Bucs Tried To Get Evans Open
November 3rd, 2020
“Where you want me, Byron?”
This will add intrigue for folks who kept asking Joe on Twitter last night why Jaydon Mickens was targeted so much against the Giants and more balls weren’t going to star receiver Mike Evans.
(Joe wondered aloud on Twitter whether the Bucs were showcasing Mickens for today’s trade deadline.)
It wasn’t like the Bucs were not trying to get Evans open.
The Giants lined up cornerback James Bradberry against Evans. In his previous four seasons in the NFL, Bradberry was a thorn in Evans’ side playing for the Stinking Panthers.
So the Bucs, knowing Bradberry had success against Evans, moved Evans often to slot last night in an effort to get Bradberry off Evans’ tail. NextGen stats had the results of the Bucs’ efforts.
The Buccaneers deployed Evans in the slot at his 2nd-highest rate in a game over the last 5 seasons (58%), avoiding Bradberry.
Bradberry aligned across from Evans on 15 of 16 routes aligned wide (94%), but just 5 of his 22 slot routes (23%).#TBvsNYG | #GoBucs | #TogetherBlue https://t.co/qE9Ze1vL5o
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 3, 2020
Now Joe has to wonder if Evans will be lined up wide when Antonio Brown is activated this week and then have Brown like up in the slot?
Bucco Bruce Arians treasures a speed merchant in the slot. That’s why Arians didn’t mind seeing Adam Humphries walk away a few years ago as Arians wanted Chris Godwin’s speed in the slot.
If Godwin cannot go on Sunday — remember he had finger surgery a week ago — will the Bucs put Brown at slot with Evans and Miller wide?
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:24 am
Saw Evans targeted on that TD. Damn. Wait till AB gets going. Can’t double team him and Evans.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:26 am
All this great momentum….and karma…..until ARB walks in. Still shaking my head that the Bucs have signed a guy that Arians did not want.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:30 am
Bucco Bruce Arians treasures a speed merchant in the slot. That’s why Arians didn’t mind seeing Adam Humphries walk away a few years ago as Arians wanted Chris Godwin’s speed in the slot
________________
Awful analysis and you couldn’t possibly be more wrong despite the mountains of info proving such.
Arians slot receivers… Hines Ward, Larry Fitzgerald, Chris Godwin. His take on Miller playing the slot. “He’s an outside receiver for us. I like my slot guys bigger and able to block.”
He puts his speed receivers on the outside and always has. Disappointing analysis from you on this.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:32 am
Last night proved the Bucs can use AB. Glad they are going double or nothing/ having an all in moment. This team has a 2 year window at most.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:34 am
I still don’t get it. Even if they took Evans out of the game, we had Miller, Johnson, Gronk, Brate available but yet we decided to try to win with practice squad players. We didn’t crawl out of the hole we were in until Brady started throwing to Gronk and Evans. I don’t know if the genius was Leftwitch or Brady, but that crap almost cost us the game. I will give Mickens a little credit, he did catch the ball when Brady actually got it to him.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:39 am
Good game and we escaped with one. Hd those MYG stands been filled with screaming fans, that last flag in the end zone might not have gone our way.
We played very poor in the 1st half. better not do that against them Ain’ts
They know how to win close games. And are good at it. Bucs gotta bring it next Sunday night or go down 0-2 to the Saints. Better be ready.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:42 am
Is Mike Evans headed to the Hall of Fame or very good a la Vincent Jackson? I see a very similar career trajectory…I could be wrong…oftentimes I am.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:46 am
AwShbucs Says:
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:30 am
Morgus.
If that heaping helping of Jaydon Mickens didnt show you that this team needs AB. Then you are either dumb or blind.
Then why did Arians EXPLICITLY state he did not want ARB ?
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:46 am
I thought there were a number of times that the giant’s cb’s should have been flagged for PI on Miller and Evans. On some of the deep routes their cb’s were on top of our receivers and not even looking back for the ball. Brady also seemed to lose track of open receivers. Overall a very confusing use of our receivers and pretty bad play calling. Thank God for Succop, he kept us in the game until the Offense could get things sorted out.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:47 am
Mickens was open a few times but brady missed him..
whats up with watson?….he’s getting passed up by mickens and johnson….
AB will be welcomed….mike may only be 75%-80%….
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:58 am
813 Bucboi: Watson’s route running is his Achilles Heal. His poor routes were responsible for at least one if not both of TB12’s pick sixes. I doubt TB12 is going his way any time soon. Fortunately for him, Watson is a terrific kick cover guy which is why he is still on the roster.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:59 am
NY did a great job on pass defense………receivers were constantly covered…..both sacks were coverage sacks……deep passes to Miller were defended very well.
Ugly win but a win nonetheless…..maybe we learned something from winning like BA says…….
I like Minckins…….good hands….tough little guy…..good returner…
November 3rd, 2020 at 9:02 am
Evans lack of elite speed it catching up with him. OJ Howard ran a faster 40 than Evans.
November 3rd, 2020 at 9:03 am
It was painfully evident that we were missing Chris Godwin.
Now, the AB Move looks like pure genius.
November 3rd, 2020 at 9:04 am
landolakes
yeah, i figured that…didnt know if he was still recovering from his shoulder injury or not….
tyler johnson and mickens aint too bad…
GO BUCS!!!!!
November 3rd, 2020 at 9:07 am
I had talked friends the year before BA got to the Bucs about putting Godwin in the slot and 3 reciever sets. Chris is fast, he runs a 4.42. But Dirk just would not do it. Hump was a quality reciever but he is not fast. But BA immediatley put Chris in the the slot. He DOES want speed there. Chris was not the highest rated reciever in the NFL just because he does the dIrty work so well. It is because he is also fast. GO BUCS!!!!
November 3rd, 2020 at 9:16 am
Don’t forget that accuracy was an issue at times for TB. Especially in the first half. I do believe that Fournette is an all around better RB than Rojo at the present time. And why is McCoy still on the team?
November 3rd, 2020 at 9:41 am
Depth?
November 3rd, 2020 at 9:51 am
I like Evans in the slot….he’s crafty with sure hands. Let Scotty Miller drag the defense deep and Evans can work lesser talent 1 on 1.
November 3rd, 2020 at 10:34 am
awsh
the game plan was to keep it simple….offense and defense played vanilla most of the game….that was obvious imo….
mickens is doing his job….he made an important 3rd down catch….he’s not there to be a #1 or #2 WR…lol…
BL kept it simple and it worked…tom missed a bunch of throws early….cant blame play calling for that…thats poor execution….
imo, bowles was awful last night….d.jones is trash….2nd year in a row “danny dimes” lite us up……
but the game plan will be different vs the saints….
stop crying….we won!!
GO BUCS!!!!
November 3rd, 2020 at 10:40 am
The Giants were playing Scotty’s eyes and hands, not even trying to look back for the ball. All Scotty has to do is slow down and jump into the ball and he would have gotten some easy Pass Interference calls.
November 3rd, 2020 at 10:41 am
There is something wrong with Evans. He seems slower and without his normal juke.
One wonders if the ankle & hammy are still not 100%. Maybe not having Godwin on the other side is an issue.
But he does NOT look like an elite receiver right now.
November 3rd, 2020 at 10:49 am
AwshBucs….rooting for ARB is like rooting for Jameis.
November 3rd, 2020 at 11:42 am
not true…he had anquan bolden and Larry Fitzgerald on the outside and John brown in the slot…anyone capable to block/chip and then take off once the defense commits to the outside.
November 3rd, 2020 at 1:04 pm
It takes a lot of luck to win or even reach a SB…to go along with a lot of talent.
I’m starting to feel as if the Buc’s have both. Things just seem to keep aligning.
Starts of course with Brady and Gronk…but then Fournette falls into our laps….we pick up a great NG to take Vea’s place…and AB signs just in time to plug a weakness ahead of one of our biggest games of the year.
AB and ME13 are physically gifted, generational athletes who will be able to play wherever BA wants to line them up….perhaps move them around.
We saw with CG14 out even with Gronk and ME doing their thing we were a player short. Here comes AB!
Tom Brady not only brought his talent, experience, TE, attitude, and compeitive fire with him….he brought “The Luck of the Irish”. My father frequently said it’s better to be lucky than good. I’ve always felt it’s best to be BOTH!
Can you say TB12?
November 3rd, 2020 at 1:19 pm
@stpetebucsfan: “Luck” is where preparation and opportunity meet…
November 3rd, 2020 at 2:14 pm
It is so clear what is going on.
Evans does not create separation, that’s not his game. He is a good route runner with dependable hands and is great winning contested catches.
Brady likes clear, defined reads, and does not want to put the ball in harms way. In the red zone it’s a different story, he can throw to the boundary and high, using Evans skill set without risking a negative play.
That will not change. Godwin and Brown in the slot will draw attention away, but that still doesn’t help Evans on quick throws. Evans needs to be a vertical threat, and used on 3rd down and red zone.
November 3rd, 2020 at 2:43 pm
Good stuff Daniel.
November 3rd, 2020 at 3:27 pm
I have been wondering how much longer Godwin will be a Buc. It is not that he is great when on the field, but he hasn’t been on the field much this season.
He is having a fragile patch and it is at the wrong time. He is due a big new contract this off-season and I don’t think the Bucs will pay it.
AB will play while Tyler Johnson gets his game closer to where Godwin is.
Brown will play well with others for the rest of this season and sign elsewhere next season and fall back off of whatever wagon he is riding to town.
Next year this team will look a lot different.
November 3rd, 2020 at 7:06 pm
AB could come cheaper than Godwin, but I’d like both.