Perhaps Doug Martin is Doug Martin
October 2nd, 2015
With a new injury and no better numbers, Doug Martin seems to be having a repeat of his previous two seasons.
A lot of Bucs fans and officials point to Doug Martin’s Pro Bowl rookie season of 2012, in which he had 1,454 rushing yards plus 49 receptions.
Closer examination shows Martin only had five games that year in which he rushed for over 100 yards, including his career-best game at Oakland for 251.
Martin averaged 4.6 yards a carry that season. Since, he has been pedestrian.
In his second and third seasons in the NFL (banged up in 2014), he averaged 3.6 and 3.7 yards, respectively. This season, being the workhorse for the Bucs’ rushing attack, Martin is averaging 3.8 yards a carry, only a hair better.
Now we learn Martin injured his knee in practice Wednesday. He sat out practice yesterday.
Speaking about left tackle Donovan Smith, Bucs coach Lovie Smith noted that for a player to miss practice, the injury must be “significant,” though Smith hinted Martin could return to practice this morning. We shall see.
The Bucs running game hasn’t exactly reminded folks of when Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn provided a powerful one-two punch. Some have blamed the offensive line, always an easy, if not lazy, target.
With news that Martin has a dinged knee, maybe, just maybe, Martin is Martin, the running back we came to know the past two seasons, not so much the rookie Pro Bowler. That season looks more like a fluke with each passing week.
Perhaps, the Martin we are watching run this season is the very same Martin who struggled the past two seasons. Perhaps, that’s just who he is: an OK runner prone to bumps and bruises.
October 2nd, 2015 at 8:10 am
Rushing is a direct result of offensive line, not lazy, Fact. Every now and then you have a very special back, but almost always it’s the offensive line.
October 2nd, 2015 at 8:16 am
So Martin can’t use the horrible line as an excuse but it is an excuse for Winston? The Joes logic is laughable
October 2nd, 2015 at 8:17 am
I think you’re wrong Martin has talent he just needs better blocking.
October 2nd, 2015 at 8:19 am
Martin was looking good this preseason and had some good runs week 1. I’d hate to give up on him with a lackluster O-line but we’ve seen other RB’s do more with less.
October 2nd, 2015 at 8:20 am
Is there good to average talent yes, But as some claimed this past offseason that the Bucs have the best stable of RB in the NFL is clearly wrong!!!
October 2nd, 2015 at 8:27 am
Martin is a good RB, if healthy…..not great….certainly he and all of our backs would do better with a good/great Oline. I think it’s a combination that makes the difference.
I always thought we had somewhat equal talent with Martin, Rainey & James with Sims being a good 3rd down back.
October 2nd, 2015 at 8:44 am
This is a good point Joe. A handful of games skewed and inflated his stats. Who we have seen over the past two years is who he really is. That said, I do think he should get more touches. I still think he’s a good back.
October 2nd, 2015 at 8:54 am
Another high draft pick that did not perform to where drafted, an ongoing theme with this franchise……sad but true….no need to list the others, we all know……
You have to draft well to exist in the upper tiers of the NFL…..
Simple as that…….
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:11 am
Joe. You should know better. Did you all know that Bell from Pittsburgh only had four 100+ yard games last year and rushed for over 1300 yards. Joe please back the bus off of Martin and let’s talk about how awful our line continues to play while penn, zuttah and even Larsen start elsewhere
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:14 am
Bring in Ray Rice and see how he does. That will tell us if it is the line or if Martin has peaked.
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:19 am
What good to great RB had little consistency at OL and QB? They go hand in hand. Chicken or the egg theory. This team still has a long way to go.
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:29 am
James is the best pure runner we had and we let him go
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:34 am
Since Doug Martin’s second year his issue has always been his health. Coming into this season the story for Martin was that he is in his “contract year” and first and foremost, he was healthy. Martin was looking like the runner of old even though his 3.9 yards per carry did not show it. The one stat that did was the 11 missed or broken tackles in just 3 games. Martin had just 8 all of last year.
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:43 am
If it truly is the O-line’s fault, explain why Rainey got 4.3 per carry while Martin was getting 3.7(per) behind the same line.
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:55 am
Whats tough was Martin was looking great in practice and preseason. Breaking big runs and making nice cuts. Now he’s had a few nice runs, but a lot of short runs up the middle. I hope he can get back on track or this might be his last year here. As for Mike James…he is signed to our practice squad. If he was truly good why did noone pick him up off of waivers? C. Sims is showing some flash, but not enough. I guess we will see what we get this Sunday.
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:55 am
Joe,
How incredibly fair-weather of you. Talk about injury history all you want. Considering how poor the blocking and talent on the O-line has been the last two years it’s remarkable that he hasn’t missed more time. To judge Martin’s talent based on three games behind this line is very misguided. Pay attention to the run blocking.
Exhibit A: http://247sports.com/Bolt/Watch-Jadeveon-Clowney-destroy-Ali-Marpet-and-Doug-Martin-39828746
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:56 am
I know one thing…Charles Sims is Charles Sims and if we go down that road it will be even uglier..no power and breaking tackles with that dude…lots of 2 yard losses in the picture…Mike James was cut?…more coaching head scratchers…BYE BY THE BYE, LOVIE…”simple as that”…
October 2nd, 2015 at 9:58 am
Hawk
Bc most in this town are clueless about football.
October 2nd, 2015 at 10:02 am
San Fran
Did you get a good look at #78 on that play? Wth is he doing. He should have doubled clowney but instead he did the doe-see-doe. #coaching #koetterisgreat #rollingmyeyes
October 2nd, 2015 at 10:46 am
DB 55,
I definitely did see #78 there. This is particularly inexcusable because it’s something that they can control. We will not win games this year with those mistakes and constant penalties; let alone keep any of our running backs healthy. Joe, why don’t we have a film session of all the O-line’s preventable mistakes?
October 2nd, 2015 at 10:50 am
Damn that was ugly San Fran. .lol 78 runs upfield, just trying to find something to do.
October 2nd, 2015 at 10:54 am
I’ve seen this many times with our offensive line, not getting a hand on anyone
October 2nd, 2015 at 12:03 pm
San Francisco Joe ….wow they look clueless out there on that play. Especially 78 wtf was that?
This team is NEVER going to be any good anytime soon.
Embrace the suck.
October 2nd, 2015 at 12:06 pm
I would say “just wait” on Martin but that’s burnt out. It’s not like there is a better back on the team now.
October 2nd, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Ummm why is this surprise? 1450yds/16 games = less than 100 yds per game… sooo?
October 2nd, 2015 at 2:01 pm
doug lacks elite vision…too many times ive seen him put his head down and run into the backs of the olinemen…GO BUCS!!!
October 2nd, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Exhibit B: Watch the first drive from the Buccaneer offense. Can you really put the blame on Martin? This is textbook, classic Buccaneer football.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T1hgp8nSwE#t=590
October 2nd, 2015 at 5:51 pm
@San Fran Joe, thank you for posting those!
I think it’s clear that the majority of Martin’s struggles are the o-line. It’s not lazy Joe, it’s true. Now if you want to say the o-line is playing lazy, well… that’s another story.
Plus, how many big runs has Martin ripped off that have been called back from a holding penalty over the last season and a half? My guess would be about 15. Now you could say that about a lot of other backs, but it is consistent with us. Martin is not the problem. Fix the line, fix the offense.
I think (hope) the line will slowly come together, but we are still 2 pieces away…
October 2nd, 2015 at 6:17 pm
Admit it Joe, you have it in for Doug. It’s been three games, when he has gotten the ball he’s looked good, just not enough carries.
October 3rd, 2015 at 2:28 pm
Truly think if Jameis came out and said the o-line needs to block better for Doug then Joe would change his mind(as sad as that sounds)..
Joe doesn’t realize that you can be a good pass blocking o-line but terrible at run blocking.. Atleast I hope that is the case
With that said keep up the good work on covering the Bucs