WITH LYNCH OUT, DOUG MARTIN STEPS UP
ALAMEDA -- Doug Martin, like Marshawn Lynch, was born in Oakland, but became a high school star in Stockton before playing in college at Boise State and becoming a firstround draft pick.
With Lynch likely done for the season with a groin injury (the earliest he could return is Week 16), Martin gets a belated chance to jump-start his career when the Oakland Raiders (1-5) host the Indianapolis Colts (2-5) at the Coliseum.
“I’m 29, pushing 30,” Martin said Thursday. “I signed year for a year so it’s definitely an opportunity to show everybody, the Raiders, all my doubters that I can still play.”
Sitting the bench while healthy has been new ground for Martin, who played six seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was one of the NFL’s top running backs when healthy, gaining 1,454 yards as a rookie in 2012 and 1,402 yards in 2015.
Martin’s other four seasons were marred by injuries and a four-game suspension under the NFL policy for substance abuse. He averaged a 4.7 yards per carry during the good years, a figure reached by Lynch only twice in his career.
During the other four seasons, Martin has a 3.3 average in 36 games, barely good enough to remain employed. With Lynch out, Martin will get every opportunity to show the “doubters” he’s got something left.
“I still have a lot of miles left on these wheels,” Martin said. “Can’t wait.”
The apparent end for Lynch came suddenly. He carried 13 times for 45 yards against Seattle without much help from his blockers. The Raiders didn’t learn until they returned home from London that Lynch had more to recover from than the usual spate of head-on collisions.
“It kind of took everybody by surprise,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “We didn’t find out how significant the injury was until later.”
Martin (5-foot-9, 223 pounds) was one of Jon Gruden’s first calls when he got the job as Raiders head coach. The plan originally was for Martin to share rushing duties with Lynch, except Gruden found out the same thing Jack Del Rio did a year ago -- Lynch is much better with steady work.
So while Lynch (90 rushes for 376 yards) dominated the early downs and Jalen Richard emerged as a thirddown back, Martin got scraps. Only three times all season has Martin carried on consecutive downs en route to 27 carries for 99 yards.
DeAndre Washington, who has yet to be active the season, will likely step in to the role Martin had for the first six games.
“I’ve been a lead guy since high school so it’s definitely been something that was difficult for me, but I’ve got people behind me in my ear telling me to keep working hard and pushing and your time will come,” Martin said.
Gruden and Olson have talked up Martin’s work ethic, health and burst, but there’s no way to know how much a back has left until he gets significant work.
The Raiders once thought they could wring the last effective carries out of Maurice Jones-Drew, were optimistic coming out of training camp, but quickly learned during regularseason games the former Jacksonville star was done.
Olson said there has been no tail off in Martin’s practice habits and enthusiasm while in a reduced role.
“He’s a real high energy guy. If you ever watch him on the practice field, he’s always moving,” Olson said. “If it’s a special teams period and he’s not involved he’s over with the quarterback running routes or working on protections, trying to improve his game all the time.”
The Raiders will tweak their offense to accentuate Martin’s abilities. He has the build to break tackles but is more of a darter than the slam-bang style of Lynch.
“I think there’s a different style a little bit between the two runners,” Olson said. “Certainly Marshawn had the package of plays we feel suit his skills and Doug has a package of plays that suit his skills, but they they both fit within the system and we’re excited to see what he can do.”
Martin likens it to his sophomore year at Boise State, when he was playing defensive back and was moved to running back by coach Chris Petersen when running back D.J. Harper was lost to injury.