Buccaneers: What the postponement means for Doug Martin and run game
By Bailey Adams
Due to Hurricane Irma, the Buccaneers now open the season a week later than expected. With the postponement of the Dolphins game, Doug Martin‘s suspension is pushed back another week. What does that mean for Tampa Bay and its run game?
The Buccaneers stood firm on their backfield in the offseason, sticking with Doug Martin and the depth behind him. Of course, Martin still has three games left on a suspension that started last year. He was due back in week four against the Giants, but due to the postponement of the team’s opening game, his return is now delayed another week. That development has some rough implications, but there’s nothing the team can do about it now. Here, we take a look at those implications.
Originally, the Bucs were going to be without Martin against the Dolphins, Bears and Vikings. Now, instead of missing the Dolphins game, he will miss week four’s home matchup against the Giants. Tampa Bay will have to piece together its run game against a New York defense that allowed just 88.6 rushing yards per game last year (tied for third-fewest). By contrast, Miami allowed 140.4 yards per game a year ago (third-most). It’s safe to say that a running back by committee approach would be much easier to execute against the Dolphins than it will be against the Giants.
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Jacquizz Rodgers will presumably be the lead running back in Martin’s absence. However, if he can’t get the job done, the fate of the run game is left to Charles Sims and Peyton Barber. Sims and Barber are talented backs, but neither have much NFL experience as the featured guy. Tampa Bay will need Rodgers to step up like he did in 2016. Then, it can hope to get some added contributions from the other two. It won’t be easy to get through a tough New York defense. But if the run game can do enough to be a balanced complement to the pass, that will have to be enough.
Martin’s return against the Giants would have been tough, sure. But his new return game won’t get any easier. No. 22’s return is now set for week five, when the Bucs host the Patriots on Thursday Night Football. While New England got torn up by Kansas City’s offense in week one, its defense is usually much tougher. Last year, the defense was tied with New York for third-fewest rushing yards allowed per game. So it’s not as if Martin will get to ease his way into the season like he would against a softer defense. The veteran will get thrown right into the fire from the moment he steps foot on the field.
As far as play-calling goes, will anything be adjusted? Head coach Dirk Koetter likes a balanced offensive attack. But without Martin in the lineup, will he shift things a little more toward the pass? Jameis Winston has far more options in the passing game than he did last year, so it’s possible. However, considering the Bucs are still going with Rodgers, Sims and Barber, Koetter will likely keep things as balanced as he normally would. If the backfield looked different from the way it did last year, maybe Koetter would make some changes. But there’s trust there with his guys, so his game plan may not see too much of a change.
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How do you feel about the run game without Doug Martin, Bucs fans? Do you think the delay of his return will have any sizable impact? Let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter or on Facebook.