The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were trailing the Los Angeles Chargers at halftime, had two turnovers and needed a boost, and then Mike Evans exploded. The star found some green grass during a practice scramble and Baker Mayfield hit him for a 57-yard touchdown. Two carries later, Evans again attacked the Chargers defense and scored a 35-yard touchdown. Boom. A halftime deficit turned into a double-digit lead, and the Bucks scored the final 27 points of the game to win 40-17.
“I think he’s definitely a Hall of Famer,” head coach Todd Bowles said of Evans, according to the team’s official transcript. “He steps up and makes big plays.” You can’t put a price on what he’s done for this team mentally, physically and team-wise.
Mentally, he’s everything a player aspires to be. He’s tough. He’s doing well in society. He takes care of his body. He makes great plays, whether singles or doubles, and he blocks. We can’t ask for more than what God has given us right now.
It shouldn’t be considered a drastic move to induct Evans into the Hall of Fame, before or after Sunday’s performance. The Bucks star has been consistently excellent throughout the decade.
He is currently chasing Jerry Rice’s record of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Evans reached the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first 10 seasons. A hamstring injury that kept him out for three games put his streak in jeopardy, but Sunday’s explosive performance got him back in action.
Entering the game, Evans had 43 receptions for 590 yards and seven touchdowns, and nine receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns would put him within 1,000 yards of the strike zone. He’s averaging 83.6 yards per game over his last three games.
At halftime, Evans had just six receptions for 44 yards, including 12 long receptions. Like the rest of the Bucs’ offense, he produced some explosive plays in the final two quarters that helped Tampa win its fourth straight game, with his first touchdown being a game-changer.
With Mayfield playing at a Pro Bowl level and Evans dominating like a Hall of Famer, the Bucks (8-6) opened up a lead in the NFC South. Next Gen Stats has Tampa at an 81% chance of winning the division before Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Despite their defensive struggles, the Buccaneers have shown they have the offensive firepower to outmaneuver good opponents. Mayfield credited offensive coordinator Liam Cohen for utilizing the team’s multitude of offensive weapons.
“I can only imagine what it’s like for a defensive coordinator to play against us,” Mayfield said. “Personnel changes: 13 (one tight end, three receivers), 21 (two defensive backs, one tight end), 11 (one running back, one tight end) and how do you defend that? It’s hard to defend against that, since they play the same formation a lot. »
Having a Hall of Fame receiver who can rush for 150 yards also helps.
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