getting into an argument [with you] over something you did at school, they’re gonna get pissed off with you, but when you go to sleep, ’I love you, that’s the only reason I fussed at you,’” receiver Santana Moss said. “[It’s like] ’Coach, I love you. That’s the only reason I expressed my feelings like that.’”
After his chat with Zorn, Portis participated in a full practice Wednesday for the first time since getting injured against Pittsburgh on Nov. 3, and the team did not list him on the injury report. Zorn reiterated his hope to return Portis to an every-down role.
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