Clinton Portis wants a break and he's getting an extended one that didn't seem likely when he was leading the NFL in rushing at midseason while leading the Redskins to a surprising 6-2 record.
But after 29 carries in Sunday's season-ending 27-24 loss at San Francisco -- his most in a defeat since last Nov. 11 -- Portis might not take a serious hit again until September. He'll play in the Pro Bowl on Feb. 8, but that event isn't known for its physicality. And Portis' distaste for preseason has been made frequently clear.
"I need a break," Portis said after rushing for just 80 yards on those 29 carries against the 49ers. "I've got to get away from football."
It was the football that got away from Portis on the fourth play of the third quarter at the Washington 37 that sparked a San Francisco comeback from a 17-7 deficit. The Redskins had built that lead in part on Portis' ninth touchdown of the year and second in two games.
"That in no way lost the game for us," coach Jim Zorn said of Portis' third lost fumble of the year on 370 touches, third-most in the NFL. "Clinton has got to feel very good about his year. When he was healthy, he played very, very well. When he was banged up, he played well."
Portis certainly got banged up during the 2-6 second half that left the Redskins a disappointing 8-8. He injured a knee, a hip, ribs and his neck. He missed considerable practice time, but he started every game and finished with 1,487 rushing yards, just 29 shy of the Redskins record of 1,516 he set in 2005.
"The only way you're going to stay from being banged up when you're the focal point of every team, is not playing," Portis said. "It just didn't go our way. The first half was great. The second half sucked. We blew it."
