Buccaneers vs. Vikings, Week 8: Tampa Bay fans gush over Doug Martin's performance

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ran roughshod over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night, leaving Tampa Bay with an impressive 36-17 victory. Rookie running back Doug Martin had 214 total yards and two scores, while Josh Freeman had three touchdowns through the air.

Martin's effort was especially impressive, and Sander Philipse of SB Nation's Bucs Nation called it a "breakout performance."

One thing will stand out from tonight's game: Doug Martin's stiff-arm ruled the day. His 214 yards from scrimmage represented over half of Tampa Bay's offensive production and his two touchdowns sealed what should be a breakout performance for the hard running rookie. His 79-yard touchdown catch was a thing of beauty, as he shoved a defensive lineman to the ground while running away from everyone. This was a true break-out performance for the rookie, who got a massive 32 touches on the day and was the team's leading rusher, leading receiver and leading scorer.

Although Martin had played well in a couple previous games, this was truly a standout game by the rookie. Not only did he make things happen on the ground, but his long touchdown reception broke the game open for Tampa Bay early in the third quarter. And on his rushing touchdown later in the game, Martin bowled over Jared Allen into the end zone.

Tampa Bay now has plenty of time to rest up before traveling to Oakland to take on the Raiders in Week 9. At 3-4, the Bucs are likely out of the divisional race, but they could still make a run at a wild card spot.