Tom Brady And Mike Evans Are “90 Percent” Clicking
November 29th, 2022
Mike Evans
The ugly Mike Evans streak hit seven games on Sunday, extending a career high/low for the greatest receiver in Bucs history.
It makes no sense.
The dubious streak is Evans no going seven consecutive games without a touchdown catch. That’s no typo.
It’s interesting to hear from someone inside One Buc Palace that the greatest quarterback in Bucs history isn’t fully in sync with the greatest receiver in Bucs history. Obviously, Joe is referring to Tom Brady and Evans.
The guy making the claim was Chris Godwin during his Monday chat on the Buccaneers Radio Network.
Godwin acknowledged Brady and Evans are off and “90 percent of the time they’re on the same page.” Joe thinks that’s a shaky number if Evans is running, say, 35 to 40 routes a game.
Godwin added that he’s not concerned because Evans and Brady work so hard and are so smart when it comes to their football.
Perhaps scarier than Evans’ touchdown drought is him catching 12 balls for just 125 yards through his past three games.
Joe has no answers, other than pointing to the offensive coordinator and wondering whether Tom Brady missing a bunch of practice time has anything to do with what appears to be declining chemistry with his premier target.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:15 pm
You have to actually throw the ball to Mike near or at the goal line for him to get TDs – he doesn’t do a lot of long runs after the catch – not a criticism, but pure speed is not Mike’s game.
Instead Leftwich, in the redzone, runs the same plays each time. RUN up the middle for 0.2 yards. SCREEN pass for 1 yard, then it’s 3rd and long, teams rush 3, drop everyone else into coverage, and no one is open, so it’s a dump off to the RB for 1 yard. Repeat.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:18 pm
Well look at the plays and scheme we aren’t scheming to players strengths and act like Evans is a YAC guy.
What do you expect to happen when this is how the team is coaches and schemed.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:18 pm
Exactamundo Rod.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:36 pm
One of the worst games of Evans career last week, IMO.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:38 pm
As if this offense wasn’t awful enough we now have the one guy we could actually count on (TW) out for a month w injury.
Todd Bowles and BL have destroyed this team. Congratulations to you both.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:43 pm
Accoriding to RC on First Take yesterday, there isn’t individual throwing at practice. Hmmmmm…..
November 29th, 2022 at 12:43 pm
Mike’s a coward. Yep I’ll Say it again. He’s afraid of contact. He’s afraid to lay out. He refuses to show max effort. And if he hits the ground He’s hurt instantly. He’s a coward
November 29th, 2022 at 12:45 pm
Rod – You lterally called the play by play to the T! We are very predictable and unimaginable schemes. There is ZERO reason our star studded offense is in the same company production wise as the Texans…the TEXANS!!!
November 29th, 2022 at 12:49 pm
The Bucs have learned nothing from their mistakes. They have one decent running game against Seattle and think all is well in the world. They went back to their old, predictable self. They are not a power run team, but yet they still try to run it up the gut and get stuffed. They have too many talented WR’s to be scoring 17 points a game. It’s ridiculous. Run more rubs and trips and scheme these guys open. Run more choice routes for Godwin, he always wins. Let Evans get involved in the game early on 5 and 10 yard outs and some quick slants. Run more outside and less inside with counters, traps and pulling guards or centers. Get Otten back in the lineup and run some TE screens. Something. Anything.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:51 pm
ME13 is not looking fully engaged and seems to give up on plays. Looks to draw PI more than make the catch. He rarely is still on his feet when he actually catches the ball. Pains me to say it but that’s what is on tape.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:54 pm
I bet Jacksonville is happy as hell they did not hire Leftwich as their head coach.
IMHO, Lefty and Bowles have destroyed our team.
It really is too bad we gave Bowles such a long contract, totally unwarranted for a coach with a terrible record as a head coach.
One has to wonder why no head coaching search was undertaken when Arians stepped down, instead of just handing over the team to Bowles ?
His all out blitz against the Rams left Cooper Kupp one on one and cost us that game, and he did it again vs Cleveland when his all out blitz left the Cleveland receiver wide near the end of the game.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:54 pm
Evans has been injured the last few weeks. It’s clear he’s not 100% after that rib injury.
But he actually did catch a touchdown pass last weekend, our cowardly head coach just doesn’t know how to use his timeouts to force a review of the play. Another Bowles failure.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:55 pm
@Chris- it wasn’t even an all out blitz, it was 2 guys blitzing and 9 guys not knowing what the call even was.
November 29th, 2022 at 12:56 pm
Joes says:
“Joe has no answers, other than pointing to the offensive coordinator and wondering whether Tom Brady missing a bunch of practice time has anything to do with what appears to be declining chemistry with his premier target.”
Brady missing time was MONTHS ago! Does anyone truly believe Tom and Mike cannot work together these last 3 months to get on same page? Tom always works on stuff after practice – he’s a legend for doing that.
Either Tom and Mike have not been putting in extra work, or they have and it still isn’t working. Given Brady’s history, the more likely culprit would be Evans, or am I delusional? I love me some Mike, but something has been off drastically. Sure Brady overthrew Mike this last game, but every QB does occasionally. Every WR drops an easy TD occasionally.
Something is not right between these 2. And while I’m at it, something is not right with this whole team, starting at the very top.
The only common theme? The HC changed this year. Same QB, same WR, same OC.
November 29th, 2022 at 1:06 pm
The only routes I see Mike running are go routes and comebacks. Nothing across the field like they do with Julio, not deep in routes like he used to kill people on. Why can’t we line him up to run some of gronks routes?
November 29th, 2022 at 1:06 pm
The old “Den of Depression” or “House of Misery” is being revived.
I’m not sure what they called it, but “it’s” made a resurgence.
November 29th, 2022 at 1:11 pm
Martin Emerson Jr, Browns CB, whooped Evans’ ass.
November 29th, 2022 at 1:15 pm
And people swore up and down that Brady’s time away would not affect anything because he’s some sort of god. Clearly that was delusional.
November 29th, 2022 at 1:17 pm
Something is wrong. The last 4 games, Evans has 18 catches on 37 targets. 48.6 catch %. For his career, Evans catch % is 57.5. I think Brady was directly referring to him, when he talked about not seeing things the same way. Most of it is on Evans, per Brady’s reactions. I don’t know why they don’t run Evans on simple slants more often. He’s a big body and it’s a safe high percentage throw. All I see is that deep comeback route, and bombs down the sideline. It’s BLs responsibility to get Evans into a favorable matchup. Another failure on his part
November 29th, 2022 at 1:19 pm
The amount of excuse making fo Evans is hilarious. He’s been worse than average, quitting on routed, not fighting through contact ,either right out of bounds or down after catches and most importantly told you hecquit during the Carolina game. He can’t beat third and fourth corners on bad teams. He cares about getting 1000 yards and that’s about it.
November 29th, 2022 at 1:22 pm
2 completions to Evans on 9 targets Sunday…….TBBF’s math questions that 90% claim…….
November 29th, 2022 at 1:37 pm
Put Evans in the slot just like Arians did with Fitzpatrick. He does not have the speed nor the separation anymore to be a no 1. We need more speed from our WRs. Don’t get me wrong, I love ME 13 but all good things come to an end or you change it up. Also he is back to crying about PI every other time he is targeted. Man up brother and roll with the punches. Now we have to play the saints who carry a big bag of ME13 kryptonite. Start Jones and Godwin 1 and 2 against the saints to throw them a curve ball.
November 29th, 2022 at 2:27 pm
good job Rod. nailed it. If I was the coach of another team i would pay Tony Romo $50,000 to watch the Bucs and let the other team know the next play. It’s amazing how good he is at that. Come on Todd and Lefty, try to fool Romo. Never mind i’d rather hear a popcorn fart
November 29th, 2022 at 3:18 pm
Evans got man handeled by a rookie -Emerson. his locker room interview lacked spirit, energy ,
November 29th, 2022 at 3:23 pm
On one of the 100 talk show, they had an exdefensive back talking Evans and Brady. He showed the film on all the “over throws ” from Brady to Evans. Here’s his take. On one throw the ball landed less than 4 feet from Evans, and Mike made no effort to catch it. One other throw went over the defensive backs hands and through Mike’s hands. Tough catch, but the kind the great receivers catch. The other 2 Mike either gave up on or was trying to get an interception call. He said the defensive back had to slow up to keep from running over Evans.He said all 4 throws were the only place they could be without being knocked down or interception. He wondered if Mike is injured, because he gets no seperation and backs are keeping up with him going 3/4 speed.He also said that because we have 0 running game that defenses are only rushing 4 linemen and playing 2 safties who don’t have to play deep because we don’t have play any fast receivers. That makes the 8 to 15 yard pass hard to complete because of 7 defenders in that area.
November 29th, 2022 at 4:57 pm
Please it’s football…somebody gonna win somebody gonna lose …let’s get back to winning Sunday! …get Big Mike involved early…missing a few early practices is an excuse at this point in the season !! GO BUCS!
November 29th, 2022 at 4:59 pm
I think Big Mike is playing there a hamstring issue! …he just don’t seem right!!
November 29th, 2022 at 5:04 pm
….^^^playing with a hamstring issue!
November 29th, 2022 at 5:12 pm
Evans is scared, hurt, or disinterested or possibly all 3. He’s definitely to slow to be on the outside anymore, he’s S.T.D. to go over the middle. I agree he should be in the slot, running high percentage plays like slants. He gives up on plays early and also agree that he looks for the P.I. call instead of trying to make the play. We got nobody that’ll go over the middle except Godwin but he’s finally 90% back and has been playing more like himself, which he needs to be since he’s the real #1 receiver on this team.The damn offensive line was hurting
before we lost Wirfs, I can’t imagine what it’s going to look like now against San Fran.
November 29th, 2022 at 7:22 pm
planting seeds of hope
it feels like too little too late
November 29th, 2022 at 7:40 pm
The lack of throws across the middle could be to preserve him. The last thing the Bucs need is Evan’s to get popped on his sore ribs. It could also be effecting his breathing which is why he is gassed later in games.
November 29th, 2022 at 7:43 pm
“The dubious streak is Evans no going seven consecutive games without a touchdown catch. That’s no typo.”
That is hilariously ironic!😂
November 29th, 2022 at 8:24 pm
Evans and Brady have never had great chemistry, for a number of reasons, but this was hidden by the presence of others with whom Brady does click with, obviously Gronk and Godwin. “90%” is an indictment. Should be 110% for all WRs, all season. What is this, training camp?
But this season, Evans has been flat out bad. Lethargic, lazy, mentally quit. Not showing fight. Don’t forget his infamous ” I saw the life go out of us” weeks ago, and he hasn’t come out of it much.
Evans checking out is one of many reasons that this offense isn’t working.
November 29th, 2022 at 8:37 pm
NE,
Remember “We gotta replace Gronk’s production?” Really? By whom? Who is THAT crazy and fearless like Gronk was to run those middle crossers and seam routes?
Man, Gronk’s legend grows each game he’s gone. We’ve seen about 10 plays this year that were Gronk routes. Nobody is that fearless (or stupid?) to run his routes. Man I miss me some Gronky-Gronk, and Brady misses him, and the Bucs miss him.
November 29th, 2022 at 8:39 pm
As for Evans’ ribs being a problem, I think you nailed it. And that’s why ME doesn’t seem to have any heart/juice/burst since that hit. He’s playing the long game to be more healthy for the playoffs, which in a sense is smart.
The problem is conserving Mike is costing us games right now, and might cost us a playoff spot.
Can’t we sit Mike for a few and put in some fresh meat to take the poundings? Perriman, perhaps? I dunno man.