Muscle Hamster To Be “Handful” For Giants
September 13th, 2012
One of the cool things — and there were many for Joe — about the Bucs’ win against Carolina last week was how rookie running back Doug Martin, in his first NFL game, ran for 95 yards on 24 carries, nearly four yards a carry, against perhaps the best linebacker unit in the NFL.
These were not easy yards, these were rugged yards, bruising yards, yards that Martin felt for a couple of days after the win.
Consider popular sports personality Adam Schein impressed. Schein, in addition to his duties at SiriusXM NFL Radio, CBS Sports Network and SNY, also finds the time to type a weekly column for NFL.com and believes Muscle Hamster will give the Super Bowl champs fits Sunday.
Buc the trend
Coach Greg Schiano has changed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers culture less than a season after the team quit on Raheem Morris. A key part of Tampa’s future, and the win over the Carolina Panthers, was the hard running style of Doug Martin. Appearing on SiriusXM Blitz, Schiano gushed that Martin “pulls people forward. If we have (to go 3 yards), he pulls for 4. If there’s a breakdown up front, he gets to the line of scrimmage.” The Giants couldn’t stop the Cowboys’ DeMarco Murray in Week 1. Martin will be a handful for them on Sunday.
This will be the key element in game. The Giants have no running game to speak of. If the Bucs defense can stop the Carolina rushing game (10 yards — 10!), the Bucs should be able to contain the Giants’ running backs.
If Martin can get going against a beastly Giants defensive front, this will keep the ball out of the hands of two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning.
It’s classic keepaway football and right up Greg Schiano’s alley: take care of the ball and eat up the clock.
Have an issue with this? Call Schein and discuss the subject with him on the air at 1-877-NFL-KICK.
September 13th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
martin do not like that nickname,so you shold not call him that.
September 13th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Doug was seemingly a wiggle away from breaking a long one several times Sunday. Some very sure tackling by the Panthers’ backers.
September 13th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Doug was great big reason we won but I dont know why more people arent talking about Lavonte David he played lights out… Imo he was our best player last week… Eli and bradshaw better watch out for David!
September 13th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
This is were we need Blount to play hard. Have Martin and Ware play the first half to ware out the Defense then in the 2nd half like Coach said use Blount to beat them down there secondary is pretty banged up and Blount could tare them apart.
September 13th, 2012 at 2:44 pm
I’m not sold on Martin as the “bell cow”back.I think he should see 17 carries and 5 catches.Blount 8 carries and a couple catches.Ware 2 carries and a catch.Freeman also with 4 QB carries
September 13th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Joe, I love most of your articals even this one but have to agree with Hamilton, Doug Martin has expresses several times he doesn’t like that nickname. Why in the world would you continue to use it? That’s extremely rude. You know he doesn’t like it. Why do it?
September 13th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Joe,
You call Martin “Muscle Hamster” to his face yet? I wonder if you would get any more interviews from him if you keep referring to him as that. Just wondering…..
September 13th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
JBUC:
Just wondering why you are so bent?
Don’t like it, don’t read it.
September 13th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Not bent, just asking. I didn’t come across rude about it, just was curious if you have refered to him with that name before.
Like a few other people have stated, he doesn’t like the name and unlike the Bilicheat nickname, he doesn’t deserve a name he doesn’t like.
Bottom line, I was just curious. Do what you want (as I am sure you will).
Why read…cause I like your site. 🙂
September 13th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
JBUC:
You are being rude. You are telling Joe who likes what and what to write. Unlike you, Joe has met him several times. Joe is nothing but complimentary to him, both on this site in the locker room. Joe writes what Joe wants to write.
Joe doesn’t seek permission from players what to write. If he did, Joe wouldn’t have much of a site.
September 13th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Joe,
Alright Joe. By the way I had meet Martin (not numerous times as you have stated) and I actually asked him about that nickname.
I hope we neutralize their pash rush w/ Martin in the screen game as well as draws and sweeps. Hope we gash them w/ our new toy……can’t wait for sunday!
September 13th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
That is news to me that he finds his nickname disparaging. I can’t find a interview with Doug saying he didn’t like his nick name. He joked that he thought he left it behind when he came here. Can someone show me an interview where he mentions not liking the nickname?
September 13th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Stanglassman,
I haven’t seen it in an interview either. I asked him at training camp what his thoughts were on the nickname. His response to me was “you can call me any other nickname but that”. The people around me laughed and I said…cool, good to know. A few more words were said and that’s about it. Take it for what it’s worth.
September 13th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Perhaps the best LBs in the NFL??? Carolina? Wow, that’s presuming an awful lot from a group that wasn’t very good last year. Kuechly wasn’t on the team last year, but he’s a rookie and was pretty well neutralized by Lorig… yep, Erik Lorig, which doesn’t speak volumes to me. Beason is coming back from injury that kept him out a season and it’s questionable if he can get this group respectable again. Anderson had a down year last year, but was good in 2010. If he’s great, the Bucs are playoff bound based on their 2010 record…
That said, the Bucs ground out some tough yards against the Panthers. Almost “too hard” of yards in my opinion. With Penn and Nicks on the left side, I’d have figured we’d break at least a couple decent “loose in the secondary” type runs. Martin ran hard, but he hasn’t shown me that he can turn a bad play into a “highlight reel” like Blount yet. Not saying he won’t, just that he hasn’t yet. The kid’s tough, works hard, does what he’s told to do…. but I, personally, am not terribly impressed with his running ability yet. Not until I see him break an arm tackle and burst into the secondary. Not until I see him see the hole is bottled up, break it outside, put a shoulder down and hit the open field. Also, not saying it’s his fault, I haven’t seen the blocking from the left side OL that I want to see yet either. Happy for the win, but the Panthers have a long way to go to fill that “perhaps” best LBs in the league and the Bucs have a long way to go before I’m impressed with the run game.