NFL Record Or Playoffs?
December 10th, 2020
Key time for season, career.
In recent years, one of the few things Bucs fans could be proud of is the play of star receiver Mike Evans.
Since being drafted in 2014, Evans has never had a season under 1,000 yards receiving. If he’s able to pull that off this season, it would be an NFL record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a career (seven).
Evans is currently tied with Randy Moss for most consecutive seasons of 1,000-yards to start a career. Nice company.
With 613 yards receiving, it hasn’t been the best of seasons for Evans. Part of that is he shares the spotlight with tremendous pass catchers.
Yesterday, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians talked about Evans potentially breaking that NFL record.
“You can’t force it to him,” Arians said. “We’ve moved him all over the place and hopefully he’ll be productive and continue to get touchdowns.
“It would be great if he gets 1,000 [receiving yards] – that means we’re doing something really, really [well]. But it’s not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal right now is to win every game.”
Of course, if Evans can come up with 387 more yards in the next four games to close out the season, they would come at a perfect time. The Bucs are in a push for a playoff berth, so everyone needs to be playing at peak capacity.
The ways Arians talked, it almost sounded like Evans would pass on a chance to set an NFL record if it meant the Bucs were in the playoffs.
“Mike is all about winning,” Arians said. “I’ve been around a lot of great receivers – can’t say I’ve ever been around one as unselfish as he is. He just wants to win.”
December 10th, 2020 at 10:01 am
You certainly can force it to him coach……
Just ask JayMiss!
December 10th, 2020 at 10:07 am
Its odd that he will throw it in tight coverage to scottie, godwin, gronk and brown. But not too often to mike.
December 10th, 2020 at 10:28 am
Getting Evans the ball more would lead to winning every game. These aren’t two different topics.
December 10th, 2020 at 10:38 am
So……win the next 3…..& hopefully ME13 gets within striking distance…..then, feed him the ball 25 times in the last game to put him over the top.
December 10th, 2020 at 10:45 am
Do they track yardage gained on defensive pass interference penalties? I bet Evens has 400 yards of THOSE
December 10th, 2020 at 11:07 am
Rob, if it were as simple as that we’d have been winners the last 6 years. Clearly it’s not that simple.
December 10th, 2020 at 11:08 am
Get him the ball, he makes big time plays in big moments; he almost won the giants game last year by himself….get scotty miller back on the field too
December 10th, 2020 at 11:19 am
Mike has been open on numerous plays where Brady simply missed him. Was it because Evans ran a bad route or Brady just missed? Regardless, if the ball’s within reach, more than often ME will come down with it. Hope he makes it to 1,000 this year, but at this point it’s kind of a stretch.
December 10th, 2020 at 11:24 am
Agreed that one key to winning is getting him involved early and often.also agree that if you’re going to throw it into any kind of tight coverage it’s Mike. Just give him a chance.. how many times did Jameis throw to him where maybe he didn’t look open but almost always seemed to beat the guy at the highest point and/or wrestle it away?
December 10th, 2020 at 11:27 am
Godlovesbucs – go check out ME13’s 2020 TD highlight real and tell me if you still believe your statement.
December 10th, 2020 at 11:40 am
TBBF
Sounds like a plan.
December 10th, 2020 at 12:11 pm
I want both for him.
December 10th, 2020 at 12:21 pm
Both would be sweet, but I guarantee Mike is happy enough being tied with Moss with his record yet never making the playoffs in his career.
December 10th, 2020 at 12:21 pm
Being tied with Randy Moss in anything football related would still be amazing even if he doesn’t crack 1k.
December 10th, 2020 at 12:30 pm
Leighroy-
Most of his tds are short fade routes, 1 on 1 is what you get across the board in those situations. Im talking about midfield or so.
Best example was last week. Brady threw a go route to scottie witb a corner matching him step for step… pick.
Later in the game he threw same ball to evans. Actually much worse throw… incomplete. Evans made sure it wasnt a pick.
Watching just about every game this year and it is apparent he doesnt trust mike for some reason. My guess is that he isnt as precise with his routes as the others, and thats understandable. The 1 thing evans has over scottie, godwin and brown is that even when he is covered he will come down with it or force an incompletion. But it is apparent all season they have been out of sync on deep shots attempted to mike.
December 10th, 2020 at 12:45 pm
Evans has hurt his numbers some because he has not gotten onto the same page with Brady consistently.
Too many times i seen Evans cutting his routes off short. It seems like this is a habit he developed with Winston where they both saw the easy back shoulder throw. Evans ard Winston were great at this but with Brady not so much.
Its the reciever job to be where the QB is looking.
December 10th, 2020 at 1:59 pm
certainly don’t want to force this guy the ball but I find it hard to believe that it he goes for 10 catches and 225 yards we won’t win that game. We need a dominant effort like that!
December 10th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
You know one of the best routes he runs is the intermediate to deeper crossing routes, I know we’ve seen Winston and Brady him in stride and they went for big gains. Don’t know why we keep putting him in precise routes like outs and comebacks instead of more crossing or even seam routes. It’s funny that Winston had no problem last year in that 63 yarder against the Colts or any other game for that matter but Brady does. Being too precise is an issue when dealing with someone who isn’t as quite precise. By now though Brady should have down Evans tendencies better than he has.
December 10th, 2020 at 3:26 pm
Evans does cut off his routes, sometimes the situation calls for it.. Its pointless to run a route at two or three defender converging on the spot the ball will be thrown. I too want to see his the routes change. One of his better routes is the out to the sideline. He has made some fine toe tapping catches rarely seen anymore.
December 10th, 2020 at 4:30 pm
Give me a break, with the nonsense and excuses- force him the ball, let him find his groove, get him Above 1000 and you’ll win 4 games also, and may actually have a chance to win in the playoffs with that formula- ME is the #1 WR- act like it
December 10th, 2020 at 4:36 pm
^^^^^^^^^
Spoken like a true Nuthugger
December 11th, 2020 at 2:31 am
Of course Mike would trade his 1000 yard streak for a playoff breath – but the Bucs would do well to get Mike 1000 yards since that should mean they’re moving the ball and scoring points. Then if the defense can do their job, which is unlikely, maybe the Bucs can get the minimum of 3 wins in 4 games that they’re going to need to make the playoffs.