Martin believes he was benched after fumbling during a 24-21 loss to the Lions on Sunday, ESPN.com's Jenna Laine reports. "When you turn the ball over and you fumble, your chances get cut pretty short, so that's what happened there," said Martin.
Martin got the start and was busy throughout the first half, taking 10 carries for 26 yards and a touchdown and adding 24 yards on two catches. He didn't get another touch after losing a fumble late in the second quarter, allowing Peyton Barber to finish with 12 carries for 58 yards and one catch for five yards. It was a bit surprising to see Barber get just three carries before halftime, given that he had 143 yards on 27 touches the previous week when Martin was out with a concussion in a 26-20 loss to the Packers. Averaging just 3.1 yards per carry and 4.7 per target, Martin already seemed to be losing his grip on the lead role before he lost the fumble in Sunday's game. It's fair to wonder if Barber might take the starting gig for Week 15 against the Falcons on Monday Night Football.