Tom Brady: Mike Evans Will Be In The Hall Of Fame
September 13th, 2021
Blessed by royalty
Tom Brady was talking ball distribution tonight and dropped a couple of quality nuggets.
The Bucs’ fearless leader was asked about spreading the ball around and keeping receivers happy. He talked about Tampa Bay’s selfless corps and sort of said their greatness fosters unity.
Why? Everybody knows the quarterback won’t be forcing throws — because he doesn’t have to.
“It’s a great luxury for a quarterback,” Brady explained during Let’s Go on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio.
“I’m sure it can be frustrating for a receiver. Because you know most great receivers that I’ve been around want the ball a lot. But our guys are very unselfish. I’d say there’s been times in my career where we’ve been really limited at those positions and you try to force the ball to one particular player …
“Every time the defensive coach calls the defense, he’s trying to take away something. And when you’re limited on skill players, you’re trying to force the ball to one person regardless of the coverage. That’s a bad way to play.”
“…My view on that would be if they’re covering you deep, you throw it short. If they’re covering you short, you throw it deep. If they’re covering you inside, throw it outside. If they’re covering you outside, you throw it inside. You know there’s years where I probably had that luxury. It’s probably not going to happen every year. But I would say last year was very much like that; this year is very much like it.”
Brady explained that Bucs receivers come prepared but there’s no real plan for targets. He noted the big nights on Thursday for Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown and referenced Mike Evans coming up short.
“Mike didn’t have as many [yards] but Mike’s going to get his; I have no doubt,” Brady said. “He had an incredible [training] camp. He’s one of the great all-time receivers and will be a Hall of Famer at some point. For me it’s just a matter of finding the open guy.”
It’s obvious Brady knows how luxurious his football life is in Tampa, and it’s interesting to hear him acknowledge that he had years when he thought his targets were second rate in New England.
September 13th, 2021 at 7:06 pm
Definitely. I loved the video of Mike Evans after he got his Super Bowl ring, handing it to people in the crowd to have pictures taken on their fingers. A class act.
September 13th, 2021 at 7:07 pm
Atlanta will probably pay closer attention to AB, Godwin, and (if possible) Gronk. Evans might have a huge game.
September 13th, 2021 at 7:09 pm
To start the season, defenses will focus on Evans. Then, as we’ve seen, they’ll now go, crap, AB is back and Godwin (when he isn’t fumbling at the 2 yard line to almost lose the game) is still there, and suddenly Gronk looks like it’s 2015 again. Anyways, teams are reactive, and now they’ll probably focus on taking away AB this week, which means Evans might be in line for his big week — or they Godwin, or Gronk or maybe they use double reverse physiology and decide to put even more coverage on Evans because they know the Bucs will force him the ball, etc.
Who knows. But yeah, Brady isn’t Winston, he isn’t going to force the ball. But, to be clear, the reason Mike Evans is a HOF receiver and gets paid big money is that he catches the ball even when it’s forced and he’s being double teamed and has guys draped all over him. Evans isn’t AB, it’s not his incredible quickness and route running that gets him open, it’s his size and the fact it doesn’t matter if he’s covered, you just throw him the ball and expect him to catch it regardless of the situation.
September 13th, 2021 at 7:15 pm
Sounds to Howard like the Dallass game plan was to take away Mike Evans. Sadly for them that leaves Gronk, Godwin and AB
September 13th, 2021 at 7:18 pm
Look at the video clip shared earlier with Godwin. In the background you see ME double covered as he was most the game.
The Boys tried to take ME out the game cause they heard how awesome his offseason and camp was.
Now the league knows they will have to cover 3 other guys as well.
My money is on ME leading the league in TDs and Yards.
This is what you call a “pickle” for every team we play this year.
September 13th, 2021 at 7:30 pm
How about the Saints game Joe? They looked pretty bad ass in that game. Greenbay with 3 points??? Jaymess steady. Very tough pass defense. Could be two slugfest games for us. I would have thought Greenbay would really be a tough first game.
September 13th, 2021 at 7:32 pm
It was noted before the game that Dallas had issues covering the slot. And that came true as they couldnt guard Chris all night. Even the long score to AB was helped as the safety moved towards Chris.
September 13th, 2021 at 7:41 pm
@Wild Bill,
I thought the same thing about the sAints. However two factors that I thought of while watching that game.
1. JW didn’t really do anything special other than manage the game. Which for JW is improvement but for the team is expected. In other words its the same old Sean P game plan. The Bucs figured out how to beat that in the playoffs. Plus JW is not Drew. Thus I am not impressed
2. Rogers is checked out. He is waiting on Brady to retire so he can come to Tampa.
September 13th, 2021 at 8:09 pm
Was screaming for “Evans at 7” like many other fans here all offseason 2014. Joe’s beloved Johnny Football may not have won the Heisman without his boy Mike. He’s easily the best WR in Bucs history, and while that’s not saying too much given our history, he will also be a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. So glad he got the ring he deserved last year.
September 13th, 2021 at 8:10 pm
Evans is a marked man and will get doubled most games. We don’t want to force the ball, but the Bucs need to find a way to put him in a good matchup to get him more involved than he was in week 1.
September 13th, 2021 at 8:20 pm
Anyone watching the Manning brothers doing commentary for the MNF game, it’s pretty entertaining.
September 13th, 2021 at 8:23 pm
3 Hurtin’ Raiders on the 1st Dirve so far , Mariota being the first.. after one run, so brittle
September 13th, 2021 at 8:28 pm
Peyton talking about The $50,000 Pyramid jokes and ragging on the Vegas fans for not shutting up when their team is on offense, and making jokes about Brady not liking LB’s with single digits. Solid opening. The stupid ‘critics’ will complain about it being a cluster, but it’s entertaining.
September 13th, 2021 at 8:33 pm
Eli finally asking what we’ve all been asking, where does Peyton get his XXL helmets.
September 13th, 2021 at 8:40 pm
FYI, Fitz is our emergency WR.
BET
Larry is coming to Tampa
September 13th, 2021 at 8:40 pm
Now they’re special guests during the plays… oh well, it was fun for the first couple of series.
September 13th, 2021 at 8:41 pm
Mike Evans absolutely will be in the Hall of Fame. Greatest Bucs receiver in history. He’ll have the numbers, he already has the ring, and he’ll have the pro-bowls and all-pro selections.
September 13th, 2021 at 9:01 pm
Derek Carr… 2/10, 22 yards, at least 2 dropped INTs
September 13th, 2021 at 9:03 pm
Mike will get his receptions after teams figure out how good our other receivers are…..
September 13th, 2021 at 9:04 pm
Manning taking another shot at Brady for not liking the single digit numbers on LB’s. Says what the team should do is study during the week and figure out that one of the LB’s has a single digit number.
He’s having fun with it, but I know if Brady heard it, it will motivate him even more to break Manning’s scoring record.
September 13th, 2021 at 9:04 pm
Is it just me , or are the Raiders and Carr really bad?
September 13th, 2021 at 9:10 pm
Carr has always stunk. I really can’t believe Gruden has stuck with him, you know he hates him. I guess Carr building his house next door to Carr has paid off, you know he has his girlfriend/wife constantly with Gruden’s wife, make it impossible to cut you.
September 13th, 2021 at 9:15 pm
Off subject but I just rewatched the Gronk post game interview. Gronk is jacked like Patriot Gronk. His neck and arms are huge compared to last year. I noticed tacklers were bouncing off him in the game.
September 13th, 2021 at 9:37 pm
Watch Monday Night game so glad we run an offensive sytem that require a pocket passer. Lamar Jackson types are never gonna lead any offenses to Super Bowl. They are going to need elite pieces around them. Granted, Lamar is on a historically great defensive team so I give him a chance.
September 13th, 2021 at 9:44 pm
JimmyJack – Derek Carr is a pocket passer, would you be grateful to have him over Lamar? LOL!
This offense works because we have the best QB in the history of the game. If we had Derek Carr as the QB, I’d want to him to run hoping he’d get injured.
September 13th, 2021 at 9:56 pm
Rod Munch if I was talking longterm(like Grudens decade contract) yes Im taking Carr…….We can look back ten years from now and Carr might still be pkaying, Lamar will be long gone.
I could see Carr having a similar career path to Alex Smith. Stuck in mediocrity for for years and eventually playing in a dynamic offense with lot of weapons and suddenly being considered an elite QB.
Carrs been around for a good while now and gaining a ton of experience that gives him the chance to do that.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:01 pm
LOL!
OK, you and Carr have a good time together going 7-10 every year.
Carr stinks, he’s a slightly better Mike Glennon.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:02 pm
Mike will get his, it’s a long season.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:08 pm
Rod Lamar is throwing lollipops over the middle. He cant attack the most esiential part of the field. Hes going to get picked over the middle before tonight is over and Carr might take the W because of that.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:10 pm
Tom Brady knows everything about Mike Evans and clearly knows he is outstanding and will be in the Hall of Fame. Brady knows no matter how great a wide receiver is it is impossible for them always be outstanding but Evan will show his greatness in future games.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:10 pm
Have you watched Carr throw like 8 INTs tonight that the Ravens have dropped? He’s been incredibly bad tonight. If you wanted to defend a loser like Carr, tonight is not that night. If Mariota didn’t get injured on the 3rd play of the game, Carr would probably already been benched.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:10 pm
Mike is a Hall of Famer. He might get 200+ against the Falcons.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:12 pm
The Manning brothers broadcast is pretty good when they don’t have guest on. They need to kill that and just talk about the game, when they do that it’s excellent. Plus I like how they both called out the idiots broadcasting the ESPN game for showing some random footage from high school of Lamar I think – they both said what I’ve always thought, who cares.
Also I love they’re calling out Gruden for cowardly calling a run up the middle on 3rd and 14.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:15 pm
My God are the Lions going to get destroyed next week, whatever the Packers line, I’m taking it, don’t care if it’s 17 points.
As a bonus, if the Packers don’t destroy the Lions, or better, they lose, the Packers should completely implode.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:19 pm
The Manning brothers now have Travis Kelce on… what a dullard. They’re still half-a–ed trying to call the game and the dummy is just talking over everything. Another reason to hate the Chiefs. Well actually I don’t hate the Chiefs, I’m pretty indifferent about them, but this gives me a reason to hate them.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:21 pm
Yes and Carr made big plays to his TE who cant anything. His sideline reciever is a joke trying to break off a play.
Carr has a dreadful team around him. Surprize suprize Gruden couldnt draft if you gave him a crystal ball.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:24 pm
Darren Waller is probably the 2nd or, at worst, the 3rd best TE in football. Were you really saying his TE can’t do anything?
September 13th, 2021 at 10:28 pm
On Carr’s WR’s, we don’t know yet. They are both very young guys starting, their 3rd and 1st rounders from last year. It’s not an unfair criticism, and likely with Gruden’s awful record, they’ll end up not being very good. Hard to know much though when the QB looks at the TE first, then checks to his RB, only throws to WRs if Gruden is yelling in his ear.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:30 pm
3rd and 5…
Carr throws a 3 yard pass.
LOL!
Classic Carr.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:35 pm
Ive heard Waller has some good stats but tonight he has been a disapointment. Everytime hes targeted downfield he crumbled. A few plays before halftime he had an inexcusable drop.
Maybe just a bad half or bad half but not impressive tonight.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:48 pm
I still think Brady doesn’t love throwing to Evans. Evans is a great receiver but I think his route running is suspect with Brady. Go routes and streaks are where ME makes his money, Brady isn’t going to throw a lot of 1-1 balls down the sideline to Evans when he knows there’s better options. Not often at least. I don’t think he trusts Mike to be where he wants him to be. Hot take!
September 13th, 2021 at 10:49 pm
The defense knows Carr is going to throw to his RB, they’re literally doubling covering them. LOL!
September 13th, 2021 at 10:51 pm
Who is Oakland’s D coordinator? We should know Gruden dont coach anything to do with defense. He is one of them coaches when you know if they have a good defense you know for sure their D coordinator is doing an excellent job.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:52 pm
Oakland
has a fun defense to watch.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:52 pm
I give a A+ grade to the Manning broadcast WHEN they don’t have stupid guest on and just cover the game. They’re giving good insight, explaining plays, making fun of the stupid fans for not shutting up when their team is on offense, it’s good stuff. Then they have guests on and it grinds to a halt as they don’t barely pay attention to what is happening. Travis Kelce is really a d-bag, that’s what I learned from their dumb guest spots. Just kill those guest parts and this would be a hit.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:53 pm
Raiders DC… Gus Bradley, so Kiffin coaching tree.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:55 pm
Good stuff Joe. Keep it up.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:55 pm
Oops i meant Las Vegas. That is nowhere near the same crowd. That old Oakland crowd could get pretty loud.
September 13th, 2021 at 10:57 pm
Yeah i remeber that name Gus Bradley. Thanks for the info
September 13th, 2021 at 11:07 pm
Rod Im shocked by the coverage. ESPN running Monday Night Football has been one of the biggest tragedies in all of Sports History.
I dont know how ESPN managed to figure it out but I can guarantee you that they do a “format change” in 2022
September 13th, 2021 at 11:11 pm
I’m just watching the Manning brother broadcast on ESPN+, it’s mostly good, but they keep having on guests who are just annoying as hell. Kelce makes my all time hate list, he’s such a dullard d-bag.
Russell Wilson is on now and he thinks everything is great. Really adds a lot.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:19 pm
Rod
Exactly my thoughts. They had no idea AB and Gronk were going to come out looking so dynamic. I’m sure the DBs were focused on Evans.
I expect him to you have a big game this week
September 13th, 2021 at 11:19 pm
The Manning brothers just did one of those, ‘hey we’re going to commercial, we’d love you to stay but understand if you need to go’ comments to Russell Wilson who didn’t get the hint and was like, ‘sure, I’d love to stay’…
September 13th, 2021 at 11:21 pm
David – Yeah, it will just depend on who the focus is. If it’s on AB, then Evans and Godwin will have a big week. If it’s on Godwin, then AB and Evans will have a good week, etc, etc, etc. It’s why this offense should be historic if Leftwich will just get out of the way and stop with the runs up the middle the first play of every series in the first half. Just let Brady go to a 2-min offense, get up by 28, then Leftwich can do his beloved run up the middle to death.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:21 pm
On another note, watching the Monday night football game while Peyton and Eli Manning talk about plays and reads etc. is pretty good.
Not sure why they had Barkley sit in on the first quarter but then they had Ray Lewis for a quarter, Travis Kelce for a quarter, and Russell Wilson.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:23 pm
I don’t mind the running, although I understand that he gets predictable by doing that on first down so damn much. A little is on purpose just to establish the play action.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:24 pm
David – Yeah, the guest are TERRIBLE. When the two of the Mannings are just doing the game, it’s really good, it’s entertaining, they’re talking about the game, give good insight, mock the idiot fans, it’s good stuff. Then stupid Kelce is on there just talking over everyone, and Wilson is saying brilliant stuff with 90 seconds left like “I like Lamar.” Thanks, for that Russell, amazing insight.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:30 pm
Gruden doesn’t trust Carr at all, kicks the FG early.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:32 pm
Oh god, again Wilson just doesn’t get the hint, they did another “hey Russell we know you probably need to go and study film” and he responds, “nah, i’m good, I can stay all night”…
September 13th, 2021 at 11:34 pm
Now stupid Russell Wilson is talking about how if OT ends and you do another coin toss how that works… This dope is an NFL player and doesn’t know the OT rules?
September 13th, 2021 at 11:39 pm
I like Peyton and Ray Lewis sitting there talking about the calls and concepts on O and D
September 13th, 2021 at 11:40 pm
David – Talk about that stuff during an interview, not during the game.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:42 pm
He’s down short of the goalline you dopes, get off the field.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:44 pm
All I needed was 2.4 points from Lamar AND Waller in OT.
That’s all I need, and these idiots can’t get it done. They’re all cut from my team, all of them!
September 13th, 2021 at 11:47 pm
HAHAHAHAAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
September 13th, 2021 at 11:53 pm
So we know 90% of what Brady tells the press he doesn’t mean !
So, he just told us here :
1. Mike is HOF player.
2. He takes what the defense gives him, I.e. he is NOT always looking for the deep, no risk it no biscuit pass, maybe a RB if that’s what’s there, huh ?
3. Our WR are all selfless and ME is perfectly happy with the yards he got.
Which are authentic ?
September 13th, 2021 at 11:53 pm
Epic Monday Night football game
September 13th, 2021 at 11:54 pm
Lamar, way to lose the game for your team !
September 13th, 2021 at 11:55 pm
I needed 1.08 points from Lamar, that’s an 11 yard pass. The TE gets a 13 yard pass and drops it, next play, Lamar fumbles it.
SOB…
September 13th, 2021 at 11:56 pm
Who is the dude next to mark davis , at raiders game ?
September 13th, 2021 at 11:58 pm
WAIT!
My opponent had the Baltimore defense – the TD cost them -2 points, so I WIN! 104.80 to 103.88
I love you CARR, you’re the MAN!
September 13th, 2021 at 11:58 pm
I would not mind seeing a Raider game next week just to see if that Defense shows out again.
September 13th, 2021 at 11:59 pm
Wow. What a finish. Send out your FG unit, forget to send out the kicker, take a penalty, put the O back out, and busted coverage gives you a wide-open touchdown lob.
All after screwing up first and goal from the half yard line
Crazy
September 14th, 2021 at 12:00 am
But next week i get to see the Lions instead. Thats like takes Thanksgiving and offering mud over gravy.
September 14th, 2021 at 12:01 am
Gruden scemed that reciever wide open. That was a cool win for the old coach
September 14th, 2021 at 12:02 am
Yeah… I can’t believe the are giving the Lions a Monday night game
September 14th, 2021 at 12:03 am
But Geuden needs to thank his D. He has no shot if his defense dont carry him
September 14th, 2021 at 12:53 am
We have had our differences but I Love your takes tonight Rod!
September 14th, 2021 at 1:11 am
@Buxszntkt, bro how do you not know Charles Woodson? He is arguably the greatest player in Raiders history.
September 14th, 2021 at 3:17 am
Texas A&M Hall of Fame maybe.
September 14th, 2021 at 8:09 am
My overall take of last night’s game was the team speed both teams showed. Bodies flying everywhere. Lots of entertaining action. Both teams had some electric moments. Not sure either team will go far or deep into playoffs but some very flashy team speed and movement on both sides. Fun game to watch. Still don’t like fat boy Chucky but his team is fun to watch.
September 14th, 2021 at 6:58 pm
It was obvious last game that Evans had best defensive back coverage with Trevon Diggs–kid made multiple plays/near plays on the ball–threatening a pick. Meanwhile AB had Anthony Brown who was multiple steps behind all night.