Doug Martin’s Last Stand?
October 25th, 2014
If Doug Martin plans to remain a Bucs starter, then he might want to have a good game Sunday.
No one thinks more of Doug Martin than Joe. Good dude. What’s not to like about him? Well, that is, before this season.
Martin has been nothing like during his rookie season this year. He just isn’t getting the job done. This season isn’t Martin’s year, for whatever reason.
Evan Silva believes the clock is ticking for Martin. In fact, he thinks changes are on the horizon if Martin cannot get into gear against the Vikings.
The Bucs’ backfield distribution will be interesting to see coming off a Week 7 open date. Martin has been downright awful both as a rusher (2.90 YPC) and pass protector, and the Tampa coaching staff has shown no sense of commitment to fumble-prone Bobby Rainey. Even in a plus matchup with Minnesota’s 19th-ranked run defense.
How scared is Lovie of Rainey’s fumbles? Rainey has nearly twice the yards per carry as Martin.
Joe thinks it is lazy to blame the offensive line. Good running backs find ways to make something out of nothing. Good running backs don’t always have a four-yard wide hole to run through.
So these changes hinted at by Silva? Charles Sims is eligible to come off injured reserve in Week Nine, which is next Sunday. We all know how much Lovie coveted Sims coming out of college.
So it seems if Martin can’t get uncorked this week, then he may watch a lot of games from the sideline.
October 25th, 2014 at 2:03 pm
Good game tomorrow or not, his days as a starter are over once Simms is fully healthy and ready to take over. He can be a good 3rd down back though. Kind of like Ahmad Bradshaw with the Giants when he was there.
October 25th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
If he has a bad game tomorrow we should try to trade him. I’m looking forward to Simms production in the field.
Go Bucs!!!
October 25th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
Joe. It’s lazy Jon here, it is the offensive line and when “bad feet” Sims comes back will we blame him too? This week is a good week to see the real Martin, playing a rookie quarterback, just run the ball and let him force turnovers. Bucs win and Martin rolls for over 100
October 25th, 2014 at 2:10 pm
Sims sadly will further prove that L&L don’t evaluate talent well
October 25th, 2014 at 2:37 pm
I agree with Ray Rice he’d be a solid 3rd down. As far as trading him, no one would give up more than a 5th round pick for him. There are teams like Denver and San Diego that are playing with backup RB’s that look better than Martin.
October 25th, 2014 at 2:43 pm
lazy jon,
Why is it Rainey has over twice the production of Martin with only 6 more carries?
Bobby Rainey 54 262 4.9
Doug Martin 48 139 2.9
O-line is not the issue. And glad they are doing the talent evaluations and not you.
October 25th, 2014 at 2:47 pm
Joe,
I really enjoy the site and most of your opinions. I respectfully disagree with you assessment of Martin. I’m not even going to address YPC as a relevant stat here looking at Doug. Just to show you how distorted this stat is I’ll show you an example which I believe reveals more of a problem with the running game than our backs.
You like to compare Martin with Rainey. In week 2, Rainey was given the start (and full work load) against the Rams. The coaches committed to a player and committed to the run. On 22 carries he gained 144 yards. Take away that game, his carries are down, and his numbers are average.
Similarly, the maximum carries Martin has been given in a game this season is 14. FOURTEEN carries for a starting running back? I agree with you that it is on the players to produce even without much help from the o-line. But considering that number (14) alone, there is no way that we’re in position to accurately judge Martin’s performance. Can we at least get 20 carries for our starter?
I don’t care who is starting: Martin, Rainey, Sims? If you are only giving your starter 14 carries MAX per game, the numbers are not going to be there. I believe that here is where the o-coordinator is showing his inexperience. The Bucs need to COMMIT to a starter and COMMIT to the run. Allow the player to get into a rhythm and get a feel for the O-line. Only then will you see results. What is the point of splitting time between Rainey and Martin if we do not run the ball?
We can talk about the players all we want. They are the easier targets. But the coaches (particularly on offense) MUST do be a better job of putting players in better positions for success.
October 25th, 2014 at 2:49 pm
Fumbles or not….I’d take my chances with Rainey….
If Martin has a great game….that’s when you trade him because if he has a great game it will be an abberation.
Forget the run unless we have a good lead……establish the short pass/dunkaneers….
October 25th, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Fumbles or not….I’d take my chances with Rainey….
If Martin has a great game….that’s when you trade him because if he has a great game it will be an abberation.
Forget the run unless we have a good lead……establish the short pass/dunkaneers….
October 25th, 2014 at 2:58 pm
@Eric..because Doug Martin gets all of the carries on 1st and 10 when they run up the gut for no yards. He’s been terrible (like most of the team), and I hope Rainey or Sims fills in and does better, but I highly doubt it.
Pretty easy to stop a run when you can load the box and we still run the play directly at the heart of the defense.
October 25th, 2014 at 2:59 pm
@ray rice. Doug would make a great 3rd down back….NOT…can’t catch or pass protect. Good call though
October 25th, 2014 at 3:33 pm
I love how if a player is going thru a rough stretch, then he automatically gets labeled worthless from that point on by the fans. That’s not how it works people, especially in the eyes of the coaches. Martin is still starting material, and will remain the starter, even with his recent struggles.
October 25th, 2014 at 3:36 pm
Impossible….impossible to form any difinitive opinion on any running back…with this offensive line. NO HOLES….no meaning stats
October 25th, 2014 at 3:55 pm
what happened to Mike James!! I never hear anybody really mention him anymore
October 25th, 2014 at 4:02 pm
Good points SF Joe. I also happen to agree. I’ve seen some game where Martin was looking really good and they just didn’t commit to the run. Only two games where that was understandable. Joe is right it’s not just the OL it’s more
the OC. It’s not only the OC’s lack of commitment it’s also the predictability. Not to mention both the QBs are offen not mixing up snap counts and tipping off the Def with tells when its a run or pass.
I think Bobby Rainy should be given an opportunity too. I thought he was better all around back than Rainy. I’m not sure why they haven’t giving the guy a chance.
October 25th, 2014 at 4:23 pm
Yeah right, Martin just lost his ability to be an effective running back. I mean it disappeared into thin air. It’s all on Doug, the leg churning battering ram. Can’t catch a pass, how many have the other backs caught? Trade him for a throwaway pick. Yeah right!
October 25th, 2014 at 4:54 pm
More delusional nonsense from a writer begging for a story out of Tampa. We’ve been talking about how the veterans on this team need to step up since the off season, we have a horrible offensive line yet no one person seems to have the common sense to say that a rookie coming off of an injury in preseason just may need a few games to settle in and adjust to this train wreck. So the so called “experts” are saying this kid is gonna come in his first regular season game and go beast mode running behind the same line or will be come in be average and we have to listen to you guys say how the bucs have no talent even with the addition of Sims? Sorry joe how I don’t spoil your news articles, I see it coming but hope the guys playing now wake up first
October 25th, 2014 at 4:59 pm
Let’s be honest: Doug Martin had 4 good games. Period . He hits the hole like Michael Pittman—juking and jiving. I miss watching Blount smash, let’s get Simms in there an give him his shot.
October 25th, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Doug Martin wasn’t playing well, got injured, Rainey has more yards, better stats and still he couldn’t take the starting job, since there’s more to being a running back than running I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that with how bad the offense and defense looks, lovie isn’t gonna let this guy fumble away even more opportunities. Yes he fumbled away his chance to be the guy. No one knows enough about some yet unless you count preseason lol of course you do
October 25th, 2014 at 5:05 pm
buc4lyfe. Exactly. It’s gonna take Simms a few games to get in step. I just don’t see him making much of a contribution this year. Do like him though.
October 25th, 2014 at 5:15 pm
@Nick you’re exactly right! People are wondering what happened to Martin but the reality is he has only had like 4 exceptional games in his 3 year career, period! 1 game against the weak Raider defense, a game against Atlanta the last game of 2012 when they were resting their starters for the playoffs and 1 against the notoriously weak run defense that Philly had in 2012. The real question isn’t what happened to Martin the question is if he’s a starting NFL calibre back or not.
October 25th, 2014 at 6:28 pm
I have read in 2 different articles that Doug Martin is not an ideal back for the zone blocking scheme we are using here in Tampa.
I wish the writers of these articles would expound on why he is not a good fit for our Zone blocking scheme
October 25th, 2014 at 6:42 pm
Call it lazy to blame the offensive line, but the truth is, the offensive line don’t even know what it’s supposed to do, so how can Doug Martin even possibly get a feel, for where to run?
October 25th, 2014 at 8:20 pm
Rainey makes yards with the same line that Martin can’t. Use Rainey
October 25th, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Might be lazy to blame OL but they have to shoulder a large portion of the blame. If Martin were the only RB stinking up the joint I might buy the notion that is not the OL but stats don’t lie. Bad OL play can also make RBs tentative just like it can make QBs gun shy. No running game on this team is just that, a team effort…or lack thereof!
October 26th, 2014 at 5:46 am
Done Martin?! Not Doug Martin. Might as well tag him that. Watching him continue to try is almost as bad as watching B.J. Penn try and comeback, again…
October 26th, 2014 at 8:04 am
Martin and David’s contracts are coming up, with McCoys new deal we cant resign both. Guess who draws the shortest straw?
October 26th, 2014 at 9:11 am
oh the days of the muscle (dumpster) hamster is coming to a close, well doogie I was pulling for ya lad oh but it looks like ya have shot ya load, maybe our west coast armada could use ya (raiders) because they suck as bad as we do. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha