Evans’ Injury Lingering?
October 1st, 2020
Fighting through injury.
We all remember how Bucs star receiver Mike Evans was touch-and-go before getting the green light to play in the season opener in New Orleans with a sore hamstring.
Last night while appearing on national radio, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians seemed to suggest Evans isn’t quite yet 100 percent.
Dropping in on “Late Hits” co-hosted by Alex Marvez and Bill Polian, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Arians admitted he has to do a better job of scheming Evans open and added he’s just now getting healthy.
Alex Marvez: “BA,” how close is Mike Evans back to being Mike Evans?
Bucco Bruce Arians: I think he is almost 100 percent. He played well [at Denver]. They double-covered him almost the whole game. It was just one of those situations. When they didn’t double-cover him was on the one-yard line and Tom [Brady] threw him the ball for two touchdowns. Mike’s kind of used to it by now and we have to do a better job of moving him around. We moved him around some.
Arians said it is no coincidence that the reason Bucs tight ends O.J. Howard and foot-rubbing Rob Gronkowski got targeted last Sunday is because they were open as a result of Denver’s defense keying so much on Evans.
Interestingly, when speaking of Evans’ health and the sudden rise in the Bucs tight ends, Arians mentioned Gronkowski is just now getting into game shape.
It seems Gronk had a lot of rust to shake off from his year of retirement.
October 1st, 2020 at 10:06 am
Not quite 100% isn’t exactly injured……Mike is OK…..
I can’t imagine Evans, Godwin & Miller out and then teams double teaming Justin Watson….
Maybe, just maybe, in that scenario…..Cameron Brate will get a target or two.
October 1st, 2020 at 10:23 am
mike will gut it out….
with fournette a little banged up too, rojo has to prove himself sunday….
GO BUCS!!!!
October 1st, 2020 at 10:28 am
Just looked… Brate doesn’t have a single reception in three games. Has he even entered a game? I can think of better ways to spend. $4.5 million a year
October 1st, 2020 at 10:31 am
QUESTION FOR BUCS FANS…
Where are all the whiner Negative Nancy’s at now that were complaining we gave up that 4th rounder to move up 1 spot with the 49ers to grab Tristan Wirfs?
Wirfs has already turned into the stud RT we needed and someone that may anchor that Buccaneers line for the next 10 years. Hell, we may even get to see him take a shot at LT at some point.
I think it’s pretty safe to say that giving up a 4th to move up one spot and secure this talented lineman, at a position we desperately needed, was an absolute BARGAIN trade.
Another great move by Licht that he hasn’t gotten enough credit for.
October 1st, 2020 at 10:37 am
Ivan, I pretty much agree with what you say, I wouldn’t call Wirfs a stud…yet…but he is moving on that direction…
On what you have to say about Licht, I think he has very goods and very bads…..But no argue this is the most talented team we’ve seen in a very very long time………
October 1st, 2020 at 10:40 am
I wonder if Brett Perriman regrets leaving for the Jets?
October 1st, 2020 at 10:43 am
Maybe not Brett but Breshad sure does. my bad.
October 1st, 2020 at 10:45 am
I think Perriman had 8 million reasons to go to NY, and lock up his future.
October 1st, 2020 at 10:46 am
They need to gontight end and screen pass heavy this gamr.Rest godwin, rest miller, rewst evans.This defense can hold chargers and the tight ends and backup wrs should be able to keep the game close enough.We need these guys for the long haul
October 1st, 2020 at 10:51 am
All good, let him rest. We have a QB now that is the greatest and gets the most out of all his teammates and inspires them to be great.
Unlike our last QB who depended on his teammates to bail him out all the time. Which they did more often then not. However not enough because he refused to be out did and showed extreme focus on achieving his goal and leveeing his mark on the game as being the FIRST and only “Supreme Sucker Suck Face Suck Tard of all Suckeness” in history.
October 1st, 2020 at 11:58 am
Don’t know how familiar everyone is with hamstrings, but they take a long time, a big muscle there. I’ve had dozens of hamstrings playing soccer over 40 years and, first it depends how bad you pull it. 2nd, you always think its OK, and end up re-pulling it. So my experience is 4-6 months, but quite possibly they have ways to improve on that.
October 1st, 2020 at 12:31 pm
If Evans is still nursing an injury it doesnt seem to be much of a concern if he can still command double teams. He also didnt look too bad running with the ball after catching that deep cross in Carolina.
Also I know somebody is going to come in here and blame the trainers. Please think. Its not the issue with Mike. Hes had a hammy problem every single year since he entered the league. Multiple staffs. The bottom line is hes tough enough to pkay through it and excell. Mike is durable and productive. He shows up where it matters!!
October 1st, 2020 at 12:45 pm
Hamstring and Groin injuries tend to linger, they take quite some time to fully heal.
October 1st, 2020 at 1:05 pm
Without question, Licht’s drafts have gotten remarkably better since 2017. Look how many of these guys are contributing and/or playing at a high level.
Hell, our entire backfield on defense is from the last 3 years alone:
2020 1 Tristan Wirfs
2020 2 Antoine Winfield Jr.
2020 3 Ke’Shawn Vaughn
2020 5 Tyler Johnson
2019 1 Devin White
2019 2 Sean Murphy-Bunting
2019 3 Jamel Dean
2019 3 Mike Edwards
2019 4 Anthony Nelson
2019 5 Matt Gay
2019 6 Scott Miller
2018 1 Vita Vea
2018 2 Ronald Jones II
2018 2 M.J. Stewart
2018 2 Carlton Davis
2018 3 Alex Cappa
2018 4 Jordan Whitehead
2018 5 Justin Watson
2017 1 O.J. Howard
2017 2 Justin Evans
2017 3 Chris Godwin
2017 3 Kendell Beckwith
And obviously there was no way to know that Beckwith and Justin Evans would have career-ending injuries…
October 1st, 2020 at 1:37 pm
Brate will be used eventually…even we cannot escape the injury bug and he is a great insurance policy for only $5-6 million.
Watson, CG, SM, ME, and even Gronk are already injury prone.
Our best strength at TE/WR is also looking like our biggest liability. Thankfully we have the luxury of a deep bench.
October 1st, 2020 at 2:19 pm
I think the reason Evans number are down so much is he is a jump ball receiver. Jameis was definitely a throw it up for grabs QB whether there was coverage or not and Evans gets that ball most of the time. Brady doesn’t throw it up for grabs, so Evans yards are way down. I think that’s how Evan’s made Winston look good with the yards and Evans even did that in college with Manziel. Just my opinion.
October 1st, 2020 at 3:45 pm
Pretty soon we will be lining up the damn TE to play WR with all these injuries. This hamstring stuff is getting a little crazy now. They say they have all these sport science people yet at the end of last year half are WR were out with the hamstring and that is continuing this year.
October 1st, 2020 at 4:25 pm
With both Godwin and Evans trying to overcome hamstring injuries. My take is that there was quite possibly too many reps last year and this year in an attempt to get Jameis to be more efficient on the deep ball and develop chemistry with Brady.