ASHBURN, Va. -- Clinton Portis was his usual cutup self Thursday in the Washington Redskins' locker room, cracking jokes at Santana Moss' expense.
Moss, sitting one locker to the right, was clearly not amused.
Their personalities are so different, it's sometimes hard to imagine how they get along. Portis can be a flamboyant tease; Moss is friendly but rarely cracks a smile. Portis would love nothing better than to never have to practice again; Moss has a work ethic that no one questions.
What they have in common is a University of Miami bond that they also shared with the late Sean Taylor, whose locker sits undisturbed on the other side of Portis' locker.
And, in the four-game winning streak that put the Redskins into the playoffs, both recovered from early setbacks to produce some of their best numbers of the season.
"They've kind of taken over," assistant coach Joe Bugel said. "Those are big-play guys for us, and, boy, they're making big plays."
Portis missed the entire preseason with tendinitis in his knee. Moss battled injuries to his heel, groin and hamstring during the first two-thirds of the season. Neither looked like his old self.
Now, they do -- and Portis isn't bashful about his part of it.
"Right now, the shares for this stock -- they're outstanding," he said, puffing his chest out and laughing.
Between running and receiving, Portis has more than 120 combined yards from scrimmage in each of the past four games. He has rushed for 1,200 yards for the fifth time in his six-year career, his 47 catches for 389 yards are both career highs, and he has quietly earned a reputation as an avoid-at-all-cost blocker.
"What's most impressive -- and I don't think he gets enough credit for it -- is his blitz pickup," said Seattle Pro Bowl linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who'll be eyeing Portis when the Redskins visit the Seahawks in the first round of the playoffs Saturday.
"He hammers guys when they come through," he said. "I've seen him put a couple of linebackers out in years past. He's over there calling for the stretcher for them, 'Come get 'em!' Tough, tough guy."
Portis also feels he has become a better team player, a noteworthy achievement from someone known for marching to his own beat with his own sense of fashion. Portis wore a costume at Redskins Park only once this year, although he left the stadium after the victory over Dallas on Sunday wearing red shoes, a red scarf and a fedora.
