Tired Of Getting “Caught Around The Five”
April 21st, 2016
Doug Martin speaks
Late in the fourth quarter of the game known as the Capitol Collapse, the historic one-point beating at Washington last year, Doug Martin scampered for 49 yards (video here) before getting caught and shoved out of bounds at the 5 yard line.
The Bucs settled for a field goal.
The Redskins followed that with a game-winning touchdown drive.
If Lovie Smith wins that game, he’s probably still the Bucs’ head coach. Simple as that, as Lovie would say.
Joe’s not hanging Lovie’s downfall on Martin, but he did get caught from behind too often last year. Yeah, it’s great to be so damn good that defensive backs are chasing you down, but it’s also great take breakaway runs to the house.
Speaking yesterday at One Buc Palace, Martin talked about his specific goals for 2016, one of them acknowledged his troubling habit of getting dropped just outside the end zone.
“I would like to just get more yards than I had last year – than my rookie year. More touchdowns, I’ll be able to finish more, finish more often,” Martin said. “I get caught around the five you know, finish and get more touchdowns. But just goals like that – just adding to my game.”
Props to Martin for being so candid.
Joe wonders how Martin can improve “finishing.” He was in great shape and ran awfully hard last season, he just seemed to have less speed as the guys frantically chasing him.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:17 am
YOU LIKE THAT!?
April 21st, 2016 at 9:17 am
Don’t worry Doug, the fans are tired of it too. Very frustrating to watch. But I’m sure he can turn it around….hopefully.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:19 am
he just seemed to have less speed as the guys frantically chasing him.
Exactly Joe and you can’t coach speed and at Martin’s age it’s really hard to add much more pure flat out speed. The DB’s in the league are simply faster. It would be nice if Dougie was a burner but he’s not…just as Sims is not as good of a pure runner as Dougie. Together they will be fine although I agree it is depressing to see Doug hauled down inside the ten so often.
The real problem though wasn’t Doug getting hauled down inside the ten…it was an offense and a conservative HC who couldn’t push the ball for TDs instead of FG’s.
I think Koetter’s different mindset will help there. And #3 and the entire offense know they need to do a better job of scoring TD’s and not FG’s.
I do not think Dougie can change his game to stop getting hauled down from the back..presuming he can break a bunch of long ones again. That’s OK.
Because we CAN improve on scoring from inside the ten! That should be and I believe it is a top area of concern for Koetter and his offense.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:24 am
I will take him as is.
If Monk can get Evans to catch those jump balls in the endzone from the 5, we will be fine.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:27 am
Maybe just a sip of the Kwon Energy drink would fix that!!!!
April 21st, 2016 at 9:30 am
The Buc Realist Says:
April 21st, 2016 at 9:27 am
Maybe just a sip of the Kwon Energy drink would fix that!!!!
—–
I know you’re kidding … but seeing what happened to our defense after “Energy Drink-gate,” that’s just a really bad joke.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:54 am
Keep running hard Doug, protect the ball and keep running hard, that’s your job, it’s the OC that changes packages that put you on the bench ( for a breather I guess) and brings in Sims and your team mates can’t get it done! OC it falls on him, don’t change Doug, keep everything the same! Go Bucs!
April 21st, 2016 at 9:55 am
@StPeteBucsFan I agree with you about his speed but what about his stamina ?
I mean, does he have a speed “issue” or a stamina issue ?
Perhaps his issue is that at the end of his run, his speed is decreasing just enough for him to be tackled due to a “lack” of stamina.
April 21st, 2016 at 9:57 am
Don’t know how he can fix it.. He’s not a blazing fast guy to begin with and at 5’7 being chased by 6’+ guys, they just out-stride him.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:06 am
Let me play “Devils Advocate,” on behalf of Martin. Average straight line 40 times for RB’s and CB’s are surprisingly close 4.54 CB’s vas 4.59 for RB’s. now add in a few intangibles. A CB has a 5 to 10 yard shorter field and can see the RB breaking out. Now consider the RB has broken through the line or swept the end and more than likely had to break a couple of tackles to do so. Factor in the RB has probably had the crap kicked out of him for 15 to 20 plays while the CB has been waiting around for something to come his way. Hell a shut down corner spends most of the game with a clean uniform. Bottom line I can understand how a guy like Martin can get caught from behind. What we really should be discussing is how an offense should be able to score from the 5 yd line.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:06 am
@Ben the Ga Buc
Some say they missed Kwon, Some say they just saw some better teams with their starting QB’s!!!! I think that some thought the Bucs “got it” but in reality they just played the softest part of the historically soft schedule, then they meet some real teams!!!! It not like the defensive numbers just went of the chart the last 4 games!!!
April 21st, 2016 at 10:11 am
Every player gets picked on here and there, nobody is without criticism of some sort. There is not a human alive that is perfect.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:16 am
Tampamac…I agree with you. Doug is a stalky little dude.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:21 am
hold on to that ball too…GO BUCS!!!
April 21st, 2016 at 10:31 am
I agree with 813 just hold on to that d@$! ball.
April 21st, 2016 at 11:23 am
2nd leading rusher in the league! Um, I’d say keep doing what you’re doing. Those TDs will come.
How many broken tackles did Doug have?
The TDs will come.
April 21st, 2016 at 11:27 am
1400 yards, second in the league. Our consistency in the red zone is what we were lacking. Evans on the fade and quicker and better routes from slot receivers to score from inside the 10 is what we need. Doug did just fine last year, if he gets caught at the 5, then it is first and goal from the 5, can’t ask for anything more. We were not very good in the red zone. Koetter has no one looking over his shoulder on his playcalling this year, I look for more creativity.
April 21st, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Sheez. Everybody wanted him back but it’s our duty to rag on him????????????? Not I.
April 21st, 2016 at 2:06 pm
@JoeHelldeeloxley
I mean, does he have a speed “issue” or a stamina issue ?
That is an excellent question and a great point!!! I had not thought of that. Thanks for bringing it up. You are absolutely correct. Football players are trained for 40 yard speed and it’s amazing to see how fast many of them run out of gas past 50. Perhaps that is an area that does need improvement.
Thanks for pointing that out.
April 21st, 2016 at 2:19 pm
“If Lovie Smith wins that game, he’s probably still the Bucs’ head coach.”
Just more proof – to me at least – that “stuff” happens as its supposed to and that everything has a purpose. Same with us being able to draft Jameis Winston. A lot of “stuff” had to happen for the Bucs to go 2-14 and be in position to get Winston. We all pretty much know that Lovie gave some level of assistance in winding up with the worst record in the league. How much assistance and for how many games is obviously debatable. But there are soooo many times of late that Joe or someone else will make any given point about recent ineptitude by the Buccaneers organization – and what we SHOULD have done in that instance. And in my mind the thought often turns to – “Yea – but then we wouldn’t have Jameis Winston now.”
So Martin getting brought down just before scoring the # of times he did in the specific games where that happened – it had purpose in my mind. Lets not forget that Martin had just run 30, 40 or 50 yards in order to get caught just before the goal line. He’s got decent speed but he’s not a burner – and the typically faster DB is usually coming from some degree of an angle as well. Its all good. Keep doing what you are doing Dougie.
The Chucky curse is apparently lifted, the football gods are with us again and the Messiah has been delivered. Its time to enjoy football again fellow Bucs fans – starting NOW!
April 21st, 2016 at 5:04 pm
Hmmmmmmmm, seems like everyone is missing the obvious point here….
Instead of busting off a 75 yard runThe Muscle Hamster should wait til we reach the 30 to rip one off!!!
Long Live “The Muscle Hamster!”
April 21st, 2016 at 10:11 pm
It is a bit of a downer when he breaks off those 50 yards and doesn’t get in the end zone. But I’m still excited about the 50 yard run. I really don’t expect RBs to be able to out run DBs. And really only a few RBs can outrun DBs. so I am not worried about it one bit. Of course I would love to see Doug finish the run, but I am much more upset over the Bucs inability to punch in a TD at the 1-5 yard line with 3 plays. That was a much bigger issue, than Doug Martin not being faster than DBs.
April 21st, 2016 at 10:16 pm
I don’t think Lovie saves his job if the Bucs won the skins game. Joe reported that the Glazers seriously thought about firing Lovie after year 1. With the way Lovie’s defense played for most of the season, I don’t think 1 more win would have saved Lovie’s Job. He was already in boiling water to begin with. The only way Lovie could have saved his job would have been a playoff berth. But we were 4 games out of the playoffs, and the 9th worst team in the league. Lovie had much more work to do to save his job, than just winning 1 more game.
April 21st, 2016 at 11:39 pm
Dudes hold on to their blocks a little longer and he makes more tds. You can see the guy took a great angle. Dougie runs just as hard as he did as a rookie but he does have short legs. Still no one is as explosive runner as he is except AP
April 22nd, 2016 at 7:44 am
@ st pete Buc
you have hit the nail on the head on Lovies conservative gametime decisions.
I really like the idea of Koetter unshackled. believe he knows touchdowns help put away the other team.when you get the ball to the 5 yard line 3 points is a failure in my book and can get you 3 rd prize later in the game.
April 22nd, 2016 at 8:11 am
Lovie decisions and tinkering with the defense helped launch the career of
How Do You Like It Cousins
I am hoping he is on his backside at least eight times next time we meet,
and you can guess what our D line should be saying to him.
April 22nd, 2016 at 8:16 am
should have said: You Like That Cousins
April 22nd, 2016 at 9:10 am
The only reason he got tackled in the red zone so much last season was he broke so many big runs off. But it Seems no one is greatfull of that by all the b*@$!ing around here. And After you’ve broken multiple tackles and been running for 35-50 yards your gonna slow down I don’t care who you are. And Doug isn’t a speed back to begin with. Plus I think it was just bad luck as well.
But with all the big & tall red targets we have in ASJ, Evans and V-Jax, we shouldnt have that problem should Monken utilize his weapons the correct way. Out of all the problems that should be one of the last given the height advantage we have over other teams. The trick is keeping those weapons healthy. Especially the fragile ASJ.