The Ghost Of Michael Clayton Looms
October 21st, 2015
Flashbacks to Michael Clayton have resurfaced.
Want to see a Bucs fan turn from a happy mood into a foul-mouthed, PO’ed sailor?
Drop the name “Michael Clayton” and listen to the curse words flow.
Clayton, a wide receiver who was a first round pick in 2004, had a spectacular rookie season: 80 catches for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns. But Clayton never came remotely close to duplicating those figures — never catching more than one touchdown in a season and his best year after his rookie year was 2008, when he racked up 484 yards receiving.
Since Clayton was jettisoned by Tanpa Bay after the 2009 season, his name has become persona non grata in Bucs fandom.
As good of a season Mike Evans had as a rookie last year, a number of Bucs fans are not yet sold, cursing the name of Clayton under their breath.
Well, for these same fans, the numbers-happy crowd over at Pro Football Focus has some stats that will keep irritable Bucs fans up at night. Entering the bye week, Evans was tied for the third-most dropped passes among NFL wide receivers, and was third-worst in percentage of passes dropped, bobbling 18.5 percent of catchable passes thrown his way.
Dropped passes is not an official NFL statistic, and just browsing around the Interwebs, numbers for dropped passes are all over the map. So Joe isn’t sure what calculator-puncher is more accurate than the other. But Evans undeniably dropped three passes in Houston.
What is accurate is that Evans is having a bad start to his second NFL campaign. Whether this has anything to do with a lingering hamstring injury, or whether defensive coaches have figured him out, that remains to be seen.
October 21st, 2015 at 7:14 am
Mike Clayton Evans until he proves otherwise.
Stop dropping passes and start scoring touchdowns.
October 21st, 2015 at 7:20 am
The real Mike Evans will emerge sooner or later. He missed the whole pre-season with the bad hammy and hasn’t yet found his groove. I’m betting he still gets 1000 yards or close to it this year.
October 21st, 2015 at 7:24 am
Maybe he is just having a hard time catching the rocket ball JW throws vs the lollipop balls of that other guy last year!!!!
Personally, I can’t say he is having a bad year when he has only played in 4 games… Did good in one game that he could have done amazing in if not for a few drops… Has been likely game planned for and taken out of the game by the other team in one game… I believe he was only thrown at twice… And this last game he just had a couple of tough chances go against him….
ME is and will continue to be a top notch Wideout… Anyone who thought he was elite deserves to be dissapointed….
October 21st, 2015 at 7:26 am
Recovering from an injury has nothing to do with multiple dropped passes. You r a skilled professional paid to get the job done. I’m having the same feelings n thoughts of Evans being a second coming of Clayton. Plz prove me wrong. U have many receivers drafted after Evans last year n they r balling. They hold on to the ball. Why can’t Evans use his body on the fade pass to out jump the defenders in the red zone. For Evans n ASJ to have height n weight advantage over dbs, they play passive n soft. I would like to see the aggressiveness n consistency out of Evans n ASJ that u c in Des Bryant, Antonio brown, Julio jones, Odell beckham, n Brandon cook n others not named.
October 21st, 2015 at 7:57 am
Should probably blame it all on him wearing that Browns jersey……and with Manziel’s number…….ughhhhhhhhhh
October 21st, 2015 at 8:01 am
Will the real Mike Evans please stand up. Time to clear your name from the doubt. Prove the defenders have not beaten your game.
October 21st, 2015 at 8:03 am
Give Clayton a break! He was the best blocking WR in the history of the Buccaneers!
October 21st, 2015 at 8:12 am
Evans has to get it together along with ASJ. If not we are looking at another terrible draft that will continue to set this franchise back . You absolutely can not miss on your 1st and 2nd round picks. The year before we gave away our 1st round pick in Revis. This is why we have been a bad football team for so long.
October 21st, 2015 at 8:23 am
My concern is that it hasn’t just been drops. He has lacked concentration and awareness on sideline throws, and shown little effort to fight for contested deep shots. With his physical gifts he should win every 1 v 1 jump ball but he is letting the ball come to him instead of attacking it. I worry that Winston may start to lose confidence in him if he doesn’t get it together soon.
October 21st, 2015 at 8:45 am
Evans will be fine….
October 21st, 2015 at 9:21 am
Last I checked, you don’t catch the ball with your hamstring.
October 21st, 2015 at 9:31 am
I’m still dumbfounded that Michael “couldn’t catch a cold, if he licked a walk-in clinic’s floor” Clayton has a Super Bowl ring. I mean the guy had 1 tackle and ZERO catches that whole season!
October 21st, 2015 at 9:37 am
My hamstring catches my balls all the time!
October 21st, 2015 at 9:54 am
I’ll argue it has more to do with Winston.
He has a favorite receiver and doesn’t use his check downs; its what a young QB does when the game is moving fast. Evans’ inability to stay on the field early this year led to ASJ early, and then V JAx to be Winston’s default.
October 21st, 2015 at 9:58 am
Joe knows how to rile up the faithful….. Just the mention of MC brings back horrible memories of how that ****er reverted so badly after one season and it seems like Evans is following the same path! Yeah maybe Evans is having a sophomore slump but we said the same of Clayton….. And at least Eavns and MC had one decent season; one more than ASJ who only has the one play where the imbecile got a 15 yarder for imitating Capt Morgan vs the ATL last season and helped the Falcons get excellent field position. Yep, CC is right: L&L sure look like drafting morons right now…..
October 21st, 2015 at 10:08 am
Evans has looked disinterested and aloof since the beginning of training camp.
mike10
you are dead wrong. In the Houston game Evans was winston’s favorite target by a long shot and he dropped the damn ball. Evans let Winston down simple as that. Evans issues have nothing to do with Winston. Mike Clayton Evans forgot how to catch and is playing with a lack of focus. He gets no free pass. bucs fans need to stop with making excuses for poor play and hold these fools accountable including the laughable lovie smith.
October 21st, 2015 at 10:27 am
defenses have figured him out. the next adjustment is on him. maybe his hamstring is a contributor, but based on body language and penalty calls\non-calls, my impression is that CBs have found a completely legal way to defend him that he does not like at all and doesn’t yet have an answer for.
October 21st, 2015 at 10:59 am
Started in the preseason. See my topic in the messageboards. He gave winston his first int.
October 21st, 2015 at 11:00 am
Asj only has the play… he has 2 tds week one this year. Lol… calling people imbeciles. Pot. Kettle.
October 21st, 2015 at 11:24 am
By the comments this week, it is hard to believe we are coming off a bye and a win.
October 21st, 2015 at 11:30 am
“bucs fans need to stop with making excuses for poor play and hold these fools accountable including the laughable lovie smith.”
tmaxcon…what good will that do exactly?
October 21st, 2015 at 12:12 pm
He did have a nice rookie seaon but I do remember a significant number of drops during his rookie campaign. Is her better than what he has shows us so far this year? Probably, but he simply does not have the best hands. he uses his body to catch the ball. That’s his real problem.
October 21st, 2015 at 12:24 pm
Evans looks like a totally different player this year. Running bad routes, dropping passes, not competing for the ball, letting DBs rip the ball away. Just getting owned. I’m tired of the excuses. Time to show up, Evans.
October 21st, 2015 at 7:08 pm
Not ready to go that far yet. Evan’s doesn’t have mattresses on his lawn and stripper poles does he?
October 21st, 2015 at 7:09 pm
But can he block? lol