The Redskins had failed to convert on third down with an incomplete pass from Jason Campbell. The rookie coach Jim Zorn — whose candor would seem an immediate disqualifier for his job — said he took a timeout after that play so he could regain his composure and get out of his mind how the third down had failed.

The safe thing to do would be to punt and make the Eagles march the length of the field to try for the winning score. But during the timeout, Portis went to Zorn and asked him to call his number. Zorn did, and Portis muscled his way for 3 yards and a first down, allowing the Redskins to run out the clock.

"You don’t know what we’re going to do," Portis said. "We don’t even know what we’re going to do. You get in the huddle and Jason calls the play and I’m saying, ‘We just put that in this morning.’ "