The Bucs Have To Be Smarter About Finding Mike Evans
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
At the exact moment when Mike Evans hangs up his cleats for good, start a timer for five years. The second that’s over, the guy is going to put on the gold jacket. Still, he’s off to arguably the slowest start in his career. His 120 yards through three games is the second-fewest of any of his 11 NFL seasons, though when he had 108 yards through three games in 2020, he at least had double the toucdowns (four) that he has in 2024.
He’s not Mike Evans yet, and if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can’t get him going soon, he will not have any playoff victories to add to his Hall of Fame resume this year.
Over the past two weeks, against the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos, Evans has only had nine targets and six receptions for 59 yards. Granted, he’s had a big week this season, catching five passes for 61 yards and two scores against the Washington Commanders. But as they say, what have you done for me lately? The Broncos held the Buccaneers to only seven points, and while the team had a ton of other issues (like the offensive line), getting Evans the ball could have helped the offense more.
So, how do the Bucs do that? We already found out on Sunday that just forcing the ball to him won’t get the job done. Midway through the first quarter, down 7-0, Baker Mayfield tried to force it to Evans, who was double-covered, and it ended just as expected: in the hands of Broncos safety Brandon Jones, who returned it to the nine-yard line.
BAKER MAYFIELD INTERCEPTION pic.twitter.com/zuZtcnBaAr
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) September 22, 2024
One issue for Evans on Sunday was that Patrick Sutain II, one of the best cornerbacks in the league, was covering. He did what elite cornerbacks do. According to Next Gen Stats, Surtain shadowed Evans on 24 of his 34 routes and only allowed eight yards on one reception.
But while we can talk about having an elite cornerback on Evans to slow him down, there are still ways to get him open. Minnesota Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson is often shadowed by two or three defenders, and Sam Darnold — yes, that Sam Darnold — is still finding a way to get the ball to him. One technique they’ve used to get him open is to send Jefferson in motion so he can’t get jammed off the line.
It would probably also help if they could force defenses to respect pass-catchers that aren’t named “Chris Godwin.” Sure, Godwin is getting his numbers — he has 21 catches, 253 yards, and 3 touchdowns — but defenses don’t have to account for anyone else. Tampa’s highest receiving yardage total outside of Evans and Godwin is Rachaad White, with 98 yards from catching out of the backfield. Among receivers, their third-best yardage total comes from rookie Jalen MacMillan, who has just three catches for 59 yards. If receivers are going to shadow and double-team Evans, punish them until they stop doing that.
Scheming Evans open is a start, but other factors can help Evans be more productive. The Bucs were without tackle Luke Goedke against the Broncos, which was a loss, but it’s still inexcusable that they gave up seven sacks. Mayfield was pressured on 18 of his 40 dropbacks, and on those 18 plays, the Buccaneers only gained nine net yards.
Even with all the issues against the Broncos, the Buccaneers still have a 2-1 record, and it appears they are in a good spot if some of these issues can be fixed. It’s clear that just trying to get him open by running the normal routes isn’t working, so the Bucs coaching staff is going to need to get creative about getting him involved. For the Bucs to reach their goals this season, they need to figure out a way to get Evans to play like the future Hall of Famer he is.
Up Next