Pull The Preseason Plug On Doug Martin
August 27th, 2015
Joe barked this loudly on radio and is typing in bright lights here: There is zero sense to playing Doug Martin against the Browns on Saturday.
Martin his healthy, happy and sizzling hot right now.
There is no reason to risk him getting injured. None!
Please, Team Glazer, don’t let Martin play anymore in preseason. Exercise an executive order. Running backs get hit and injured. It’s part of the job, but exposing Martin again before Sept. 13 is plain stupid.
Martin came to training camp in stellar shape with a shining attitude and confidence. And he’s been dynamite in two preseason games. Enough!
Here’s what offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said passionately yesterday at One Buc Palace.
“Doug is a powerful guy to begin with, but he got his quickness back. He has unbelievable confidence right now,” Koetter said. ” The other thing is if you watch a guy practice out there, he’s finishing every play like a wild man. I mean, we’re constantly telling our guys finish, finish, finish. That’s coach speak. Watch the practice tape of Doug Martin. We do these comment sheets, that look something like this, after every practice where the coaches are grading it. I’m going, ‘nice finish 22, nice finish 22.’ That’s on my sheet about 50 times a day. From little league through pro football we tell guys you play like you practice. I think the weight loss, being top shape, having the right attitude, being positive and then the way he’s practicing, I think barring injury, Doug is in for an excellent year, which is good for the Bucs.”
Read that again if you didn’t absorb it all. What Koetter is saying is that Martin is ready for a stunning season and only injury can derail him.
Isn’t that the goal of preseason, to get guys ready to excel on opening day?
Martin is ready. It’s 100 percent on Lovie Smith and the Bucs organization if Martin, God forbid, gets hurt Saturday. It would be the dumbest happening since Michael Bennett was allowed to walk for no good reason.
August 27th, 2015 at 10:19 am
I agree whole Hartley, bench him ASAP!
August 27th, 2015 at 10:21 am
Exactly what I said Monday night…the hamster’s back!…seen enough, sit on the bench
August 27th, 2015 at 10:24 am
depth at RB & TE…trade Sims and Myers 🙂
August 27th, 2015 at 10:28 am
if it’s going to happen it will happen and it doesn’t matter if its game 1 or game 16 or game 3 of the preseason. the 3rd game has always been the most important because your trotting out your starting offense and defense, game planning and getting familiar with each other so if your worried about whether doug martin can get hurt this week then he’s simply too frail to play for the bucs
besides we need to know if he’s durable if we’re considering keeping him or giving him a new contract to be the guy, if he cant stay healthy we need to go find another running back. bucs have every reason to play him this week
August 27th, 2015 at 10:29 am
I agree…..but not just for the potential injury reason…..I think we need to give Sims some significant work on 1st & 2nd down….we know he’s a good 3rd down option but so are all of our RBs…..
I’d like to see more playing time for Joey Iosefa….we already know what Lane can do.
August 27th, 2015 at 10:37 am
Another preseason win is meaningless. We’ve seen how the Bucs can come together competively. Save Martin for the games that count.
August 27th, 2015 at 10:40 am
Third game as we all know is when coaches get a chance to see what they’ve really got … starters playing into the 3rd quarter, going against the best the other team can put on the field, etc.
Martin’s a competitor; let him compete Sat night. First game isn’t until Sep 13th, two full weeks away. Don’t want him to get rusty.
@Bucco Brice … “depth at RB & TE…trade Sims and Myers”.
Sims is a great change-of-pace to what Martin brings to the table, and is only in his 2nd year (not very expensive to keep on the roster?). If Martin doesn’t resign (for whatever reason), and we get rid of Sims, RB stable will be a lot worse off. And as far as Myers goes, would rather keep him than Tim Wright (blocking TEs are pretty valuable to the running game, and Myers is a better blocker than Wright IMO).
August 27th, 2015 at 10:42 am
I was screaming that after the first series. I’ve seen enough to know he’s ready.
August 27th, 2015 at 10:43 am
maybe thats * competitively
August 27th, 2015 at 10:44 am
Agree!!!!
I need to see more on Sims and Rainey in the next 2 games…
August 27th, 2015 at 10:53 am
I agree with you Joe… No sense playing Martin against the Brownies… We need to give Mike James more work… He looks good but he needs some reps to test that knee and shake off the rust from being on the shelf for most of the past two years…
August 27th, 2015 at 10:54 am
Joe is 100% correct.
August 27th, 2015 at 11:06 am
I agree plus sims need the reps, he hasnt had that great of a preseason.
August 27th, 2015 at 11:16 am
I feel the same way aboout vjax, we need to pull them after the 1st series. We know they can do and we can’t afford to start the season without him or martin. Especially because Evans is already struggling with his hamstring
August 27th, 2015 at 11:17 am
I agree martin is ready also but it’s a team sport and they all need to play together for more than one quarter without all the subbing, just my opinon. who cares about sims if he’s only spelling martin for the occasional screen and to give martin a breather…….you know the martin the guy most of you guys hated and wanted to trade after the season because we have bobby rainey, where are all these bobby rainey supporters all of a sudden?
August 27th, 2015 at 11:36 am
He might be my sleeper pick in fantasy football this year. Go ahead and bench him for the next 2 preseason games.
August 27th, 2015 at 11:57 am
Give him a couple of series Saturday night to keep the juices flowing, and against first-teamers.
He could get hurt in the opener just as easily.
You don’t play guy late in preseason not because you don’t want to get them hurt, but because you want them to shed the TC & PS bruises.
August 27th, 2015 at 11:59 am
@dick2111…I’m thinking Brate over Wright…ASJ and Stocker are in…5 TE’s to work with!
August 27th, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Way to jinx it asshole
August 27th, 2015 at 12:15 pm
Avg yard per carry on Saturday
Martin -10
Rainey -5
James -4
Simms -2
Let’s not forget Rainey is our best back if not #2.
August 27th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
For once, I am in total agreement with the Joes!
Sit Martin!
Go Sucs!
August 27th, 2015 at 12:47 pm
Agree completely Joe.
And I agree with TBBF
I’d like to see more playing time for Joey Iosefa
I would love to see this kid get some carries. He looks like a beast and according to Hawaiian Buc who watches Hawaii Iosefa is another one of those bad arse Samoans who just love the physical challenge and the hitting.
I would love to find a back for “beast mode”. Mike James is close and I like him but I want a real road grader to run behind this rapidly improving and mauling OL.
August 27th, 2015 at 1:09 pm
Take Jameis out too, we’ve already seen enough. The kid can play.
August 27th, 2015 at 1:25 pm
I agree wholeheartedly AND whole Hartley!
August 27th, 2015 at 1:43 pm
yeah don’t need to see doug or vjax..
August 27th, 2015 at 1:44 pm
Will someone teach me how Dougie.
August 27th, 2015 at 1:45 pm
I’d give him the first series just to keep him warmed up….sit after that and see what we have in Sims and and the rest. I want to see James and that crazy Iosefa too.
August 27th, 2015 at 2:03 pm
@StPeteBucFan,
I hate to say it (and I hope it’s not true), but from my observation, they are probably looking past Iosefa. I’d be blown away if he makes the team. I’m be amazed if he even makes the practice squad. I had my doubts about him being a fullback, and from I’ve seen it looks like my concerns were warranted. I would love to see him get a few carries in short yardage, but I just don’t think that’s going to happen. It’s not what they drafted him to do. I really hope I’m wrong on this one.
August 27th, 2015 at 4:10 pm
I’m not convinced Martin is the Martin of 2012 yet and I think he DOES need more carries in preseason to convince me he’s better than ever.
Yes Joe I read it twice.
August 27th, 2015 at 5:30 pm
@Hawaiian
Well that is sad indeed. I love Samoan football players. Those dudes are SERIOUS about football on that island. It’s actually pretty freaking amazing.
And they are all just mean tough dudes who don’t get pushed around.
I suspect you might be right. I don’t think the Bucs have a “beast mode” attack in mind. That may be why Mike James has so much trouble getting on the field.
I like Bobby Rainey and Charles Sims but I’m not sure they’re not the same back except perhaps Sims catches the ball better. If it’s down to James or one of them I gotta go with James.
But I still would love to see Iosofa on the practice squad. Taking your point though his biggest competition is not those other running backs but Javorskie Lane. Where’s he been btw. Injured?
August 27th, 2015 at 7:02 pm
Joey is not a good running back. Not much lateral movement and poor balance. Was not impressed by his highlight reel. Dude only has one speed and one direction. There’s a reason we have heard next to nothing about him. That draft pick should have went somewhere else. Now with Dougie I say give him one series each game to keep him in game mode. He`s in that zone don’t want it to go away.
August 28th, 2015 at 1:29 pm
Where are all the people who thought Doug Martin was washed up hanging out these days?
August 29th, 2015 at 2:38 am
The best thing that happened for Martin was the drafting of Winston. Defenses are not going to be crashing the box now that we have a quarterback that can actually pass the ball. No disrespect to past signal callers. It softens things up a bit. The real key to Martin’s success, in my opinion, will be the performance of the offensive line.
BBQBob