Buccaneers' Koetter: Martin was benched based on matchup

It's not every day a team benches its star running back in its biggest game of the year. That's exactly what transpired Saturday when Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter sat Doug Martin for their pivotal divisional matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

Martin was a surprise inactive prior to a game with playoff implications, and Koetter confirmed it was not health-related, but rather a matchup-based decision.

"As I said last week, we made a decision for the Saints game based on what I thought was best for our team that week and we'll do the same thing this week," Koetter said, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. "We'll make the decision, not just at running back but at every position."

Koetter said backup Jacquizz Rodgers gave the team a better chance to win the game and the Buccaneers needed the roster spot for offensive players who could play on special teams.

Rodgers carried the ball 15 times for 63 yards and a touchdown in a 31-24 loss to the Saints. While the yardage totals weren't anything spectacular, Rodgers averaged 4.2 yards per carry. Martin averaged under 3 yards per carry in the team's previous three games.

With the Bucs' season effectively over after the defeat, some have naturally wondered if Martin's presence would have changed the outcome of the game.

Koetter refused to speculate on what would have happened had Martin been playing.

"I'll stand by the defense," Koetter said. "He is running hard. We do need to get him more lanes. But again, I made the decision that I felt Jacquizz would give us a better opportunity last week. Quizz did a good job when he was in there. People can say whatever they want about what Doug would have been. We don't know. He wasn't in there. I'm not trying to confuse anybody. That's not my intent. I'm trying to put the Bucs in the best position to win games."

At his Monday press conference, Koetter wouldn't divulge whether Martin would play or be benched again in Tampa Bay's regular-season finale Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, adding that he preferred not to give the Panthers that information ahead of time.

Rodgers is the Bucs' leading rusher on the season with 485 yards and two touchdowns playing in parts of nine games. Martin has 421 yards and three touchdowns on the year in eight games of action.

The Buccaneers signed Martin to a five-year, $35.75-million extension in the offseason, presumably to be their No. 1 running back.