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Buccaneers: Four Areas of Concern Heading into the Regular Season

By Jerry Stalheim

NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 24: Head coach Dirk Koetter watches a play agianst the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 24, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 24: Head coach Dirk Koetter watches a play agianst the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 24, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – DECEMBER 6: Running back Doug Martin #22 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium on December 6, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff McBride/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – DECEMBER 6: Running back Doug Martin #22 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium on December 6, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff McBride/Getty Images) /

RUNNING GAME WITHOUT DOUG MARTIN

With Hurricane Irma causing the Buccaneers week one game in Miami to be postponed until week eleven the Buccaneers now have a bye week in week one which means that Doug Martin’s three game suspension will now take place in weeks two – five (Chicago Bears, @Minnesota Vikings, and New York Giants).

Martin when healthy has been one of the best backs in the league finishing second in rushing in 2015 but only having two healthy seasons out of five has not helped him or the teams rushing totals much.

When Martin is fully healthy (2012, 2015) the Buccaneers rushers as a whole have averaged 390 carries for 1802 yards (4.47/carry) and nineteen touchdowns with an added 75 receptions for 711 yards and three touchdowns, for total of 465 touches for 2513 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Then you have the other end of the spectrum when Martin has not been healthy (2013, 2014, and 2016) in this case the Buccaneers rushers as a whole have averaged 359 carries for 1335 yards (3.35/carry) and 17 touchdowns with an added 65 receptions for 476 yards and one touchdown, for a total of 424 touches for 1811 yards and 18 touchdowns.

With a total of 41 less touches 701 less yards and four less touchdowns for the running backs.

While Martin is suspended Jacquizz Rodgers is likely to get the start as he did last season for five games which was the most games he had started in his career (78 games 10 starts), and last season was also career highs in rush attempts (129) yards (560) and yards/carry (4.3) for him with Sims and Barber also being in the committee backfield.

On to this year’s preseason stats, the Buccaneers put six running backs on the field during the preseason in Dougernaut, Jacquizz Rodgers, Peyton Barber, Charles Sims, Jeremy McNichols, and Russell Hansbrough. Sims had the least amount of carries with five while Barber had the most carries with 28 with McNichols (24), Rodgers (17), Martin (11), and Hansbrough (7) getting the rest.

During the vanilla preseason the Buccaneers run game was unspectacular with the running backs rushing for a total of 92 carries for 323 yards (3.5/carry) and one touchdown, and if you factor in that one of the rushers was signed by a different teams practice squad (McNichols) and Hansbrough is on the Buccaneers practice squad the current rushers on the Buccaneers roster rushed for 61 carries for 213 yards (3.4/carry) and one touchdown.

Granted Martin is only out the first three games of the season but can the current Buccaneers running backs be effective enough to scare other teams into worrying about the running game, and in a worst case scenario what happens if Martin has another injury plagued season as the stats show above when Martin in out the running game struggles.

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