| Bucs RB Doug Martin had a big day in Oakland on Sunday in front of more than 60 family members and friends, rushing for 251 yards and scoring four touchdowns in Tampa Bay's 42-32 victory over the Raiders. (US Presswire) |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Doug Martin made franchise history and put on a show for his family, friends and former high school teammates Sunday in a 42-32 victory over the Oakland Raiders.
Martin rushed for a franchise record 251 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries, helping the surging Bucs improve to 4-4. James Wilder had held the rushing record since 1983 when he rushed for 219 yards against Minnesota.
Martin was born in Oakland and lived there until moving to the Northern California city of Stockton at 5. He had a rooting section of over 60 who watched him score on runs of 45, 67 and 70 yards in the second half before capping his show with a 1-yard TD run with 1:49 left.
The Raiders, who dropped to 3-5, led 10-7 at halftime but fell behind 28-10 late in the third quarter on Martin's 67-yard touchdown run. At that point, Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer orchestrated a furious rally, pulling the Raiders to within 3 points at 35-32 with 3:51 to play.
But Bucs safety Ahmad Black picked off a Palmer pass and returned 34 yards to the Raider 22, setting up Martin's final touchdown. Then on the Raiders' final drive, Bucs cornerback E.J. Biggers picked off Palmer.
Palmer completed 39 of 61 passes for 414 yards and 4 TDs but was intercepted three times.
When the game turned: Martin rushed for only 31 yards on eight carries in the first half. But on Tampa Bay's first possession of the second half, he blasted over left guard and raced 45 yards for a touchdown, putting the Bucs ahead for good at 14-10. Martin rushed for 220 yards and all four of his touchdowns in the second half against a Raiders defense that ranked No. 11 against the run coming into the game.
Highlight moments: Bucs WR Vincent Jackson, a former Charger, caught a 64-yard pass from Josh Freeman early in the second quarter. Three plays later, he beat Raider CB Michael Huff for a 20-yard touchdown catch. ... Early in the fourth quarter, Martin answered a Raiders touchdown with a 70-yard touchdown run in a one-play drive. ... Raiders DE Lamarr Houston blocked a Connor Barth field goal in the first quarter then scooped it up and returned 34 yards to the Tampa Bay 44, setting up a field goal.
Top-shelf performances:
- Bucs RB Doug Martin -- 25 carries for a franchise-record 251 yards and 4 touchdowns
- Bucs QB Josh Freeman -- 18 of 30 for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions with a passer rating of 108.6
- Bucs LB Lavonte David -- team-high 16 tackles, two for loss
- Raiders QB Carson Palmer -- 39 of 61 for 414 yards and 4 touchdowns with 3 interceptions and a passer rating of 85.0
- Raiders TE Brandon Myers -- 8 catches for 59 yards and his first two career TDs
- Raiders FB Marcel Reece -- 8 catches for 95 yards and 1 touchdown.
What they said about Tampa Bay RB Doug Martin:
- Bucs coach Greg Schiano -- “Doug is a patient runner with really good vision. And that's hard to teach. Really, the great backs I've been around, either they have it or they don't. And then he's got balance and strength, and those two things, when you have the vision and patience and you have the balance and strength, I think it's a pretty good package."
- Raiders CB Michael Huff -- “He was just a little, quick back. He just made the plays. He's been doing it all year so he's obviously a good back in this league. He just made the plays and we didn't. A lot of times we had him. We just missed tackles. He just made a play, made a guy miss."
Numbers you should know: Tampa Bay rolled up 515 yards of total offense, but the Raiders weren't far behind at 424.
Injury update: Raiders -- RB Darren McFadden left the game midway through the second quarter with an injured left ankle. Raiders coach Dennis Allen said X-rays were negative, but he didn't know the "extent" of McFadden's injury or whether he'll be able to play at Baltimore. According to ESPN, McFadden suffered a high ankle sprain on his first carry Sunday, aggravated the injury later in the game and will undergo an MRI on Monday. ... DT Desmond Bryant was admitted to Eden Medical Center with an accelerated heart rate and will spend the night for observation. He was resting comfortably, according to a team spokesperson. Bryant went to the hospital shortly after halftime. ... RB Mike Goodson suffered an ankle injury early in the fourth quarter and left the game. He did not undergo X-rays. ... FS Matt Giordano left the game with a hamstring injury in the third quarter.
Going forward: Bucs -- After playing back-to-back road games, the Bucs return home to face San Diego. After that, they have a road game against the struggling Panthers and then a home game against Atlanta. Raiders -- The Raiders face a tough three-game stretch, starting with a road game at Baltimore. After that, they return to play the New Orleans Saints and then hit the road again to play Cincinnati.
Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter @CBSRaiders.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Miami Dolphins from blogger Dave Carey, follow @CBSDolphins