Mike Evans And His Quest For 1,000 Receiving Yards
December 24th, 2022
Mike Evans.
One of the more frustrating elements of this Bucs offense is that Mike Evans is in jeopardy of seeing his 1,000-yard receiving streak end.
Evans, the best receiver in Bucs history, only needs 112 yards to reach 1,000. Good thing there are 17 games.
Evans has never had less than 1,000 yards in a season. If he gets there this year, he will tie Tim Brown for most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
But do you trust this Bucs offense to get Evans the ball?
Joe has seen more than enough of this wretched offense. Little about it gives Joe any confidence. Tristan Wirfs and Shaq Mason’s blocking is about it.
Evans is currently averaging 68 yards a game, more than he did in 2020 and 2021. But his lack of touchdowns this season (three) is jarring and if you need an example of how this offense has changed, that’s a big one right there.
It’s almost like Tom Brady will get suspended if he throws a pass into the end zone. Better to kill clock than score, you know.
The Cardinals have the 23rd-ranked pass defense in the NFL. Their season is done and it seems drama and finger-pointing are taking over The Bird Cage in suburban Phoenix.
If Joe had any faith in the Bucs’ offense, he’d expect Evans to get 100 yards receiving on Sunday night.
Sadly, bad offensive football has ;eft Joe with little faith in failing Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Until proven otherwise, to use one of Leftwich’s words about Brady’s four turnovers last week, the first-half scoring output by the Bucs against Cincinnati was a “fluke.”
December 24th, 2022 at 12:52 am
If Mike doesn’t get his 1k yds, with Tom freaking Brady it’s absolutely unforgivable. In today’s game, there is no reason why a #1 wide receiver cannot, barring an injury. And before I get blasted for priorities, yes I want to win every single game, every year. This is a special opportunity that we may not ever see again.
December 24th, 2022 at 2:30 am
Would love to see this team turn it on and dominate three straight. ME13 should get this record easily.
December 24th, 2022 at 3:32 am
‘It’s almost like Tom Brady will get suspended if he throws a pass into the end zone. Better to kill clock than score, you know.’
That’s telling me that the Bucs run more near the end zone than they pass so that they can INTENTIONALLY get more plays down there & use more clock … rather than score points. And yet NOTHING in the game recaps indicates that they do that.
Bucs have only had 41 Red Zone Visits in our 14 games averaging 2.93 RZ visits/game (that’s pathetic compared to last year when we had 68 RZ visits in our 17 games & averaged 4 attempts/game). Combine that with having far fewer explosive scoring plays this year & it largely explains why we’re 28th in scoring this year instead of 2nd like last year).
Even worse than not getting down there as much, our efficiency once there has fallen a bunch. We scored TDs on 66.2% of our Red Zone visits last year (45 TDs or 2.65 TDs/visit), while thus far this year we’ve only scored on 53.7% of our Red Zone visits in 14 games (22 TDs or 1.57 TDs/visit). That’s a HUGE dropoff in BOTH getting into the Red Zone AND in scoring once there, BUT … it’s not because we’re running the ball more there.
Quite the contrary, we’re running it FAR LESS down there. This year, Fournette has 23 rushes inside the 20, White has 10, Brady has 7 & Godwin has 1 for a total of 41 rushing attempts inside the 20 this year, or 2.93 rushing attempts/game there. Last season, Fournette had 43 rushes inside the 20, RoJo had 13, Vaughn had 9, Brady had 8, Bernard had 3, Gabbert had 3 and Godwin had 1 for a total of 80 rushing attempts inside the 20 last year, or 4.71 rushing attempts/game.
Going from an average of 4.71 runs/game inside the 20 last year down to only 2.93 runs/game there this year is a huge difference. Tells me that the coaches don’t trust the run game to score & that they’d rather roll the dice with Tom Brady’s passing in the Red Zone. Obviously there’s been a huge dropoff in efficiency there also (we are ranked 28th in scoring?). I think it gets back to what’s happening in the trenches.
December 24th, 2022 at 4:14 am
He only needs 112 yards I. 3 games he’ll get it guaranteed
December 24th, 2022 at 4:15 am
He only needs 112 yards guaranteed he gets it.
December 24th, 2022 at 5:49 am
Too bad he dropped that one in Carolina when he was wide open & that TD in SF that was called back because of stupid Donovan.
December 24th, 2022 at 6:32 am
Need Gronk back soon………….Gronk makes ME way better.
December 24th, 2022 at 6:50 am
He can thank Bowles and Leftwich if he misses it. Another feather in their caps of failure.
December 24th, 2022 at 7:37 am
Get Gronk back in the building. Mike Evans easily is back in action.
December 24th, 2022 at 8:13 am
So what. I care about the Buc team winning, not a player getting his 1000 yards. When you’re the #1 receiver on any team, a 1000 yds should be easy with 17 friggin games. So if the Bucs miss the playoffs, or are one, and done, I hope the Joe’s will be happy that Evans got his 1000 yards. Give him a cookie.
December 24th, 2022 at 8:16 am
From #2 to 28. The only real change is arians philosophy of running the offense. Who would you guess its responsible for his monumental collapse.
December 24th, 2022 at 8:29 am
There IS a small possibility that Gronk will play football….NEXT season, but not this season. He said that to Kay Adams.
Something he didn’t say but I’m confident is true, he would only play if Brady plays and where Brady plays. So if Brady returns for another season with the BUCS than there is a small possibility that Gronk comes as well.
Personally I believe Brady can still be a Top 5 QB, but only with a great O-line like we had last season. But injuries (and early retirements) can never be predicted. If I was Brady’s friend I’d advise him to retire, and I’m sure many have, not because he can’t play, but I ‘d love to see him in the broadcast booth. I bet he’ll be the GOAT there as well. His knowledge of the game is second to none.
December 24th, 2022 at 8:51 am
Fact is the biggest difference in this year and last is the play of the Quarterback! Last year he played like the GOAT, and was an inspirational leader the team believed in. This year he flipped flopped about retirement when they wouldn’t let him waltz to the Dolphins, took two weeks of camp off to address marital issues in the Bahamas while teammates practiced, and has played like a shell of his former self. I’m sure poor coaching, retirements and injuries contributed, but the biggest difference is the guy who touches the ball the most on offense has not played as well this year as he did in prior seasons.
December 24th, 2022 at 9:05 am
the question isn’t whether mike will get it…because he should…
but will CG14 get 215 yards and get 1,000 as well…
hopefully the offense gets rolling, and these next 3 weeks they play get right football and are on track for dallas and the playoffs
December 24th, 2022 at 10:29 am
Truth is Brady is afraid of getting hit and depends on a good line to have a clean pocket to work in.
But given the lineup juries he is rushing his throws or throwing receiver screens as he has no time to work the pocket and can’t buy time with his legs.
That is why the offense is stalling. We aren’t hitting the long plays as we have no time for them to develop. All the missed deep shots as he doesn’t have the time to put touch on the ball.
December 24th, 2022 at 11:37 am
CLICK
December 24th, 2022 at 11:55 am
Who cares? It’s a meaningless stat. As long as everyone’s dumping on Brady, Evans hasn’t been so hot himself this year. Dropping sure TDs, running the wrong routes and giving up on more than a few. Everyone has a hand in this dumpster fire.
December 24th, 2022 at 12:44 pm
It’s almost like Bowels makes it a crime for this team to score points. He is the ONLY reason this O is not clicking and he stated it multiple times in pressers. NO no risk it no biscuit.
December 24th, 2022 at 1:42 pm
@Defense Rules-
Now compare the # of targets to Evans in the red zone this year vs last year.
My guess is it’s about 45% less attempts to even get him the ball down there.
December 24th, 2022 at 3:22 pm
Evans just needs to tell Brady where he will be and Brady will throw it there.
Leftie is trying to make Evans a different receiver than he is, the old square peg crap.
Evans says he will go to the first down marker on whatever side of the field he is lined up and he will break 1000 with the Cards game.
Brady is looking for receivers, but Leftie is handicapping them. He needs to go.
December 24th, 2022 at 6:02 pm
He’ll get his yards. That doesn’t make up for a bad season and his bad attitude through much of it. “Feeling the life go out of us”….
December 24th, 2022 at 11:49 pm
Tim Brown had 9 straight seasons of 1000+ yards.
Jerry Rice had 11 straight seasons of 1000+ yards.
I was told 11 is more than 9.
BTW Rice’s streak was stopped in 1997 when he tore his ACL against the Bucs. The next season he got 1,000 again. Truly the GOAT 🐐
December 24th, 2022 at 11:53 pm
^^^ sorry I read the column wrong. Thought you were stating Brown held the record. My bad. ^^^
Merry Christmas 🎁🎄
December 25th, 2022 at 11:56 am
Mike Evans said he is a top ten receiver in the league. He need to step it up. Prove it to yourself. I doubt he can do it.
December 25th, 2022 at 4:09 pm
Hopefully, Methusaleh 0 won’t lose this one like he did last week. I sure hope a few Bucs team captains had some serious conversations with this old wrinkle.