Doug Martin Sinks Deeper
November 23rd, 2014
Today’s starting running back, Doug Martin, entered the Bucs-Bears mess averaging 2.9 yards per carry.
That paltry number has fallen.
Martin had 11 carries for 27 yards against a weak Bears defense. Outside of a strong, 10-yard run and a hard five-yard scamper, Martin was dreadful with the ball.
Martin’s one reception revealed nice awareness of the first-down marker, but his pass blocking was suspect.
Sadly, there’s just no reason to believe Martin has what it takes.
Typing this, Joe feels like he’s writing a eulogy. Martin has become a pretty lifeless running back with everything to prove.
Yes, Martin returned today after about a month away from game action because of an ankle injury, yet Lovie Smith made him the feature back? That was odd.
Martin’s demise is only a little more upsetting than Bobby Rainey appearing to be a better player than Martin but getting denied opportunities. Rainey, the Bucs’ leading rusher, had just one carry today for three yards but caught four balls for 18 yards.
Yes, the Bucs have miserable run blocking. But they may not have a starting-caliber running back, either. The latter would have been an impossible thought in August.
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Offensive Line is miserable. Makes running inconsistent if not impossible
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:08 pm
He’s gonna end up New England and will be a contributor. We are their farm team after all.
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:09 pm
The Bucs have 4 starting caliber RBs and no starting caliber Olinemen…or QB or OC….
It’s sad….but no back looks good behind our line. Their pass blocking is average at best….
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:09 pm
Trade martin for 4th rounder this off season and be done with this nonsense
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:10 pm
Better than Martin and sims
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:12 pm
All 3 running backs suck.
Shouldn’t that tell you idiot know it alls that it’s not the running backs.
ITS THE DAMN OFFENSIVE LINE THAT IS THE PROBLEM.
NOT THE DAMN RUNNING BACK.
STOP BLAMING MARTIN FOR THE CRAP THAT IS THE O-line.
Hello? Anyone home retards?
What has Rainey or James or sims done?
Not a dam thing. But oh let’s keep blaming Martin.
I mean am I in the twilight zone or something?
Plain out idiots.
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:13 pm
The staff has no idea how to utilize players on this roster, it’s sad.
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:15 pm
Doug Martin is thinking….Tim Wright….
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:22 pm
Joe, you spelled “stinks” wrong in the title. 🙂
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:22 pm
@TheKevin: retards??
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:27 pm
Whatever you do, don’t trade him to the MF’in Patriots.
Barry Sanders couldn’t do sh!t behind this offensive line.
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:41 pm
They are not going to make a living running the ball period….no offensive line equals no running game……
November 23rd, 2014 at 7:47 pm
What team has a three back system that works…. I’ll wait?
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:01 pm
Maybe we should run the wishbone with our three backs and sit Josh.
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:02 pm
@joe
It’s the O line plus play calling. I’m not going to blame every running back on this roster and take it easy on Sims Joe. When everyone was raving about him was back in august before the surgery and TEDFORD was here. He was drafted to add that pass catching dimension out of the backfield. I don’t get to watch much games I just listen to you’ll but it sounds like they are splitting him out wide or anything like that. Take the lack of running back production up with Arroyo
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:29 pm
He will play for the pats next year and Rush for over a thousand yards and ten touchdowns
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:50 pm
If someone told me the offensive line gets paid a bonus to make Doug look terrible, I’d believe it. They’ve done a fantastic job of that all year.
That said, even in his rookie year, was there THAT much of a disparity between our line then and now? I know our line sucks, but to go from looking like a beast to looking like you don’t belong in the nfl… Man… I just hate to see it though. I really like Doug.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:25 pm
Tampa is born to lose Face it!.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:35 pm
Is it not also possible that he didn’t forget how to run the football but terrible “blocking” and “coaching” have themed his career like the rest of this team?
Nah, that’s just crazy. Martin just suck suddenly. That makes sense.
My fellow fan is not smart
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:37 pm
If he gets cut or is traded I am burning my #22 jersey.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Joe,Name a running back that would look good behind Lovie’s hand picked O-Line?
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:53 pm
What am I missing here?
Martin – 3 runs for a 2.5 avg, 1 catch for 4, yards
Rainey – 1 run for 3 yards, 4 catches for 4.5 avg
Sims – 6 runs for 3.7 avg, 2 catches for 5.5 avg
So, basically, there’s no difference between them, no matter how much people push for Rainey and Sims as our saviors.
Find at least 2 player on the OL who should be NFL starters, and it will all get better.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:19 pm
done
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:37 pm
OK I didn’t have the heart to watch the second half because the first half was so damn boring so are you saying Joe that the other runningbacks did something better? Is kinda stupid of a blogger to type a eulogy of this guy with that awful offensive line. It’s the death of good journalism and common sense.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:41 pm
Rainey is good. Lovie is an idiot.
November 23rd, 2014 at 11:02 pm
Dallasbuc hit the nail on the head
November 24th, 2014 at 12:30 am
Told ya. Should have traded him at the beginning of the year when his stock was still really high. Could have got a decent transaction. Now we will be lucky to get a 6th rounder for him.
November 24th, 2014 at 12:39 am
I too agree with DalBuc
November 24th, 2014 at 12:49 am
And Joe continues to make a scapegoat out of Doug Martin. Please Joe, continue on with the Doug Martin is done articles. I can’t get enough (sarcasm).
November 24th, 2014 at 4:54 am
There is none of the magic he had before- that’s for sure.
Like I said this preseason- Martin has lost “it”
Sucks.
Sims and Rainey are the answer.
We’re ok
November 24th, 2014 at 9:42 am
Rainey is the only back we have that has shown anything this year and it’s clear that the team prefers both of the other backs over him. The only player raising their trade value on the team is Rainey. By the looks of things, I wouldn’t put it past the staff to capitalize on that
November 24th, 2014 at 1:04 pm
Trade Doug Martin and watch him rush for 1000+ yards a season on another team.
November 24th, 2014 at 2:38 pm
So all our RBs have a hard time running? So all our RBs have a pretty bad avg per rush? So…eh I think you get the point…Unless we have Adrian Peterson, Jamal Charles or LeVeon Bell then most RBs would be hard pressed to run behind this offense. It’s more of the running system/plays than the actual o-line. The Bears were dropping 7 throughout the game & still Arroyo wasn’t able to get a running play that would be successful. I think it’s more a fault of design than anything else.
November 24th, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Let’s just keep dougie be like the pats a bunch of good rb that pretty much rotate around and the ones that are hot get more touches