Emergence of Betts encouraging for Skins’ future

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, December 18, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Washington Redskins
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The Washington Redskins recently signed reserve running back Ladell Betts to a five-year, $11 million contract extension. Had the two sides not reached an agreement, Clinton Portis' backup would have hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent in the winter. Betts has proven himself worthy of being a big-time contributor this year in Washington, making his contract seem like a steal.

In relief of the banged-up Portis -- who was placed on injured reserve in November -- Betts was brilliant Sunday, helping to spur a shocking upset victory over one of the NFC's best teams, the New Orleans Saints. Betts torched the Saints' defense for 119 yards on 22 carries, also adding three receptions for 43 yards. Surprisingly, it was Betts' fourth consecutive game of eclipsing the 100-yard mark on the ground.

The 27-year-old's stats in the three weeks prior to the Saints game read like this:

Week 12 - In a 17-13 win against Carolina, Betts rushes for 104 yards on 24 carries.

Week 13 - The Redskins lose to Atlanta, 24-14, but Betts accumulates a jaw-dropping 155 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

Week 14 - As a follow-up to his brilliant effort versus the Falcons, No. 46 rolls the Eagles' defense for 171 yards on 33 carries.

Thanks to his four-week output since Nov. 26, the 5-foot-10, 226-pound workhorse is well on his way to shockingly eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark. When Portis first got hurt during the preseason, most Redskin backers feared the worst at the running back position. Because of Betts' brilliance, though, fans' fears have been quelled. The Redskins may be 5-9, but it certainly isn't the Missouri native's fault.

The former second-round pick from Iowa's five 100-yard rushing games actually rank him ahead of league notables like Chester Taylor and Steven Jackson. He's also behind well-known stars Willie Parker and Tiki Barber by just one in that category. Betts' 933 rush yards, 4.8 per-carry average and 45 receptions certainly aren't bad, either, especially considering the fifth-year man has started just seven games this season.

"Ladell has made a real statement," Washington coach Joe Gibbs said after Sunday's 16-10 win over New Orleans. "He has led the team is what he has done."

Throughout his Hall of Fame head coaching career, Gibbs has always been someone who loves having multiple threats to work with from the backfield.

In 1983, the 66-year-old utilized the tandem of John Riggins (1,347 rush yards) and Joe Washington (772) to help him go 14-2 in the regular season and eventually earn a berth in Super Bowl XVII. Of course, the Redskins were defeated by Marcus Allen and the Raiders in that game. But during Gibbs' final championship season, back in 1991, there was the combination of Earnest Byner (1,048 yards) and Ricky Ervins (680) helping lead the Redskins to yet another 14-2 regular-season mark and 37-24 triumph over Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVI.

This year may have been lost weeks ago, but with a healthy Portis and thriving Betts, there's no reason the Redskins' offense won't return to relevance in 2007.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

Get more on the Washington Redskins at RealFootball365.com.
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