Doug Martin hasn't found the right footing since his breakout rookie campaign in 2012.
After missing most of last season with a shoulder injury, Martin missed two games for the Buccaneers this year with a knee injury. In the time he has been on the field he hasn't looked great.
Martin hasn't had a 100-yard outing in his past seven games, and this season he has fewer than 50 rushing yards in all three contests he's participated in.
The problem hasn't been just the Buccaneers' blocking. Pro Football Focus charted Martin as causing just three missed tackles on his 37 carries and six receptions this season. That low percentage ranks him 39th out of 43 running backs with at least 25 percent of a team's attempts.
Still, Lovie Smith said this week he plans to stick with Martin, and the young runner has shown positives the past two weeks.
Martin believes that a much-needed breakout game is coming soon, according to the team's official website.
"Yeah, there's been times where it's definitely been close," he said. "These guys work hard. They work their butts off in practice. Everyone (holds) each other accountable for this. We're going to get it going and I can't wait until it happens. (I'll) just continue what I do -- just run the ball hard, follow my keys and just keep going hard like I do."
Martin will find the sledding tough again this week against a stingy, eighth-ranked Baltimore Ravens run defense. But softer defenses are on the horizon.
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