Doug Martin No. 40
December 9th, 2016
Ugly numbers for the Muscle Hamster.
Right about now, Doug Martin’s agent is breathing a sigh of relief and wiping a drop of sweat from his brow.
Yes, Martin has been healthy enough to play the past four games. Yet his statistics show either he is not 100 percent or he is the Doug Martin of 2013 and 2014, when he was a bottom-rung running back.
Martin is averaging 3.0 yards a carry, the worst of any of his five NFL seasons. Compared to all other running backs with at least 6.2 carries a game, Martin is No. 40 in yards per attempt. To give one an idea how bad that is, if you remove the minimum attempts per game, Martin has the exact same yards-per-attempt percentage as Stewart McClown and Delanie Walker.
Now Joe isn’t about to say the Bucs should bench Martin. The guy has proven to be a ferocious blocker and in Dirk Koetter’s mind that is critical. Even with poor numbers this year, defenses must respect Martin so that does take a little heat off of America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston.
How much longer that respect will be offered by defenses remains to be seen.
When Todd Monken said he wants to get Jacquizz Rodgers in the rotation more, there is a reason. Rodgers, who also is a good blocker (Joe was told that was one main reason he was signed) is averaging a yard-and-a-half more per carry than Martin.
Joe is a big believer in patterns. With just four games to go in the regular season, Martin’s fifth in the NFL, it sure seems like his 2012 and 2015 seasons are outliers. In other words, more often than not, Martin has proven to be a mediocre-to-poor runner. Joe is sorry if that offends people, but numbers can be ugly things.
Sure, Martin may not be running at 100 percent. That’s the point. He was injury-prone as well in 2013 and 2014. This makes three out of five seasons Martin has battled significant injuries.
Martin has one more guaranteed year on his contract. Come 2018, barring Martin taking a salary cut, Joe is willing to lay cash the then-29-year old won’t be on the Bucs roster.
We all know what happens to running backs not named “Adrian Peterson” when they approach the age of 30. And, no, Martin is no Peterson. Not remotely close.
Currently, Martin is a terribly expensive blocking back.
December 9th, 2016 at 3:07 pm
Sure, leave out martin and see how defenses stop stacking the LOS and get into coverage more often. Four game winning strike since he came has to be a “pattern”, right?
December 9th, 2016 at 3:08 pm
I have a weird feeling he has a great game this week – his first of the year.
December 9th, 2016 at 3:11 pm
All valid points but Martin is dangerous once he gets going. He can wear opposing defenses out. I do believe Quiz needs more work and has proven reliable and effective. It can only help having 2 RB’s that defenses have to respect. This would be the type of defense that can be the recipe for Dougie’s resurgence. My beef with Martin is that he puts the ball on the carpet at the most inopportune times. We are lucky we survived his late fumble against the Seahawks.
December 9th, 2016 at 3:12 pm
I believe Quizz is the younger back? Yes?
December 9th, 2016 at 3:17 pm
If you factored out all of our good months, and just calculated our bad ones, it’s safe to say we’d all be jobless Joe
December 9th, 2016 at 3:17 pm
Quiz is a year younger. Quiz is 26 and Martin is 27. Not that much of a difference there. It is obvious that Quiz has been more explosive but I think defenses have been more terrified of Martin’s return and it is opening doors for JW. Quiz is a good blocker but Martin is like having an extra O Lineman. I think Martin needs to still start but if Quiz gets the hot hand, then he needs the work or vice versa. Whatever the case, our running game needs to improve.
December 9th, 2016 at 3:17 pm
Quizz is making people and Martin is not…it is as simple as that. I think Koetter sees that and will act accordingly. We all know that Lovie would stick with Martin no matter what. Make the switch and make a push for the playoffs.
December 9th, 2016 at 3:18 pm
making people miss ^^^
December 9th, 2016 at 3:28 pm
So basically he is the Michael Clayton version of a RB.
December 9th, 2016 at 3:30 pm
Take away the 49ers game (the worst run defense the NFL has seen since the 1981 Patriots) and Rodgers’ YPC for the season drops dramatically. Funny, how Joe doesn’t want to mention this fact. If Doug had played in that game, his YPC for the season would likely be at least a half yard higher.
The Bucs offensive line this year is very mediocre and has fallen since Mankins retired. The only one of them that is Pro Bowl caliber is Ali Marpet.
But Joe doesn’t want to evaluate the line’s performance. How many times would Phillip Rivers or Tom Brady would have been sacked last week if they have been playing behind that line instead of the escape-artist Jamies Winston? Probably more than Russell Wilson did the week before.
December 9th, 2016 at 3:39 pm
Not sure it makes a whole lot of difference whether Martin or Rodgers is in there. On the same called run play at the same point in the game, they’re both running behind the same OLine, and the result will be very close to the same. Both are decent blockers, both are decent receivers out of the backfield. But neither is a truly elite back when it comes to making something out of nothing pounding through the middle. Pretty much the same with Charles Sims. Bucs really need a bigger, tougher RB very much like Legarrette Blount. Oh wait …
December 9th, 2016 at 3:55 pm
Doug Martin is an UNRELIABLE – PART-Time Back at best accept the facts fan boys… he is just not consistent and only slightly above average when healthy… Upgrade needed. The Pattern is very clear with Martin.
December 9th, 2016 at 3:59 pm
Defense Rules
Glad you mentioned blount. Look at Blounts career touch down numbers then look at Martin’s
December 9th, 2016 at 4:04 pm
When do you think you’ll mentioned how atrocious our run blocking has been this season?
December 9th, 2016 at 4:08 pm
When they begin to block atrociously.
December 9th, 2016 at 4:27 pm
he’s part of a 3 man backfield now, unless he proves he deserves more than that. depth is a beautiful thing
December 9th, 2016 at 4:35 pm
Doug Martin is more value to this team than his stats suggest, anyone notice that our overall offense has improved immensely ever since Doug returned. We’re opening things up and not that pansy offense we did early in the year.
Teams are stacking the box to stop Doug which is opening up the passing. Any speculation of Doug losing his job is ridiculous. Doug Martin just returned from his injury, he and our offense will only get better.
Or we can always go back to that disgusting offense we ran against the panthers on MNF.
December 9th, 2016 at 4:56 pm
We are winning Joe. Quit being dumb and trying to focus on stats.
December 9th, 2016 at 5:04 pm
I say the run blocking has not been nearly as good this year as it was most of last year. And a healthy Doug Martin is one of the better backs in the league. But he has not been healthy since the very beginning of the season.
Martin and Quizz have both shown they can carry the load and be effective at different times this year – so give them both touches and then go with the hot hand.
Everyone seems to forget what a great play maker Sims was last year after he had a couple ineffective games running early this year after Martin went down. But I am definitely looking forward to Sims return. Not so much as a runner (although he’s effective with space) – but as a receiver, he’s a nightmare match up for LBers and Safetys…
December 9th, 2016 at 5:56 pm
Keep hating Joe, Doug will prove you wrong.
December 9th, 2016 at 7:01 pm
Quizz and simms are better runners ouside,while martin mainly earns his money inside.That said the Mankins + Pamphile line seems more effective than the 2016 version of our O-line with Cherilous..
December 9th, 2016 at 7:03 pm
Next year expect 1500 yards from Martin.
December 9th, 2016 at 7:10 pm
Joe only likes stats and facts when they support one of his misguided opinions 😉
Sorry but the online simply is not run blocking well this year. They weren’t even that great last year, it was mostly martins effort after sidestepping multiple guys in the backfield.
I find it ironic that Joe thinks Doug getting tackled in the backfield is somehow his fault and not the o-line. Explain that for us simpletons Joe.
December 9th, 2016 at 8:36 pm
Dalvin Cook baby.
December 9th, 2016 at 8:47 pm
Joe likes to push this narrative constantly. How can you actually question the man’s talent after the numbers he has put up for Tampa. I also like how you seem to be counting down the days until he hits 30. You are aware that he’s 27 right? Look forward to Martin proving the haters wrong as he always does.
December 9th, 2016 at 8:52 pm
Tbbucs3:
I think the Joes would rather attribute the turn around to Jameis’s ‘come to Jameis’ meeting of the souls.
December 9th, 2016 at 9:07 pm
@Gencoimports Completely agree. The 49ers have allowed runningbacks to run wild all season. The lack of respect Martin gets on this site is truly sad. Actually makes me wish that Martin had gone to a team with a solid run-blocking line. Koetter sees how poorly the o-line is playing. If he thought the lack of run game on Martin, he would not be starting. But Joe knows more than Koetter and Licht combined, so let’s make Jaquizz the starter. I’ve actually grown pretty tired of the disrespect and will no longer be frequenting this site. Apparently, appreciating the players that are contributing to our success is not a priority here.
December 9th, 2016 at 10:07 pm
I am ussually Pro Player- to a fault
But I called this one, and he is doing exactly what I said he would do.
What he has always done
Year one- great , gets noticed.
Year 2- lackidasical, trying to stay on I.R.
Year 3- same
Year 4- CONTRACT YEAR! Runs hard, with determination
Signs big contract
Year 5- Back to sleep
I said before we signed him. Any player who only shows up big on contract years- has made a decision.
Hes gonna get as much as he can, and get out healthy.
Its more common than you’d believe in todays NFL.
December 9th, 2016 at 11:04 pm
Am I the only one that thinks Doug is playing well? He doesnt have the same holes and lanes to run through as he had last year. He is either constantly being hit behidn the los or making people miss behind the los. I think going without a true fullback has hurt the run game this year. I dont see that brought up a lot.
December 9th, 2016 at 11:05 pm
Trade him for picks. We need Cook and Walker
December 9th, 2016 at 11:16 pm
You are quick to blame the offensive line for Martin’s ills (which is a reach) yet that doesn’t explain how Jacquizz Rodger has 50 percent better production running behind the same offensive line.
If the offensive line was a gross as you suggest, how is Martin’s backup putting up so much better production?
December 9th, 2016 at 11:21 pm
Overall, Martin is playing OK. He has become a beast of a blocker (which the Bucs/Koetter value a great deal) and he is fine catching the ball. Running? He’s not running well at all — worst season of his career.
Again, folks looking for an excuse for Martin’s terrible running seem to want to portray the offensive line as some sieve. Yet Rodgers has 50 percent better production behind the same offensive line. So are folks trying to say the offensive line is laying down and allowing tacklers to get through on Martin but instead they want to block for Rodgers?
December 10th, 2016 at 9:09 am
You need to WATCH THE GAME JOE! The blocking has not been as good as it was at the begging of the year. The game is not madden ,variables change. Look at the run plays and you can see that when the holes are there Doug produces enough. Did Doug kick you in the nuts in the locker room, Joe? What’s this hate for Doug all about all of a sudden? Calling him muscle hamster, you know he doesn’t like that name. Seems like this is personal.
December 10th, 2016 at 10:05 am
Joe so much nonsense out your head!!! Martin is here to stay get over it. #22
December 10th, 2016 at 10:25 am
Hey Joe: showing your 8 years here, huh? Keep those $$$$$(clicks):-) coming. DM22 is getting back into game shape. He’s got Rodgers and now Sims back. A 3-headed RB trio that will be giving DCs fits depending on how creative DK gets with the calls. Both Sims and DM can catch the ball, no problem. In fact, like I read in other comments, Sims is a receiver who looks like a RB. We need all the receivers we can get right now. Brate and ME13 are healthy. Brate is turning into an All Pro TE. ME13 is already there. Hump will be missed cos of his sure hands over the middle. Other guys will have to step up. This is going to be some ball game. 12th Man better show up. GO MIGHTY BUCS–LOUD AND PROUD!!!!
December 10th, 2016 at 12:06 pm
Doug’s history reminds me of Cadillac Williams story. Good when he’s healthy,but downhill after the first major injury. I’m not having a good feeling about his final disposition. I might shed some tears, of a clown.
December 10th, 2016 at 12:27 pm
How many times has the o-line been pushed in the backfield before Doug even gets started, he is still producing yards after contact, because he is hit or dodging defenses in the backfield. Those saying he is slacking, you are likely a fan, but not watching football, the touchdown he scored against the Chargers should tell you how hard he is playing. Two things you don’t see on this team, a receiver running free after the catch or a running back running free without getting touched by the front 7 of another team
December 10th, 2016 at 12:49 pm
The stats may not show it but in the game against the Chiefs, he was an absolute workhorse and help3d carry us to victory.
December 10th, 2016 at 12:50 pm
Come on Joe, you guys say you’re not stat guys all the time on JBF. Here’s the most important stat to let sink in…Bucs 2016 with Martin starting as RB: 5 wins and 1 loss (and in fairness Doug got hurt fairly early in that Cardinals game); Bucs 2016 with Martin out: 2 wins and 4 losses. I think that’s more than mere coincidence. The haters can knock DM22 for maybe being injury prone, it’s certainly a reasonable argument, but I don’t know how anyone can argue that the Bucs are a better team with Doug in the lineup than without.
December 10th, 2016 at 8:16 pm
All valid points! However, he’s still running hard and I thought I heard that he still leads the LEAGUE in yards after contact. The holes haven’t been there this year because he had such a monster year last year. The opponents game plan for Dougie. That’s Respect!