Doug Martin and Charles Sims for Hack and Slash

In fencing, the sport of fencing, not the act of reselling stolen items in a legitimate market, scoring points using sabers can be score by the tip of the blade or the edge of the blade. It is an offensive style of sport fencing.

Hacking away with bluntness and finding opportunities to slash is how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers use their offensive back field tandem of Doug Martin and Charles Sims. Martin is rumbling, tumbling bell cow that refuses to go down after the first hit - which is why Martin recently approved the name Douggernaut. Sims is the third down back and has the biggest catching radius among all of the running backs on the roster. Chuck, as some call Sims, is an upright and elusive type runner, which serves him well on screens and lining up as a receiver.

Bucs' OC Dirk Koetter is the conductor of this burgeoning offensive machine. Before we continue with our dynamic duo, I want to establish the fact that OC Koetter does miracles with offensive lines. Here is a link to Koetter's mastery of improving offensive lines:  Will Dirk Koetter help the Bucs' offensive line? Back to the rushing dynamic, here is a quote from an NFL.com article written on June 7, 2012:

3. Jacquizz Rodgers will become a key contributor as a hybrid player in the backfield.

When the Falcons drafted Rodgers a season ago, he was viewed as an explosive change-of-pace back capable of delivering big plays as a runner/receiver. He displayed some of those skills as a rookie, amassing 393 total yards from scrimmage on 78 touches with two touchdowns.

Koetter's arrival will lead to a bigger role for Rodgers in his second season. The clever offensive architect effectively utilized a two-back rotation in Jacksonville with Fred Taylor andMaurice Jones-Drew, and he can implement a similar strategy in Atlanta with Michael Turner and Rodgers. Turner can continue to carry the load as the feature runner in the backfield, receiving the majority of his touches on inside runs directed between the tackles. He will act as the sledgehammer, wearing down the defense with his hard-charging runs between the tackles.

Rodgers, on the other hand, will bring an explosive element to the running game with his ability to get to the perimeter on off-tackle plays. Given his quickness, burst and elusiveness, he is capable of generating the big runs that have been lacking in Atlanta's running game. Rodgers will also provide Ryan with a dangerous weapon to target on passing plays. He is a crafty route runner with the quickness to separate from defenders in space, and Koetter could exploit those skills by creating favorable matchups within the Falcons' spread formations. In looking at the video just above, theFalcons were able to connect with Rodgers on a throwback pass following a bootleg fake.

It seems as though Koetter has had this situation play out before coming to the Bucs. Here are stats for 2012 - 2014 Atlanta Falcons running backs. The 2014 with a star denotation includes a third running back utilized by the Falcons, Devonta Freeman.

With a rookie quarterback in tow, the best way to protect him is to have a strong running game. With the 2015 Bucs, Koetter has brought a "Hack and Slash" mentality to shelter QB Jameis Winston. Doug Martin has to be established first so that Sims can be utilized surgically. From the "Hack and Slash Production" chart below, when Doug becomes more involved, then Sims becomes even that more effective. Remember, Sims' best asset is being a receiving back and occasionally a change of style back to Doug Martin.

Our dynamic duo seem to be carrying more of the offensive weight than what Koetter had in Atlanta for all three years there. Right now, team "Hack and Slash" produces 20% more than the 2014 Falcons. I do not think we realize just how much we rely on our dynamic duo.

While 79.7% of the total yards generated were from the running backs against the Jacksonville Jaguars, 120 yards came from the air. The duo has the ability to do damage through the air as well. Martin can behave like a juggernaut and Sims can be the precision assassin. The "Hack and Slash" tandem is quite a formidable set. Hopefully, the dynamic duo can help lead the Bucs to a playoff berth by being the security blanket to its rookie QB.