A Milestone Within Reach
June 13th, 2021
Franchise record in sight.
It’s fair to say Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans is the best receiver in Tampa Bay history.
Joe has to believe that if Evans again finishes with 1,000-yards receiving, making it eight straight seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards, that will be enough to get Evans into the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.
No receiver has had 1,000-yards in every one of his first seven seasons played but Evans. No one in the history of the game. But as Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com pointed out recently, with all of Evans’ big numbers, there is still one he hasn’t reached.
Evans does not hold the franchise record for touchdowns.
That currently belongs to a Bucs legend but Evans is creeping up on him.
While Evans has already claimed essentially every receiving record in the Bucs’ books, he’s still got one big mark looming ahead of him. Alstott set the franchise record for touchdowns at a robust 71, and that number seemed safe for years, but now Evans heads into 2021 with 62. That means 10 gets him the record and he’s had three double-digit TD seasons plus two more where he reached eight.
Before pulling up the stats, Joe would have said Evans’ touchdowns total was down last year, given all the toys in the playpen for park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking, tequila-shooting, smartphone-phobic, waffle-grilling, trophy-throwing, roller-coaster-scared, numbers-rules-peeved, Bucs-Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady.
Joe’s hunch would have been wrong.
Evans had a personal-best of 13 touchdowns last season.
So yeah, Mike Alstott’s Bucs record is definitely in jeopardy this fall.
June 13th, 2021 at 8:08 am
How awesome. Who better to break a record of beloved Alstott than Evans. Such great, classy players. Love watching Evans catch the ball in traffic like watching Alstott, with the D stacking the box, busting thru for a TD at the 1 yd line – you just go “WOW”
June 13th, 2021 at 8:31 am
The only limiting factor for Evans records is the more diverse set of receivers the Bucs have now. Evans used to be the one big threat and was thrown to the most. Now the Bucs have major threats at all receiver spots. This will tend to reduce Evans share, but may also reduce the double coverage he always seemed to have. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Single coverage on Evans deep routes could be huge over a full season. Last season he was often a decoy who left the other guys with single coverage.
June 13th, 2021 at 8:37 am
99 is my all time favorite for what he brought on the field, M1K3 is my current but when it’s all said and done, he may end up #1 for me.
He’s everything you want your star player/teammate to be both on and off the field and we are super fortunate to have him!!
June 13th, 2021 at 8:41 am
But has Evans ever scored a TD without his helmet on, just using his hand to protect his head as he punches it in? LoL.
June 13th, 2021 at 8:45 am
What a great Buc……classy guy all around….team player…..deserving of the HOF now…..still has lots of game left…..
June 13th, 2021 at 8:48 am
No haha. But he has jumped high above double coverage to snag a touch down most receivers couldn’t reach. Mike goes high on an end zone corner route better than anyone and hauls in overthrown balls with fingertip catches and with shorter dbs hanging on his ankles.
June 13th, 2021 at 9:43 am
“So yeah, Mike Alstott’s Bucs record of 62 touchdowns is definitely in jeopardy this fall.”
71, Right?
June 13th, 2021 at 9:43 am
Hey Joe… You might want to revisit your final sentence in this message…
June 13th, 2021 at 9:55 am
71 for Allstott in the last paragraph. FYI
Great stuff Joe. Keep them coming.
June 13th, 2021 at 10:26 am
Any chance Alstott comes out retirement…it’s all about ME
June 13th, 2021 at 10:36 am
No doubt evans is one of my favorite bucs of all time
Just a good dude
Class
June 13th, 2021 at 11:01 am
Every year I see Evans name come out in some great statistics. Whether it be one year or multiple years. If he played his entire career with an at least average team, I don’t think it would be a question about HOF.
June 13th, 2021 at 11:38 am
It’s simply a matter of health. Stay healthy and ME will set marks that won’t be matched. He’ll have that extra game for at least a half dozen more years so those who follow will get only a marginal advantage.
Any guy looking to extend his career would absolutely want to play in Tampa with the Guru of athletic physical fitness TB12. Just today an interview with 41 year old Rays pitcher Rich Hill openly expressing a desire to hook up with Brady for any longevity tips he might share.
ME13 is on the right team when it comes to taking care of his body.
June 13th, 2021 at 11:59 am
I hear a train a comin…
June 13th, 2021 at 12:07 pm
No better person to be up there right next to the A-train
June 13th, 2021 at 2:27 pm
Now that Mike knows about winning, he cares about ring #2 than anything else. He’s an amazing human #1
June 13th, 2021 at 2:35 pm
Would love to see ME13 in the HOF. Just like LVD, not sure if he will get enough exposure to get the votes. He will break the TD record, and possibly this season. I think he is the biggest red zone threat on this team, which should make him one of the best in the league. The greatness of his game is all the different ways he beats the opposing defenses. He also has hidden value in the extra yards he racks up for the offense with the flags, and like Carlton Davis, he is getting the benefit of the call lately. The first place to get respect is on the field with the officials; I still see Evans as an ascending player even 8 years into his career.
June 13th, 2021 at 2:36 pm
The A-Train was the king of the “want-it” plays. ie YAC or better described as mowing down the defenders on your way to the goal line.
Mike, however, makes some spectacular catches. But because he is usually being tackled before he can get his feet set, usually goes down on first contact.
He has shown us that “want-it” factor though. Notably the play where he scratched and clawed and stretched for the touchdown with two defenders hanging all over him.
I don’t think Alstott will mind losing the top spot but for us long timers, we will never forget the thrills of watching the A-Train carrying five defenders into the end zone with him!
June 13th, 2021 at 2:40 pm
Alstott would be cool with it.
June 13th, 2021 at 2:49 pm
GP. Greatly said sir.
June 13th, 2021 at 2:56 pm
Another note…
If Alstott had not had to sit out a season with that back/neck injury, Evans would be looking at another two to three years to break that record!
That’s no spike on Evans BTW, just what I think Alstott would have accomplished.
June 13th, 2021 at 6:31 pm
I find it hard to root for Evans ever since he knelt for the Anthem.
June 13th, 2021 at 6:43 pm
I love and misses A train like other fellow Bucs. But, WOW is all I can say about Evan.
June 13th, 2021 at 8:00 pm
You best believe Mr. Brady will make sure he breaks that record! He scored 13 on a slightly off year so he’s gotta get it this year. I hope he eventually gets over the 10k yard mark as well he has 8266 right now
June 13th, 2021 at 10:10 pm
I’m sure Evans and 75% of the NFL don’t really care that certain people can’t root for them because they exercise their 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech. The 2nd Amendment isn’t the only right our servicemen have died to protect.
June 13th, 2021 at 10:14 pm
Strangely enough, the 1000 yard mark is more important to his legacy than the touchdowns. If not this year, then next assuredly. But stretching the consecutive thousand yard season record is what will put him in the hall first ballot.
June 14th, 2021 at 5:09 am
HeyitsAdam says: This is where we come to read and talk about FOOTBALL 🏈 ! Go talk about that at your next clan meeting 🚽
June 14th, 2021 at 2:15 pm
HeyItsAdam Says:
“I find it hard to root for Evans ever since he knelt for the Anthem.”
To be fair, that was a long time ago, and he didn’t continue to do so.
June 14th, 2021 at 9:06 pm
I know Im late to the party, but whats even better than Mike Evans being a HOF candidate just for winning another SB lets say, is the prospect that if he can duplicate his career simply in terms of TD catches, he will almost be in the Top 5 all time.
When I think about Mikes size, longevity is the key factor obviously but I realky think how Mike Evans wins can be accomplished for a while.
Dez Bryant lost speed and at 6’2” you gotta win with speed or route running and Dez was a terrible route runner.
The Top 5 All Time were some of the best route runners ever.
Also cool to know Gronk is 15 and AB 30 already.