AB Good For Mike Evans
October 29th, 2020
Brandon Marshall talks Mike Evans.
Joe wrote a post yesterday noting that if Bucs star receiver Mike Evans was a diva of some sort, he might be freaking out by now.
Evans is on pace for his worst season since entering the NFL. If he somehow rallies to get to 1,000-yards receiving, he will set an NFL record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons upon entering the NFL, a record he shares now with Randy Moss.
Perhaps the various ailments Evans is playing through are why it seems park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting Bucs quarterback Tom Brady is targeting Scotty Miller and foot-rubbing, car-littering Rob Gronkowski.
With Antonio Brown jus days away from being activated, a former All-Pro wide receiver said Evans knows better than to freak out.
Six-time Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, now a talking head for FOX Sports, appeared on “First Things First,” seen and heard weekdays on FS1, to explain what might be going on in Evans’ head.
Evans is too smart to start a fuss in the locker room, Marshall believes.
“He’s banged up, so a smart receiver understands that production will be down,” Marshall said. “Two, look at what Bruce [Arians] said also in that press conference. He said, ‘I love Mike Evans because he never complains. He never asks for the ball. He just wants to win. Three, a smart receiver, my uncle told me when I went from running back to wide receiver in eighth grade, he said look, ‘You’re only as good as the receiver on the other side.’ And right now all three of those guys are banged up, their top three wide receivers. So Mike Evans, if he wants to win, if he wants to actually be better as an individual, then he needs Antonio Brown on the other side.”
Joe believes Evans, who is averaging about 45 yards per game, would never complain. First, he’s just a class act. Second, Evans wants to win. Not only is winning the greatest perfume, this is easily the best Bucs team Evans has played on and it has the potential to do damage in the playoffs.
October 29th, 2020 at 10:40 am
Other teams are doubling Mike a good amount of time. It seems like a stupid game plan so far, but they are doing it. My guess is that as Mike gets healthier and teams are not giving him as much attention he will break out with some big yardage days. He is too good of a player not to have some monster games this year.
October 29th, 2020 at 10:41 am
ME13 has all the franchise records….he needs a playoffs win and SB appearance on his resume….
that wouldnt never happened under the previous qb….
GO BUCS!!!!
October 29th, 2020 at 10:56 am
@ocala: with Evans obviously banged up, he’s not being doubled nearly as much as he was before especially on deeper routes, not to mention Brady isn’t so dumb as to force Evans the ball resulting in picks.
It is a testament to Brady, BL and Arians the Bucs passing game has been so effective with their top WR’s hurting.
AB could be a game-changer if the Buc passing game can get better.
October 29th, 2020 at 12:04 pm
ME13 might be “on pace for his worst season since entering the NFL” but it all depends on how you define ‘worst’. He’s only been targeted 39 times thus far in 7 games (roughly 5.5 targets/game) but he’s caught 25 of those for his 318 yds. That’s a catch percentage of slightly over 64% … the highest of his career (close to 10% higher than his 2014-2019 average catch percentage of 55.3%). And oh ya, he does have SIX TDs in just 7 games this year, so there’s that.
Mike’s been between 8-10 targets/game over his career, almost all of it with the same QB. Brady runs a different show obviously (a lot more short stuff), not suited so much for Mike’s game. We’ve also got several more quality weapons this year, plus Mike’s been dinged up just about this whole season. Put it altogether & I’d say he’s hangin’ tough considering what he can control & what he can’t control.
October 29th, 2020 at 12:27 pm
AB owned Lattimore when they played. 185 yds and 2TDs. I’m sure Mike would welcome another CB covering him vs the Saints.
October 29th, 2020 at 12:31 pm
i’m worried they hope AB works out big time and they sign him for a few years…
and go with him and godwin at lower price tags…
while trading off ME13’s big dooky contract to free up cap room…
gm’s do crazy things…
is there a chance they think mike has sort of peaked, or will soon, and because he is a big receiver, almost like a skinny tight end with receiver skills, he will slow down a bit real soon, and his game will fall off some…?
because once he loses a step, as they say, he will be a much different receiver – because he’s not a yac guy, his routes aren’t the crispest and he doesn’t come super sharp out of breaks…
it has to be a concern actually at some point…players age…
is tom like a secret hater of ME13, like a nick foles…?
is tom showing he is the big boss on offense, and if he wants mike to get nothing, then that’s exactly what mike will get…nothing…
is mike secretly furious with tom…?
everything can’t go completely smooth in this transition – someone or something will have a hitch…is this the
monkey-wrench in the system…?
will ME13 and TB not get on the same page as this offense grows…?
i will be so pissed if they fugg ME13 over in this cultural bucs change we are witnessing…
mike gets it done up high and i thing tom needs to start putting the ball where only mike can go up and get it…on the regular…
unless that ankle is hindering mike’s leaping ability…
this 2-3 targets a game bs…is just that…bs…
October 29th, 2020 at 1:13 pm
Mike is still injured and has been a decoy for the past couple of weeks. That’s what we have not seen him run any deep routes. He should be healthy for the Saints game. BTW I think we will DRAG the Saints!!!
October 29th, 2020 at 1:27 pm
It seems like when Evans has his best games they go to him right of the bat and make him involved. He’s just like a running back, once you start feeding him and he gets in a rhythm keep feeding him and then he really balls out. I know he’s not playing at a 100% but I would really like to see them get him the ball right away because it seems like he hits another gear when they make him a focal point of the passing. Plus it’s always fun to watch when he puts up 200 yards receiving in a game.
October 29th, 2020 at 1:27 pm
Nothing happens in a vacuum. I get Joe’s disdain for AB…I too loathe guys who quit on teammates….but…
He is on a “prove it deal” for the entire league. Not his stats or on field performance but how does he handle himself in the locker room and off the field.
He has every motivation to mind his p’s and q’s and get along with our current players. Plus here’s a wild thought…what about the benefit of the doubt from we Buc fans? Perhaps AB HAS reached a new level of maturity with the help of Brady/Robbins and other support systems. I hope that’s true for him personally as well as the Bucs professionally.
We are WINNING. That cures everything. This is a short term situation. CG is hurt…ME is nursing wounds…AB will be a blessing. It will work itself out easily as long as the Bucs WIN!!!
It will get somewhat interesting in the off season. We surely will keep CG along with ME…how hard might work to keep AB if he blends in and we WIN. Hard to see how it works with the Cap but…..
October 29th, 2020 at 2:02 pm
can you please, i beg you, please, stop this ” park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting ” practice, its no longer entertaining and it makes for a difficult read
October 29th, 2020 at 3:41 pm
Davenport Buc, obviously you’re new around here. Joe has been at it for years, just ask Peter King, dude comes with his own introductory five paragraph essay.
October 29th, 2020 at 4:01 pm
You can tell that defensive coordinators are preaching to their team, “DO NOT LET MIKE EVANS BEAT US!” If Brady so much as glances Mike’s way, there’s a safety running over to him. That’s what happened with the TD to Scotty on Sunday. That’s why you’re seeing Gronk, Godwin, and Miller getting 1-on-1’s and they have the talent to win them. We aren’t seeing balls forced to Mike anymore with 2 guys covering him. Evans will get his stats up when D coords are forced to choose between him, AB or Godwin.
October 29th, 2020 at 6:56 pm
A smart receiver, who is banged up, knows he needs either time off on less time on the field. AB is just what the dr. ordered.
October 29th, 2020 at 10:21 pm
Jesus Joe Buc, are you a Bucs fan or not?
October 30th, 2020 at 12:25 am
Its M1k3, not ME13.