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Martin didn't regain enough strength for Bucs return

 
Doug Martin, who sustained a torn left labrum in a loss to Atlanta Oct. 20, was placed on injured reserve Friday, ending his season.
Doug Martin, who sustained a torn left labrum in a loss to Atlanta Oct. 20, was placed on injured reserve Friday, ending his season.
Published Nov. 10, 2013

TAMPA — Bucs RB Doug Martin never gained enough strength in his injured left shoulder to return, coach Greg Schiano said Saturday.

Martin, who tore his labrum while trying to catch a pass during a loss to Atlanta on Oct. 20, was placed on injured reserve Friday, ending his season.

"We wanted to give it a couple weeks just to see how much he strengthened it," Schiano said. "Every guy is different. He did get better but not well enough that we felt comfortable putting him in a … game. You never know until you try it. And really, he was going to need to strengthen it and get it ready for surgery even if he was going to have it now.

"He's in the best physical state to have the surgery now and will have it shortly. First, he's going to decide on a surgeon, and then we'll get an exact time frame."

There were a few factors the Bucs had to consider before placing Martin on injured reserve. Start with the 0-8 record. Also, the second-year player never has had surgery and is admittedly anxious about it. Finally, consider the amount of complications several Bucs have experienced following surgery recently. Furthermore, rookie Mike James is coming off a 158-yard performance.

All that added up to the decision to shut Martin down.

ISLAND TIME: Bucs CB Darrelle Revis admits he's not yet 100 percent, still working his way back from a torn ACL.

But Revis, 28, is almost there, and it has shown in how he has felt — and played — the past three weeks. He can press receivers more, has the stamina to race step for step on go routes and appears to have his swagger.

"I'm getting back to my old self," Revis said. "I'm feeling very comfortable. The knee is feeling a lot better. The leg is feeling a lot better."

Revis has six passes defensed, one interception and 25 tackles but is starting to notice opponents staying away from his side of the field.

"That's how it usually goes, but I think the biggest thing is fighting against boredom sometimes," Revis said. "But I still have got to prepare that teams are going to throw the ball at me, especially lined up on the best receivers."

Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan said Revis likely will get a lot of time against the Dolphins' Mike Wallace on Monday, but Revis said Brian Hartline also warrants attention.

"They're both fast," he said. "I think Hartline doesn't get a lot of credit for what he does. He's a consistent receiver. I think he's the best route runner. He can kill you with double moves, and he can run smooth and crisp routes."

STAYING UP LATE: The novelty of playing on Monday night for the first time excites QB Mike Glennon, who like many players grew up with the Monday game on a pedestal — before the NFL moved into prime time three nights a week.

"I can remember staying up to watch, probably just to halftime, when I was a little kid," Glennon said. "That's the prime time, the showtime, everyone's watching. It's the backbone of the NFL spotlight is that Monday night game. It's definitely something I'm looking forward to and dreamed of for a long time."

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Glennon spent a day with ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, — part of the Monday Night Football crew — during the draft process as part of the Gruden's QB Camp TV series. He said while fans see maybe 20 minutes of interaction with the former Bucs coach, he spent about five hours with him for the show.

"He's really smart, great with quarterbacks," Glennon said, "so it was fun just to hear what he had to say about the game of football and to me. It will be interesting to meet with him again to hear what he has to say."

Media time: Gruden interviewed WR Vincent Jackson for a segment that will air before the game on Veterans Day. Jackson in Action 83 Foundation assists military families.