"In the the past five games without Clinton Portis in the backfield, the Washington Redskins' running game showed few signs of a fall-off in terms of yardage. The team averaged just four fewer yards per game than they did when Portis was healthy and in the lineup for the first four games of the season.

But his absence has certainly been felt in other ways. For example, in Portis's four starts, the Redskins allowed six sacks, an average of 11/2 per game. In the five games without him, they've allowed 19 sacks, an average of nearly four per game.

"You've got a guy with a lot of experience. We know what type of blocker he is. If he can come back full speed, he adds a lot to our offense," Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said. "He's got a lot of confidence, knows the system, knows defenses. He's got a little bit of a swagger to him that you like on the football field."

Shanahan will welcome Portis back to the lineup Sunday in Tennessee. The groin injury that has kept Portis on the sidelines since the Oct. 3 win at Philadelphia is finally healthy enough for the ninth-year running back to return to the field. "