Mike Evans’ Sharp Decline
December 15th, 2014
Mike Evans is so darn talented and hard working, nobody seems concerned that he’s been rather unproductive through the past four games.
NFL defenses wake up fast — and now Evans has to respond.
Through his past four games, Evans has just 13 catches for 154 yards. That’s scary bad for a guy Bucs fans expect to be their No. 1 receiver next season.
Yes, Joe knows Evans has four TD catches in that stretch, and that Evans tied mattress-in-the-yard Mike Williams for the Bucs’ rookie record of 11 touchdown grabs. Evans has made plays, but the league has caught up to him a bit.
Evans is getting more attention — Josh McCown and Lovie Smith have talked about this extensively on their radio shows — and that won’t change anytime soon.
It’s no surprise that Vincent Jackson has had two of his three 100-yard games receiving during Evans’ decline. Somebody has to be open.
Now if the Bucs can only get another receiving threat on the field and a real quarterback, the Bucs should have an offense worth watching.
December 15th, 2014 at 3:35 pm
we had one. his name was Tim Wright
FML
December 15th, 2014 at 3:37 pm
Evans is a beast. At least he makes his defenders pay. His touchdown catch was great!
December 15th, 2014 at 3:37 pm
He can’t throw the ball to himself, unfortunately.
December 15th, 2014 at 3:43 pm
Which is why anyone who wants us to get rid of VJax is nuts. We have pick your poison 1&2 WRs. Awesome. Now let’s get them someone to toss them the ball. And some fatasses to keep that guy upright.
December 15th, 2014 at 3:45 pm
I’m not sure if this happens all the time and I only just started noticing with Evans but it seems like he does a LOT of pushing and pulling of the DBs all the way down the field. Perhaps that’s a part of the WR position that I just haven’t noticed before but every time they play one of his replays I feel like it should have been an offensive PI call. Glad they aren’t calling them though
December 15th, 2014 at 3:48 pm
Hes not a #1 yet, thats why we have to keep vjax and jermey stevens… i mean ASJ needs to steep up too
December 15th, 2014 at 3:53 pm
“Now if the Bucs can only get another receiving threat on the field and a real quarterback, the Bucs should have an offense worth watching.”
What Mike just said.
December 15th, 2014 at 3:56 pm
All he needs is a real Starting fukin’ QB who hasn’t been a career 13 season backup…
December 15th, 2014 at 3:59 pm
Maybe the Bucs can schedule Washington every week instead.
December 15th, 2014 at 3:59 pm
Getting double and triple teamed is hardly a “Sharp Decline” Joe. Its called getting respect from defenses. Its no coincidence Vincent Jackson is getting more catches recently, defenses are more afraid of Evans.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:01 pm
Patrick in VA
Ditto.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:03 pm
He’s still a rookie. If we can keep VJax and ASJ starts getting better (he’a rookis too) and Simms keeps progressing and etc. Just need an oline.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:03 pm
We really only had 3 or 4 plays yesterday……Throw to ME13, throw to Vjax…run up the middle….screen to Sims.
We didn’t target a TE once. I think when we have recieving TEs in the game things get easier for Evans….
Also, I’d like to see him get more passes over the middle….
December 15th, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Does he beg for PI on every play? He can be a great one, but he’s not there yet.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
mike n Says:
December 15th, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Does he beg for PI on every play? He can be a great one, but he’s not there yet.
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Yea – I was thinking that too yesterday. Don’t get a reputation for whining about being held all the time. That can hurt more than help. Just shake your head and line up again. The calls will come.
December 15th, 2014 at 4:50 pm
Evans is not a one man team. He is going to get increasing coverage. Losing to Anderson in the exact same fashion indicates a team going backwards. None of the Bucs backs were covering Olsen or any other receiver. No home or division wins is beyond disgusting. Just pitiful!
December 15th, 2014 at 4:51 pm
Savage Mike will be ok. Its the QB and OL who are hurting him. Look at what ODB is doing for the Giants. Im more than positive teams are keying on him all game. Yet he’s still lightning defenses up. Why? He has a good enough QB in Manning to get him the ball and the scheme is working around his talents. He isn’t running a dam GO route every down.
December 15th, 2014 at 5:25 pm
What a dumb and stupid article. Hes getting double covered so vjax is getting the looks. Evan cant block for the qb or throw it to himself. Evans isnt the problem yu should knothat. Just dumb joe
December 15th, 2014 at 5:54 pm
When McCown does throw at him, as usual, most of the time the pass is nowhere near him or anybody else McCown throws at. Yes he is double teamed but VJax was in the third quarter before he caught a pass. It is a wonder they have any stats.
December 15th, 2014 at 5:55 pm
when your O line is high school level the OC cant call for too many deep balls or longer developing plays
December 15th, 2014 at 7:14 pm
Finding a WR in the 3rd or 4th round would only add to our strong, young nucleous of playmakers.
December 15th, 2014 at 7:30 pm
More of a reason that Vincent better not go anywhere. A good QB will learn to utilize both guys effectively.
December 15th, 2014 at 8:12 pm
All the more reason to keep V-Jax.
December 15th, 2014 at 8:34 pm
The only way Mike Evans will be productive the remainder of this season is if he learns to throw the ball and run down the field and catch it himself.
December 15th, 2014 at 8:44 pm
The Bucs can’t, I repeat can’t lose Vjax next year for obvious reasons. I’m not knocking Evans but McCown did throw him the ball over the middle in the third quarter and Evans dropped it.
Bucs were trying to go deep on McCown’s second fumble but Brandon Myers threw a lazy push block on blitzer and McCown didn’t step up in the pocket far enough though for once he had room and the ball was tipped.
Defense did play better, especially considering the fact three of our four starters on the line were out. Of course the only starter left is the weakest sister of the pack.
December 15th, 2014 at 9:10 pm
be silly to can Jackson… you have to have two threats like that. He’s clearly as responsible for Evans’ early success as Evans is for his now.
December 15th, 2014 at 11:15 pm
Evans can’t throw it to himself. I think part of his “decline” has to do with the implosion of the offensive line and the Guantanamo type torture of McCown. (too soon?)
December 15th, 2014 at 11:57 pm
that is why we should have drafted Jarvis Laundry over ASJ
December 16th, 2014 at 12:19 am
This is mostly thanks to the debacle going out at quarterback and offensive line. No chance.
December 16th, 2014 at 1:16 am
McCown isn’t getting a lot of help but he has been terrible
December 16th, 2014 at 1:55 am
Retarted thread lolol
December 16th, 2014 at 5:11 am
Rashad Perriman would go great in our lineup
December 16th, 2014 at 8:42 am
Give it a rest you’ll sheesh. I don’t get to see bucs games but look at our O Line, qb, and off. Coordinator. Its a triple whammy what did you expect? I’ve been waiting on next season since the Saints loss when that made us 0-3 in the division and officially eliminated us from the playoffs. So the team needs to evaluatw the personnel and get ready for the senior bowl
December 16th, 2014 at 9:14 am
no if we could block and run the ball, defenses would have no choice but to give him one on one coverage. the tight ends still suck in tampa but I guess that was supposed to all change in one offseason too.. how dare the bucs not win 12 games after losing 12 the year before
December 16th, 2014 at 9:56 am
The fact that Evans is being covered by a blanket should put to rest the talk about trading V-Jack away in the offseason; someone is going to have to catch the ball from the qb (whoever that is next season) in the new offensive scheme (run by whoever the new OC will be); Bucs have too many holes to be creating one by trading V-Jack away for a draft pick that probably will not pan out given Licht’s luck after the Evans pick this past draft…..
December 16th, 2014 at 11:19 am
the #1’s job is also to open up targets for complementary threats. in that department, looking at VJax’s stats, Evans is doing beautifully despite the lack of catches. especially when you consider that our supposed monster TE is on IR, nearly everybody below Evans and Jackson on the WR depth chart has spend time unemployed this season, our OL can’t establish a run threat of any kind, and our QB spends more time on his back than a (insert analogy here). and of course, if you’re only going to catch 13 balls in 4 games, it helps if 4 of them are touchdowns
December 16th, 2014 at 2:28 pm
Joe plz! NFL hasn’t caught up to Evans, it’s called double teams lol. If you’re doubled teamed don’t force the ball to that guy b/c there is going to be a guy who isn’t (cough, cough V-Jax). So no he’s fine, it just shows how f**k up a offense he plays in where there isn’t the creative ways to get him the ball besides on the outside. I swore he played the slot earlier in the yr, man has that gone away!