Bucs’ running game starting to find its legs
The Tampa Tribune, published 21 September 2015

Unlike last week, Bucs fans got to see what Dirk Koetter’s real offense looks like. After falling behind the Titans early in the 42-14 season-opening loss, Tampa Bay threw 37 times in 63 offensive snaps. On Sunday, rookie Jameis Winston dropped back only 24 times in 59 snaps.

“The main thing today was that we stayed balanced,’’ veteran left guard Logan Mankins said after the Bucs rushed for 139 yards on 35 attempts. “We ran the ball well and, for the most part, I thought our protection was pretty good.”

Doug Martin gained 78 yards on 21 carries, while second-year back Charles Sims averaged 4.8 yards on eight attempts. And although he was sacked three times, Winston often enjoyed ample time to survey the field in his first regular-season road game.

“We have a lot of confidence in what our line can do,’’ said Martin, whose fumble midway through the fourth quarter gave the Saints new life. “We overcame a lot today — crowd noise, injuries, penalties, turnovers — but nobody was backing down.’’

An offensive line featuring rookie starters Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet was forced to adjust when center Evan Smith was sidelined with a third-quarter ankle injury, forcing Joe Hawley to make his Bucs debut.

“That’s why they brought me here, to add depth,’’ said Hawley, signed as a free-agent center a week ago. “It felt good to compete. Some things didn’t go our way, but we kept on pushing.’’