Mike Evans: Jerry Rice’s Record Isn’t Ignored
July 25th, 2024
Chasing a legend.
It is safe to say if any NFL receiver is included in the same sentence as Jerry Rice, that’s about the highest honor possible.
Rice, who Joe could argue is the greatest NFL player who ever lived (Joe thinks it was Jim Brown), owns all sorts of NFL records. One is the most consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards receiving with 11 — 1986 through 1996.
Bucs receiver Mike Evans is riding a 10-season streak that started when the Bucs drafted him in 2014.
So yesterday, the always humble Evans was asked if he was thinking about matching the great Rice’s record. Evans admitted, well, a little.
“That’s one, that’s in the back of my mind,” Evans said while also noting he doesn’t like to list goals, other than winning games and hopefully another Super Bowl.
Evans already has the NFL record for most consecutive seasons to start a career with 1,000 yards receiving.
To match Rice with 11? That’s living legend territory.
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July 25th, 2024 at 2:11 am
Best of health this season Mike, go get it! Go Bucs!
July 25th, 2024 at 2:35 am
He will get 13 years and own the record. Go BUCS!
July 25th, 2024 at 4:17 am
go Mike Go …. God speed
July 25th, 2024 at 6:31 am
He looks like he’s in game shape already.
July 25th, 2024 at 7:56 am
Evans is one of the ‘Best of His Time’.
If you compare the two just looking at yards per season you could make the argument that they are equal until you compare them based on the Era they played in.
If you look at league averages per game everything stays consistent except Passing yards Per Game.
When Rice was a Rookie the average was 204, went down to 194 and back up to 204 at the end of his career. Rice played in a time that DB’s could take your head off and often did. When Passing Yards dipped the league changed the rules and by time Evans came in the Average Yards per game was at 236 while the rushing yards per game stayed the same.
During Evans career the Passing yards per game peaked at 245 and has begun to come down and is now at 218. As more colleges are running Pro Style offenses the defensive players coming are better prepared and you get the Sauce Gardners, Brian Branchs, and Antoine Winfield Jrs that excel right away.
As far as Evans vs Rice and their complete careers you have Evans with 5 Pro Bowls. Rice had 10 Pro Bowls and 13 seasons where he was All Pro.
Super Bowl Rings has Evan at one and Rice with 3 and 1 SB MVP.
When it comes down to it Evan is one of the best of his time and has a ways to go before being on the same tier as one of the Best of All time.
July 25th, 2024 at 8:06 am
Interesting to hear on the Ira Kaufman Podcast that it was the Bucs who ended Jerry Rice’s 11 consecutive 1k yard season record by injuring him in a game in 1997.
July 25th, 2024 at 8:17 am
Mike will get it done! Looking forward to him reaching his goals this season.
July 25th, 2024 at 8:18 am
Comparing ME13 and Jerry Rice over each of there 10 year 1k seasons.
Sorry homers, ME is very good but isn’t even close to Jerry Rice.
ME barely eeked out 1k 3 times and I think we all remember what JayMiss did in the final game of 2017.
JR has almost 50 more TDs in only 18 more games!
Now let me hear all about the QBs involved in all of this………..
Yawn.
RICE
172 games
143 TDs
1570
1078
1306
1483
1502
1206
1201
1503
1499
1848
1254
15450 total yards
ME
154 games
94 TDs
1051
1206
1321
1001
1524
1157
1006
1035
1124
1255
11680 total yards
July 25th, 2024 at 8:34 am
Evans is super underrated when it comes to all time greats. He’s a combo of Randy Moss and Jerry Rice. Consistently makes big time plays look routine. Fingers crossed he ties Rice for 11 straight seasons.
July 25th, 2024 at 8:49 am
Evans is a HOF lock.
July 25th, 2024 at 9:17 am
I fell in love with the game of football watching the 9ers play when I was a kid. You cant discount the fact that Rice also had a Montana throwing him the ball most of his career which would buff his stats. Evans didnt have that. Im not saying Evans is as good as Rice but Imagine what Evans stats would look like if he had someone even close to Montana throwing him the ball a majority of his career.
July 25th, 2024 at 9:29 am
It would be an amazing testament to Evans and his consistency if/when he pulls it off and something he could look back on. But let’s face it, the NFL has evolved into a soon to be 18 game season but more importantly a QB protected, passing league. He will be passed by just like players in differant eras. If you compare differant eras, when the NFL was a run heavy shorter season, Jim Brown dominated and held a record for “rushing” yards for 19 years before Payton came along. Emmitt Smith and other RBs in a still run oriented league soon passed battled it out and that is going to follow suite with WRs.
Now comparing QBs, Fran Tarkenton held the QB passing record for 19 years before the NFL evolved again Marino broke the record and that record has fell like dominoes since as the NFL has evolved into a SEGA/Madden video game.
At the same time WRs like Rice, and about 30 others from the 80’s and later have dominated and rewrote the record books. Evans will pass the Don Maynard this years in total receiving yards and then EVERY WR on the All Time yardage list will be from a player who started his career in the 80’s or later. Career reception leaders is even crazier. A sign of the times. With NO disrespect to Evans, the old adage records are meant to be broken applies and Evans should/will be proud of his short lived record. What can’t be taken away however is if he becomes the “first” WR to accomplish something.
July 25th, 2024 at 9:37 am
No one can compare to Jerry Rice, that is just the way it is. But man, to see Evans have continued health and success would be awesome! I do hope he makes it 11 straight!
July 25th, 2024 at 9:39 am
Couch Fan,
Surprisingly, he had 3 monster years AFTER Montana left in 93.
July 25th, 2024 at 9:50 am
Yes he did also with another great QB throwing him the ball LoL. Great player who was fortunate enough to also play with some great QBs. Kind of like Emmitt Smith running behind those great offensive lines. Some have all the luck and some are Mike Evans.
July 25th, 2024 at 10:05 am
HOF
July 25th, 2024 at 10:18 am
Being happy for Mike if he ties or ends up exceeding Rice in most consecutive seasons with 1k yards is wonderful as a Buc fan.
I also support those that realize the difference in ERAs and what Rice did for his ERA far exceeds what ME is doing in this current ERA.
Good for Mike. But the difference between Rice and the rest of the league WRs was easily evident. As you can by stats, highlights, and everyday plays, ME does not exceed every WR in the league in today’s game.
July 25th, 2024 at 10:47 am
Impossible to compare different eras and dynasties, but Mike is undoubtedly HOF caliber
July 25th, 2024 at 12:13 pm
Records are made to be broken.
I expect to see Mike break/set more records.
I fully expect those records to be broken by someone else in the future. Some of them will take a while though.
July 25th, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Don’t forget Rice also had the legend Bill Walsh as his head coach.