Average Down But Still Elite
June 3rd, 2021
One of the best.
You know you have a special player when he doesn’t have one of his best seasons but is still one of the best in the NFL.
Such is the case with Bucs stud receiver Mike Evans. Evans didn’t dominate like he has in years past, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t good. Very good.
Evans secured his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. That’s an NFL record.
As a result, prickly Pete Prisco of CBS Sports saw fit to have Evans in his annual Top-100 players list.
Evans checks in at No. 62.
He had another solid season in 2020, getting a career-high 13 touchdown catches. He caught 70 passes, but his average per catch was down from 17.3 in 2019 to 14.4 last season. He did battle some injuries that could have impacted that number.
Even though the Bucs have more mouths to feed this year (an in-shape, foot-rubbing, car-littering Rob Gronkowski and a full year of furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing Antonio Brown), Evans ought to get 1,000 yards receiving again just because of the 17-game season. Provided he stays healthy.
Eight years to start your career with 1,000 yards receiving? Yeah, Joe would say that’s a Hall of Fame resume.
June 3rd, 2021 at 12:24 am
Evans could easily get 1,000+ yards with this fine spread. He’s our #1 WR. He’s a large no risk it no biscuit deep threat. Him and Brady were leading in TDs early in the season when Evans was banged up. Counting down the days. Offense is going to go off in 2021.
June 3rd, 2021 at 1:51 am
Brady doesn’t seem to like putting up 50-50 balls the way Jameis did, but after a full season together, I bet we see a few of them to Evans this year. I think his yards will be back up if he stays healthy!
June 3rd, 2021 at 4:58 am
Glad he’s on our team. 👍
June 3rd, 2021 at 5:41 am
I can see two 1000 yard receivers this season
June 3rd, 2021 at 6:07 am
Evans needed a SB to secure his HoF credentials. Now he’s just adding to the resumé
June 3rd, 2021 at 6:42 am
He set the record for consecutive 1000 seasons pre 17 game season and soon to be 18 game season
June 3rd, 2021 at 7:01 am
Easily on his way to the hall of fame and he scores touchdowns. I hope that you are taking notes Julio. Scoring is your number one job dude.
June 3rd, 2021 at 7:09 am
I remember a bunch of 1 yard TDs early in the season, that brings down the average, but in a good way.
June 3rd, 2021 at 7:21 am
Evans is clearly a top 3 WR in the red zone.
June 3rd, 2021 at 8:22 am
Could go down as my favorite Buc of all time. Certainly my No. 1 receiver of all time.
June 3rd, 2021 at 8:55 am
Evans as good as he is is often more conscious of defensive backs interfering with his route running. He tends to lose focus on the ball once he feels like the refs should call a PI or hold. I think that makes ME13 not be as good as a DeAndre Hopkins. Chris Godwin is an inferior athlete, but his production is because of tremendous focus until the play ends. Evans still has room to grow and get better and I would love to see him change his mindset when he takes the field.
June 3rd, 2021 at 9:00 am
@Bird – I agree. I am thankful that he hit the 1,000 yard record during the 16 game season. Now he will hold that record forever, in regards to 16 games, because it will be impossible now to replicate.
June 3rd, 2021 at 9:03 am
Joe, is it time for me to accept that Larry Fitzgerald won’t be a Buc? I’ve been holding out hope and creating unlikely scenarios in my head like a conspiracy theorist. I just want it to happen so bad!!
June 3rd, 2021 at 9:09 am
Probably. Feedback Joe is getting is Larry Fitz in a Bucs uniform will only happen at a Halloween party.
June 3rd, 2021 at 9:11 am
Touché Joe
June 3rd, 2021 at 9:57 am
Keep in mind that before he lost his mind, AB had 8 years averaging almost 1400 yards, a total 11,000 yards.
June 3rd, 2021 at 10:49 am
Must be all his whining he does to the officials, but not a ME fan.
June 3rd, 2021 at 11:41 am
Godwin will be our #1 receiver as in targets only, mikebwill lead the team in RedZone touchdowns and RedZone targets and AB will lead the team in yards and YAC. Scotty will still be a consistent deep threat. All other receivers, tight ends and backs will get the leftovers but will be counted on to make every play that comes their way
June 3rd, 2021 at 11:42 am
That the opposition does not know whom the ball tolls for- on most plays -and that TB12 can/will hit the open man…is a good thing. And anyone who watches Bucs games clearly sees that Mike Evans is always one of the best players on the field. And some games, he just is. If this is what “shuffling the deck” means en route to winning the big prize…more please, Sir. Just sayin…
June 3rd, 2021 at 2:11 pm
Mike Evans is the best receiver and will be the best receiver ever!
June 3rd, 2021 at 4:58 pm
Evans is good, really, really good and consistent but he’d have to have some really special seasons like 1300-1500 yards in consecutive seasons and be elite to make the hall.
1,000 yard seasons are nice. But Evans drops too many passes and gets shut down by Lattimore and other good corners too often to be a hall of famer
June 3rd, 2021 at 7:12 pm
The record is 7 consecutive 1000yds receiving to start a career. Jerry Rice had 11 straight after he had 927yds his rookie season. I’m sure he would have 13 straight, had Sapp not broke his leg in game 1 of 1997 season (he had 1157 his 14th season).
June 3rd, 2021 at 10:00 pm
He draws the opposition best DBs. He draws more pass interference penalties than anyone in the NFL. He’s caught more high passes than players in the NBA. His stats , while record breaking, only tell half the story.
June 4th, 2021 at 12:53 pm
If you read these comments you’d think we have the second coming of Jerry Rice on the team. As much as I like Evans and hope he stays on the team for a long while he’s not elite, he’s consistently very good to great. Unless he throws up a few 13300-1500 yard seasons in a row he’s not getting into Canton.
Here’s a few stats to consider
-Evans has only finished top 10 in receiving yards twice in 7 seasons.
-Since Evans has come into the league Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Travis Kelce, Hopkins, Beckham and Tyrek Hill all have more top 10 receiving finishes than Evans
-He’s never been an All Pro, made the 2nd team once but never been an All Pro
Let’s pump the breaks on any Hall of Fame talk and just enjoy his productivity and hope he plays better in 2021
June 4th, 2021 at 4:04 pm
Only one ball, which means you have to compete against your own teammates for targets. Though he’ll get a boost during a 17 game season, the only way Evans will get 1500 yards is via injuries to teammates.