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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the best running backs in the NFL this year, somewhat surprisingly. After two down years, Doug Martin looks a lot more like his rookie self. And it's not just that he's getting better blocking: he's also making guys for the first time in three years. In fact, he has forced more missed tackles than anyone in the NFL, according to Gil Brandt.
RBs w/ most missed/broken tackles: Martin 31 Ingram 26 Peterson 26 Hyde 25 Ivory 25 C.Johnson 25 Lynch 23 Freeman 23 McCoy 22 Stewart 21
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) November 17, 2015
That's pretty impressive. Martin's resurgence has been a blessing for the Bucs, though their running game remains a little inconsistent. They want to base the offense around him and the team's running game, or at least the ability to sustain drives through running the ball. The only place where that's really hurt them is the red zone, with just three rushing touchdowns for the Dougernaut this year.
It'll be interesting to see what the Bucs do with Martin this offseason, as his contract is expiring. The way they've played this year suggests they should emphasize re-signing him or possibly using the franchise tag to retain him. Regardless, they're going to have to pay up if they want to keep him.