One of the key elements to the Tampa Bay Bucs won’t make an appearance in tonight’s preseason game.
The Bucs will hold out running back Doug Martin, who has sore ribs, as a precautionary measure against the Jacksonville Jaguars when the teams meet tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Martin figured to be a central figure for both teams. Last season, in a 38-31 victory, Martin ran for 123 yards against the Jags. But in the Bucs’ preseason opener against Philadelphia, the Bucs ran only for 31 yards on 21 carries. Establishing Martin seem to be a key factor for the Bucs; stopping him seemed to be vital for the Jags.
Without him, the Bucs may have to rely more on the passing of quarterback Jameis Winston, who was seven-of-nine throwing against the Eagles.
The Jags, meanwhile, while try to establish free agent Chris Ivory. In last year’s game, Jacksonville ran for only 55 yards, and 21 of those were by Blake Bortles.
There are clear goals for the Bucs in the game. They had five turnovers last week, they had seven dropped passes and 10 penalties. The Jags lost, too, but only after their first team staked them to a 10-0 lead.
