“If We Win, Mike’s Getting The Record”
January 1st, 2025
“Math sucks, Mike.”
So Baker Mayfield had an interesting twist today on the balancing act the Bucs will perform on Sunday.
A win is necessary to secure a playoff spot, and Mike Evans getting 85 yards receiving is required for him to tie Jerry Rice’s all-time record of 11 consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more yards receiving.
It’s a record that’s stood since 1996.
Mayfield said getting Evans involved in the offense early and effectively is always key to the Bucs’ winning, so it’s no balancing act.
“If we win, Mike’s getting the record,” Mayfield said.
Sorry, Baker, the math is not on your side. The Bucs have won five games this season when Evans played and did not get 85 or more yards receiving.
The Bucs probably will need to make an extra effort to get Evans the ball in this game. Joe just hopes Evans clears the record early and avoids cheap hits from the slimy and dirty Saints.
Fair warning: If Todd Bowles giving away Evans’ six-yard catch last game by needlessly accepting a fourth-quarter penalty ends up being a factor in Evans missing the record, or him potentially getting injured in garbage time on Sunday, Joe will be going wild in this space.
January 1st, 2025 at 1:53 pm
Two go routes will get him close, if not there.
Once there though, he should sit. IMHO
January 1st, 2025 at 1:56 pm
Focusing in on a record is a sure way to lose the game. Forget about it. It’s with 17 games anyways. Just play normal and win. Records will happen or not.
January 1st, 2025 at 1:56 pm
Mayfield says Mike is getting his yards, Mike is getting his Yards.
January 1st, 2025 at 1:56 pm
It’s the only answer he can give. Winning is top priority, and Mikes Record will be the priority once they get “comfortably up” on the saints. Arguably should’ve been force fed a couple balls late against Carolina, but it is what it is.
You can argue it’s not a team-first approach, but that’s wrong. Good teammates will care a LOT that Mike gets this, so it’s good for camaraderie and chemistry.
January 1st, 2025 at 1:59 pm
If they try to put too many resources towards covering Mike then J-Mac will eat them up. Hopefully Mike will have his 1k by halftime
January 1st, 2025 at 2:01 pm
If Bowles didn’t accept the penalty and put the Bucs in a needless 4th down situation, the media would have fried him for that. He made the right call by putting the team first. BTW, that call cost me $250 because I bet Evans to break 100yds on that game.
January 1st, 2025 at 2:07 pm
Joe, you’re right.
And so is Baker.
The math is the math, and no one can argue with that.
There’s been games where Mike hasn’t been very involved.
And some where he has.
Our dink and dunk offense has been pretty darn good this year, by any objective standards.
Getting Mike involved early, even with short yardage passes is going to help us win, and get Mike closer to 1,000.
Naturally, we all want to see him and Baker connect on a couple of go routes and watch Mike tear up the field.
But I’ll take getting him involved early and often with dinks and dunks, if that’s what it takes to get him to the magic number.
GO BUCS!!
January 1st, 2025 at 2:08 pm
What a predicament, the Aint’s know this and will probably double team him. We’ll see how creative Coen can be.
January 1st, 2025 at 2:11 pm
Winning most often times means getting your best players involved. Bucs are something like 4 w ad 0 loses when Mike gets targeted more than 8 times. Give Mike 12 targets and it’s a win.
January 1st, 2025 at 2:16 pm
Cyber dilemma, I lost money too but Ive stated the same exact thing. Fans would have skewered Bowles for allowing his team to be in a fourth down situation when he could have taken five yards and saved the down instead of six. Team over individual EVERY time. Just look at what Philly is doing to Barkley. Saving him for the playoffs.
January 1st, 2025 at 2:30 pm
If Bucs win and Mike doesn’t get 85, still a good day. If Mike gets a hundy and Bucs lose. not so good of a day. Forget about the streak, concentrate on the win. Good things lead to good things.
January 1st, 2025 at 2:30 pm
Very confident Mike will get it barring injury. He’s averaging 97 yards a game since coming back. To Baker’s point, the Bucs are 4-0 this season when Mike has over 85 yards in a game
January 1st, 2025 at 2:31 pm
Actually, Al, it would be only 12 or 13 games, Mike was out for 4 or 5 games. People seem to forget Mike has never had a season under 1000yds no one has ever done that.
January 1st, 2025 at 2:45 pm
Focus on winning and building a decent lead then feed him in the 4th. That seems realistic
January 1st, 2025 at 2:49 pm
“If Mike gets a hundy”
I’m not a statistician,(never learned to lie very well) but I’m thinking if Evans gets a hundred or more, our odds of winning have to be 98% or better.
January 1st, 2025 at 2:54 pm
I would much rather see Mike get his yards early and then sit the rest of the game.
The stanks have a well earned reputation for playing dirty and injuring players on purpose.
If Mike already had his numbers and I was making the call, he’d be a healthy scratch and not even dress for the game.
January 1st, 2025 at 2:59 pm
Joe… give it up on the 6 yards, if he would of hung onto the pass that was in his hands with the Ravens he would probably only need 60 yds and he would of had a touchdown added to career and season stats.
January 1st, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Word in the streets is the Duck is coming back so Mike gets his 1000 yards.
You can take that to the bank.
Go Bucs!!!!
January 1st, 2025 at 3:36 pm
This grown man wrote an article to say he’s going to throw a tantrum if he doesn’t get his way..
Go for it Bucs, that’s why the players love playing here and love playing for Bowles.. thats why playoffs and division titles are an every year thing.. they have the right culture and approach..
Now throw your little tantrum
January 1st, 2025 at 3:58 pm
We gotta win. Why talk about sitting people?
January 1st, 2025 at 3:59 pm
“Fair warning: If Todd Bowles giving away Evans’ six-yard catch last game by needlessly accepting a fourth-quarter penalty ends up being a factor in Evans missing the record, or him potentially getting injured in garbage time on Sunday, Joe will be going wild in this space.”
——
As if enough reasons don’t already exist to send that guy packing. Would love to see Mike get his yards tomorrow,
Secure Coen 2025
January 1st, 2025 at 4:07 pm
3 million dollar record…. You don’t think Bakers going to make sure he gets that?
January 1st, 2025 at 4:27 pm
Don’t think the Saints are going to mind ME getting the record. Saints aren’t going anywhere and would not be surprised if they play him soft.
In case few have noticed, pro sports have become one big fraternity with smiles and hugs for all. Long way from the Jim Brown/Sam Huff wars. Today mainly a bunch of multimillionaires playing a kids game. In the old days, a huge part of your income was determined by how your team did winning World Series, NFL Championship, and so forth. ME will have a 100 yards in first half.
January 1st, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Said differently – if Bucs want to win, Mike needs 10 targets , needs to be lined up in the slot and in motion some of the time.
Go Bucs.
January 1st, 2025 at 4:52 pm
I really, really want to see Mike get those yards.
On the other hand, I am curious what it would look like to see Joe going wild in this space. Maybe that’s kind of a win-win dilemma.
January 1st, 2025 at 5:14 pm
I believe what Baker is saying is that if we’re whooping the Stankbutts but Mikey boy hasn’t made his yards yet he’ll make sure he gets em. I’m sure they all know that getting the win is the priority but either way him getting the yards will lead to the win or the win will lead to him getting the yards. Hopefully Baker puts up the same numbers as last week and he breaks the team record set by Brady
January 1st, 2025 at 5:22 pm
If Bucs have a big lead and the game in the bag and Evans has 50 yards, Bowles will sit Evans. Cause chance of injuries and being cautious is how Bowles rolls.
January 1st, 2025 at 5:32 pm
And you should go wild if that happens Joe. No one would have been happy if Mike got hurt end of last game but trying for it there or at least not turning down yardage makes more sense to me then battling for 85 against the Slimy Saints.
January 1st, 2025 at 6:09 pm
The Bucs will win if Baker doesn’t throw any INT’s like he didn’t do last week vs. the Panthers. The rest will take care of itself. If he starts forcing the ball into a double covered Evans and throwing INT’s in an attempt to get him his record the Bucs will lose.
January 1st, 2025 at 6:36 pm
Evans should get it since the Saints traded the guy that pretty much always locked him down. I could see still the Saints doubling him on purpose just so he doesn’t get the record. I could see them go as far as putting 3 guys around him and get blown out by everyone else just to stick it to him
January 1st, 2025 at 6:45 pm
Hey Joe’s does Mike not get any call out for his drops? Or is it just a 6-yard flagged play that continues to get called out?
We have plenty of weapons and will have plenty of chances to get Evans the ball. Play to win the game, play to win the Division, Play to get a home game and a by-week.
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!
January 1st, 2025 at 7:17 pm
Mike wanted more when his contract was being negotiated. I think agreed to the two year contract because that’s how many seasons it will take to beat Jerry Rice. He is getting his yards.
January 1st, 2025 at 7:36 pm
Just win the game, Bucs. Mike knows he’s going to Canton. He is a team player, first and foremost. Joe, don’t tell me you’re gonna throw a fit over this yard crap. Good grief, we want the team to win. SMDH.
January 1st, 2025 at 8:42 pm
drdneastup Says:
January 1st, 2025 at 6:09 pm
The Bucs will win if Baker doesn’t throw any INT’s like he didn’t do last week vs. the Panthers. The rest will take care of itself. If he starts forcing the ball into a double covered Evans and throwing INT’s in an attempt to get him his record the Bucs will lose.
===============================
You football experts need something else to blather about. Mayfield had 3 interceptions against Saints in first game and Bucs won by three touchdowns scoring 51 points. There is far more to QB play than interceptions. Tom Brady in his first 7 years( (this is Mayfield 7th year)in the NFL had 3 years where he threw for 14 INT’s in shorter regular seasons and he is still—well, Tom Brady.
Take a look at Bucs record this year when Mayfield throws at least one interception. It isn’t much different that when he throws no INT’s. QB’s are the most visible players on the field and they get most of blame for team losses. If Buc fans have learned anything this year, it should be most of the Bucs losses have to do with a Jr. high defense.
January 1st, 2025 at 8:59 pm
Some don’t get it.
In order to win the game, Mike needs a big game. The data support Mike with 9 or more targets having big days and Buc victories. Keep on SMDH and listen to the bolts rattle around in there.
January 2nd, 2025 at 2:22 am
Mike should be a decoy for the first three drives. Run and and dunk and dunk to every eligible player on the field until the Bucs are ahead by a couple of scores, and let the ball find its way to Evans naturally.
Remember the Broncos game; on their opening drive, down 7-0, the Bucs started at around the 20. They ran and dinked and dunked for a first down. Then, 1st and 10 from Bucs 30, BAD BAKER forced the ball 20 yards downfield into double coverage on Evans. Denver intercepted and returned the ball to the Tampa 10. Right away, 14-0, and it was all bad after that.
So, I have a nightmare of the Bucs losing to the Saints the way they lost to the Broncos if Baker throws away the run, dink and dunk script to force it to Evans. By all means, throw it to Evans when he is open. But, the likeliest way I can imagine for the Bucs to be eliminated is for Baker to force it to Evans in double coverage. And, having said what he said, I imagine that the Saints are scheming ways to bait Baker into doing exactly that.
January 2nd, 2025 at 7:57 am
And here comes Gulperboi to Bakers rescue because someone threw shade on his teen idol bringing up his 50 ints against the Saints last time. That Gulperboi is the reason you are “attacked” playing the victim when you and your kind have done since you discovered this website when when the Bucs pulled him off the trash heap where he belonged at that time, you Tony Marks and every other fanboi who slithered their way into this Bucs blog personally attack anyone who says anything derogatory about him even if it’s warranted. Now you all say Cornales and Coen have nothing to do with resurrecting Bakers career yet blame the OCs for his problems in Cleveland. Get out of here fanboi extraordinaire!
January 2nd, 2025 at 9:34 am
DavidBigBucsFan99 Says:
January 2nd, 2025 at 7:57 am
And here comes Gulperboi to Bakers rescue because someone threw shade on his teen idol bringing up his 50 ints against the Saints last time.
====================================
DBBF99,
I don’t feel “attacked” but then, again, I don’t hurl racial slurs at Coach Todd. We aren’t going to forget, DBBF99. Maybe with your tenure on this website that is permitted? I don’t think so. You are going to have to dig your way out that one
;but, I don’t think it is in your character.
January 2nd, 2025 at 10:28 am
@Alfred Exactly too many fools here concerned about his individual record when we have a playoff game to win and yes a PLAYOFF GAME is what it is so better not be trying to force evans the ball I mean if his silly record comes with a win so be it.
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:49 am
Gulperboi go on ahead with your wokeapedia racial slur agenda. Great way to take the attention off of you with your fake news. You know nothing about me and I don’t have to defend myself against your worthless and stupid accusations. Everything I say about coach Bowles is because I detest his coaching style. I know for a fact he is a good kind hearted person, much better than me but you fakerboi fanboi s are a whole different species of human beings.
January 2nd, 2025 at 2:21 pm
DavidBigBucsFan99 Says:
January 2nd, 2025 at 11:49 am
Gulperboi go on ahead with your wokeapedia racial slur agenda.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DBBF99,
Keep it up big guy and I will reprint your Bowles slur here to remind you of what you said. There were plenty of other bloggers who saw written word and complained to Joe.
January 2nd, 2025 at 2:57 pm
DavidBigBucsFan99. Looks like you’re pretty active here today. Spending alot of time defending yourself. Folks here will judge you by the things you’ve said. You don’t need to constantly defend yourself. Nobody’s gonna change their opinion of you because you’re whining about fake news or some such crap.
January 4th, 2025 at 7:56 pm
Way to stir the pot Joe let’s focus our animosity outside of our team we have a team to beat and a team we need to give our bad juju to to lose. Let’s stop this in-house bickering unify Buccs nation!!! let’s f****** go Tampa Bay. And yes still posting from deep within enemy lines getting a lot of oh man’s and wtf’s when they see the upper torso from head to waist covered in Buc gear all the way up here in Atlanta