Doug Martin Will Still Pass Protect
August 23rd, 2013_t607.jpg)
Last week Bucs fans got a scare when Doug Martin, while pass protecting Bucs franchise quarterback Josh Freeman, took a knee to the head and had his bell rung, forced to leave the game.
Some Bucs fans may wonder why Martin, a smallish yet bowling ball kind of build, is pass protecting since he is such a vital part of the offense. Well, don’t expect that to stop, Martin told the Tampa Bay pen and mic club yesterday. If Martin is in the game and the Bucs call a pass, he will be blocking if not catching passes.
“I am good at it,” Martin said. “To be a productive back, you have to pass protect. Read the defense and protect the quarterback. It is a fight. It is a fight. You have to have that want-to.”
Yes, Martin has that want-to. But Joe is worried. This is not the first time Martin had his noggin’ rattled. It happened in the final game of the regular season at Atlanta too when Martin said that he and then-Dixie Chicks cornerback Dunte Robinson each knocked “each other out.” The way the NFL is paranoid about concussions, could Martin be in the early stages of developing a pattern of getting minor concussions or worse?
Friends, without Martin in the backfield, this team is in a world of hurt.
To hear more from Martin, click the arrow below. Audio courtesy of Joe’s friends at WDAE-AM 620.
August 23rd, 2013 at 7:15 am
Keep your head away from knees.
August 23rd, 2013 at 7:20 am
So did anyone else see how Detroit man-handled the Patriots? The Same Patriots that made the Bucs look like FAMU’s football team?
But hey it’s just the preseason right?
August 23rd, 2013 at 7:28 am
Detroit also got manhandled by the Browns. So its either preseason or this will be Cleveland’s year.
August 23rd, 2013 at 8:03 am
Every player in the NFL has a “Pattern of minor concussions”
August 23rd, 2013 at 8:27 am
@ mr lucky.
Last year in the preseason we will pick up on the Patriots. How did we do last year again?
August 23rd, 2013 at 8:55 am
Beat up on the patriots.
August 23rd, 2013 at 8:56 am
@ Mr. Lucky
You’re right, “it’s just the preseason”. A time when teams are: running basic formalities on offense, defense, and special teams in order to evaluate players in situational football, when starters are given limited reps, when starters with minor injuries are held-out as a precaution, when future Ebor bouncers are playing by mid-first quarter, when the playbook is barely implemented, and when teams have absolutely no game-planning in advance of a second pre-season games.
You are correct. “it’s just the pre-season”.
Tomorrow is not just pre-season though.
August 23rd, 2013 at 9:18 am
Hope Martin is okay and has a long and productive career. That said this is football where powerfully strong men run into each other with reckless abandon. Take what precautions you can, but there risk on every play, for every player on the field, that a career could end.
August 23rd, 2013 at 9:27 am
Martin needs to stay in to keep the defenses on their toes. He is a very good pass protector and I did not see any issues with his blocking last season. Was a bad dinger, but I’m sure that he will am more for the thigh next time.
I swear nobody watches the preseason games and just reads articles about the final score. I watched Detroit run the same plays OVER and OVER last night. Why? Because basics of the preseason. Same with the Bucs vs. Pats when Glennon was in. Same with the Pats vs us and against the Lions. Please for the love of all that is holy to you, ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE FIELD!
Has nobody noticed that some kickers boot it out of the endzone for the first couple of kicks, then start letting returns happen??? Then when the kickers switch, starts over. Something that I have noticed and it looks like it is to evaluate the ST on kickoffs.
August 23rd, 2013 at 10:52 am
Caddy was the best at this. He was so solid protecting Josh in 2010.
Cadillac Williams. A Bucs legend.
Great team leader. Great spirit.
Respect.
August 23rd, 2013 at 11:52 am
PFF gave James an F- in pass-pro for the 1st two games, but he just needs reps, I am sure.
August 23rd, 2013 at 12:06 pm
I certainly hope that’s not the case for Dougie,
I’m going to be praying against that thought.
August 23rd, 2013 at 1:18 pm
If anyone is wondering why doug martin is pass protecting, then they have no clue about football
August 23rd, 2013 at 5:35 pm
You know that commercial where the athlete is recording a song and his friend plays it back to him to show him how bad he is?
Someone needs to show game tape to Martin, because he is not really good at it. At least not in the first 2 preseason games. It was poor pass blocking that lead to his injury.
August 23rd, 2013 at 8:48 pm
Not the case as in that he becomes prone to head injuries I meant