Often met by a defensive lineman as soon as he touched the ball, Bucs running back Doug Martin was only able to gain 42 yards on 16 carries last Sunday in Dallas.

The frustrating night largely summarized his season. Since returning from a strained hamstring in Week 10, the former Pro Bowler hasn’t eclipsed 90 yards in a game and is averaging 2.7 per attempt behind a patchwork offensive line. Last year he had seven 90-yard-plus efforts, averaging 4.9 yards a carry en route to finishing as the NFL’s second-leading rusher.

The recent trend, however, has been a reflection of the run game as a whole, not just the runner. Coach Dirk Koetter has defended Martin in recent weeks – saying he’s been running “hard” – and on Thursday Martin reminded reporters of the collective effort it takes to run the ball successfully.

“There are 11 guys on the field, and a run play takes all 11 guys to do their job,” Martin said. “We just have to come together, just everybody to be a little more detail-oriented, (starting) with myself, and then the linemen and receivers blocking downfield. If we do all that together, those (breakout) games will come.

“We didn’t get what we wanted to get done in the ground game (in Dallas). But we watched the tape and learned from it and now we’re moving on to the Saints.”

In the Saints, the Bucs will face the league’s 17th ranked run-defense, allowing 106 on the ground per game. Martin didn’t quite meet the opponents’ average when the teams last squared off two weeks ago – 23 carries for 66 yards and a TD – but a closer look at that game would show tough running against an underrated front seven.

As for this Saturday, Martin said it’s helpful to have familiarity with the defense.

“It allows you to play faster, react faster and not think as much during the game,” he said.

The Bucs will be without Demar Dotson (concussion) once again, as well as Gosder Cherilus, who suffered a groin strain in Dallas. So while Martin may not need to think as much, rookie Leonard Wester – or whoever gets the nod – will have to read and react to Cameron Jordan and Sheldon Rankins along the Saints defensive line.

If Tampa Bay can get the run game going, though, don’t expect it to stop. Along with keeping Drew Brees on the sideline, Koetter has made it clear that the Bucs intend to be a run-first offense. And Martin is on board with that plan.

“That’s something to take pride in, being the more physical team out there,” Martin said. “If we can do that, we can run the table.”