The past week has been especially difficult on Tampa Bay Buccaneers tailback Doug Martin. On Sunday, his team lost to the Minnesota Vikings on a fumble return in overtime. He then spent the next 48 hours wondering if Tampa might trade him before the deadline. Now Adam Schefter reports that Martin was sidelined in a walking boot at practice and is unlikely to play in the Buccaneers' upcoming game against the Cleveland Browns.
Doug Martin unlikely to play Sunday, Panthers lose starting left tackle and other NFL news
Here’s the latest news around the NFL, including Vontaze Burfict being likely to miss multiple games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery.
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In his last game, Martin carried the ball 10 times for 27 yards while catching two passes for -1 yard. He left in the third quarter with an apparent ankle sprain. The protective boot would seem to confirm the injury is of a more serious nature. With Martin out, the Buccaneers will turn to running backs Bobby Rainey and Charles Sims.
Panthers lose starting left tackle
The Carolina Panthers have struggled to protect Cam Newton all season. The fourth-year quarterback has already been sacked 17 times and is on pace to nearly match last season's total of 43. Now the job of keeping him upright just became a little harder, as Panthers head coach Ron Rivera announced that left tackle Byron Bell is out for Thursday's game against the Saints.
Bell joins a growing list of wounded Carolina offensive linemen. Starting guards Trai Turner and Amini Silatolu have also been declared out this week. Stepping in for the injured blockers are journeyman Fernando Velasco and undrafted rookies David Foucault and Andrew Norwell.
Burfict to miss at least two games
It was just a few weeks ago that Panthers tight end Greg Olsen campaigned for Vontaze Burfict to miss games with a suspension. Burfict will indeed miss time, though not for the reasons Olsen listed.
Instead, the Bengals linebacker will be sidelined two games or more after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee, according to Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Inquirer. The procedure was done to correct an injury he suffered during the first quarter of Cincinnati's divisional showdown with Baltimore last Sunday.
According to head coach Marvin Lewis, Burfict will “have a shot” to play in three weeks against the New Orleans Saints. Burfict led the NFL in tackles in 2014 and was named to his first Pro Bowl. He signed a four-year, $20 million contract in the offseason.
Green returns to practice
For the Bengals, Burfict's injury was offset by the news that superstar A.J. Green returned to practice. The third-year receiver missed the last three weeks after aggravating an existing toe injury during practice. Now it appears that Green has a legitimate shot a suiting up this Sunday when his team takes on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With Green out of the lineup, the Cincinnati offense has sputtered. The unit has averaged just over 20 points per game, failing to register a single point against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7. The Bengals may need Green against Jacksonville this week as the Jaguars sport the 11th ranked defense according to Football Outsiders' DVOA
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