Depressing Numbers
November 23rd, 2017
Grim.
Each week, the good people of the Bucs media relations department pump out a packet that is just chock-full of stats, information and facts about the team, coaches and players in an upcoming game.
It would make your head spin.
Joe uses it liberally for his weekly “Gameday Tampa Bay” features during the season. So yesterday when the Bucs passed out the packet for this week’s Dixie Chicks’ game, Joe was thumbing through the team leaders and Doug Martin’s numbers caught Joe’s eye. It showed Martin with a season total (through seven games) of 343 yards.
Joe did a double-take. “That can’t be right!” Joe thought. Not even 400 yards rushing through seven games? But Joe did the math (scary, yes) and sure enough it was right.
Holy Kregg Lumpkin!
What jumped out worse than the 343 yards is the low yards-per-game figure. Sure enough, Martin is only averaging 49 yards a game. That is miserable.
Joe did a little more research and by that figure, Martin is No. 22 in the NFL. Not good.
Joe looked at the rest of the running backs from Nos. 23-32. Only Jonathan Stewart of Carolina and Mike Gillislee of New England have a lower per-game average rushing, but both have a better yards-per-carry average than Martin. And only one running back with as many carries as Martin (112) has a worse yards-per-carry average than Martin, and that is woman-punching Joe Mixon of Cincinnati.
Man, oh man.
[Disclaimer No. 1: No, Joe does not “hate” Doug Martin. He’s actually one of Joe’s favorite interviews. Martin has always been very professional with Joe.]
[Disclaimer No. 2: What Joe does “hate” is non-production.]
[Disclaimer No. 3: Joe really, truly wishes Martin would run for 700 yards the rest of the season because when/if Martin breaks loose, it usually means the Bucs win.]
[Disclaimer No. 4: The only agenda Joe has is for the Bucs to win. ]
November 23rd, 2017 at 5:36 am
Disclaimer #5 – Disregard #1 above. Joe may like Martin but only when he’s sitting on the bench.
November 23rd, 2017 at 6:05 am
It’s because the O-Line is terrible.
Plain and simple. It all starts there.
Martin did not forget how to run.
Don’t blame the result blame the cause which is the terrible o-line play.
November 23rd, 2017 at 6:10 am
time to move on from martin but doesn’t matter who they get… until the bucs get better run play schemes and/or better run blocking — not letting defenders meet RBs almost as soon as they’re handed the ball in the backfield — it’s gonna be the same results
November 23rd, 2017 at 6:28 am
Sweezy is a lousy guard. The bucs moved their best guard to Center. Oh, and the Bucs passing game scares no one. Perfect combination to make all the Bucs running backs look awful. All teams do is stack the box. It’s an easy offense to defend because the QB play is bad and the play calling is even worse. Want to fix the running game, get a new offensive coordinator or even better a new coach. Help us Jon Gruden, you’re are only hope.
November 23rd, 2017 at 6:48 am
Joe…my point is that we had a chance to walk away from or renegotiate that salary and wouldn’t have lost that much statistically. I don’t mind Doug being one of our RB’s…but not 8 million worth. If that money had been thrown in with the Baker money, I wonder if there is some other player we might have signed in FA?
November 23rd, 2017 at 6:55 am
Agree. Oline is only good at pass blocking for whatever reason.
However Martin is not doing himself any favors.
Got to think he will not be with bucs next year 7 mil those numbers don’t fly.
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:08 am
Safe to call Martin another miss by Licht…The last 4 yrs this is the pattern. This team needs an honest assessment of its roster. If we go through and deem D. Smith replaceable, Hargreaves garbage, Martin mediocre, Sweezy done…Licht looks terrible as a GM. If there’s a next guy, they’ll send these guys packing because theirs no ties or ego connected to them.
November 23rd, 2017 at 7:34 am
Martin is going to need to be replaced soon because of his age, and while I will agree he no longer has the burst he had in his rookie season, but if the OL isn’t upgraded and the playcalling/offensive scheme at least tweaked, it isn’t going to matter much who is toting the rock.
November 23rd, 2017 at 8:51 am
So….if this is all on Doug Martin then Koetter is to blame for continuing to hand him the ball….we have three other healthy running backs who rarely get touches…..so, Joe….this is on Koetter right?
Or….does he realize that this isn’t on Martin, it’s on his playcalling and the Oline?
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:15 am
Seriously???? Just because people assume we have a good OL, doesn’t mean they are good. They are bad, period. Martin may not be a great RB but is better than his stats. He runs hard every play. Rodgers and Barber are not running wild. And, gee wiz, why is Winston out? Maybe getting thrown around like a rag doll may have something to do with it. Guess that is Martin’s fault too. This is either a stupid observation or click bait. One of the reasons why I visit this site less and less every year.
Look, Joe writes many thousand of posts annually. If you don’t like some, you don’t have to start screaming clickbait. There’s no BS in this post. It’s fact-based. Regardless, Joe isn’t claiming the offensive line is excellent at run blocking. Never have. Simply that Martin is leaving a lot of the field and he’s shown enough where it’s time other guys get a shot to be the No. 1 back. Regarding the pass blocking, it’s among the very best in the NFL, whether you want to believe it or not. –Joe
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:16 am
once again, I am always right. the washed up gerbil had NO PLACE on this roster. yet another huge mistake by glazers and licht to pay the unproductive gerbi. 2 years in a row bucs have gambled on loser and he screwed the pooch both years. martin, gmc, dotson are all jokes and rather lose than win. get rid of the holdovers…
oh and you gmc nuthuggers just because HE DID HIS JOB finally last week; that does not make up for 8 years of quitting on coaches and coming out flat when it matters most.
November 23rd, 2017 at 10:40 am
Tmaxcon isn’t watching the same game the rest of us are. You try to say you’re always right and then bring up bashing GMC. Right away, everything you says goes in to garbage.
The Bucs do need to improve from Martin, but they need to vastly improve on at least 3 OL positions more importantly. Otherwise, we’re just going to have a rook producing like Joe Mixon is currently behind that horrendous Cincy line.
November 23rd, 2017 at 10:48 am
There isn’t a RB in the history of the NFL that could “produce” behind that constantly-shoved-into-the-backfield OL.
These guys look like they’re pass blocking on running plays, moving backwards instead of firing off the line.
November 23rd, 2017 at 10:48 am
The Bucs were insane to pay Martin 7 or 8 mil he’s getting. I say say release him & put the money saved to better use. (Jon Gruden)
November 23rd, 2017 at 10:50 am
Doug Martin is mediocre!!! Again…age…missing last year…Doug is NOT the same back that thrilled you all as a rookie. Doug Martin has become to NFL RB’s what Ryan Fitzpatrick is to NFL QB’s. BTW Doug has had just two good seasons…Fitz had One with the Jets….they can both take pride that they had their moment in the NFL Sun but they are on the backsides of their careers.
Joe has posted FACTS and yet he gets ripped and folks seem to need to make it personal between Joe and Doug. How absurd…it’s just typing numbers on the screen and ANALYZING them honestly.
I can personally remember the times when our Mediocre OL gave Doug the edge but he’s too slow to get outside anymore….He may have left a hundred yards on those plays. When he does break one it’s usually though a giant hole…again our OL does NOT suck it’s horribly inconsistent which does suck…but it doesn’t mean they have no talent…it means for whatever reason our O lineman seem to look awesome one play….Donavan Smith pancaking someone and then the very next play a DE or LB will run around Donavan like his feet are nailed to the turf.
There can be little doubt that if our OL played better…more often…Doug would have better numbers…but he would still be mediocre…not fast enough to get around the edge and so slow that he gets hauled down from behind when he does get past the secondary. Listen both Doug and Fitz are GREAT GUYS…but neither is anywhere near a great football player.
November 23rd, 2017 at 12:16 pm
This”mediocre” running back has had two 1400 yard seasons. We’ve seen what he’s capable of doing. I think y’all should pause and look at where the real problem lies. Our play calling is inept and our offensive line is below average. Have the other running backs on our roster been better? No, not exactly.
Again, they haven’t gotten a shot at the load of the carries. Jaquizz, when he has, has had success this year and last at times behind the same line. Martin has not. Those 1400 yards seasons are ancient history in NFL terms. It’s been two full years since Martin has had a 100-yard game, and he has 1,100-plus career caries. –Joe
November 23rd, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Tmax, you’re a moron. For the rest of you placing the blame all on Martin, try the eye test. He gets hit 2-3 yards behind the line 5-6 times a game. Rather than looking for a scapegoat like a 6 year old, perhaps the solution is better line play, better play calling, and better running. Team game. Team game. Go Bucs!
November 23rd, 2017 at 3:07 pm
We need a big tall sturdy back like Fournette, we need to focus on defense–basically copy what the jags did over last few years, we also need honest assessment of the roster with coresponding cuts made. Hargreaves can ride the slot as he cant make it on outside, D. Smith backup only so many cuts so many needs
November 23rd, 2017 at 6:44 pm
Yeah yeah you do have Doug Martin which is why you have to keep mentioning that you don’t. What’s the use of brining up these stats every week if you won’t call out the coach for continuing to start Martin. Apparently Martin is the best back we have or the others would be getting their chance. Here’s not the only reason this offense stinks, I don’t remember a guy like Matthew Stafford ever having a running game yet they are always in the playoffs hunt hmm
Dirk sucks, the o line sucks and Martin sucks. Light is the one who decided not to draft a running back until the 5th round then cut him…. Stop blaming one person because if it was him they’d go to another guy like they did last year
November 23rd, 2017 at 9:14 pm
No RB in the history of the league has been this bad for this long and continued to get this many carries. Coaching decision.