Take a bow Mike Evans, you deserve it
As the rain came down last night at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans huddled together under any shelter they could find. Although many were seeking cover from the storm, the battle on the field continued to send fans on the emotional roller coaster of an NFL game.
The matchup between the Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers remained tight heading into halftime, with the hometown club holding a narrow 7-3 lead into the 3rd quarter. For many of us in attendance, it almost felt like fate as the rain began to subside in the second half. This change in the weather not only brought many rain-drenched fans back to their seats, but it allowed them to witness history.
After the Panthers scored a touchdown to take a 10-7 lead, many anxiously sat in their water-soaked chairs, watching their slim playoff hopes dwindle. This was until arguably the most underrated wide receiver in history sent the crowd into a flurry. Enter Mike Evans, one of the most consistent, power wide receivers in the NFL.
The 30-year-old pending free agent put the franchise on his back, just as he has done for a decade. With five minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, Mike Evans took a pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield and brought it 75 yards down the field, leaping into the endzone as only a super-human athlete could.
At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Evans has made a living with his size and deceptive speed. During his 75-yard touchdown run, the stadium fell silent as the refs reviewed to see whether or not the four-time Pro-Bowler was able to cross the corner pylon or not while reaching out. The explosive crowd fell silent, if only for a moment as the replay played across the Raymond James Stadium scoreboards. After a brief examination, it was ruled that Evans indeed kept the ball inbounds, touchdown Tampa Bay Buccaneers!
This touchdown not only helped the Buccaneers take the lead back but added a considerable boost to his yearly stats. As the game progressed, with Evans unsurprisingly the key offensive piece of the offense, the wide receiver did what he always has, he cleared 1,000 receiving yards on the season.
This is Mike Evans’ trademark as the ultra-talented wide receiver has cleared the 1,000-yard threshold for the tenth time in his historic career. Although this sounds impressive enough, the fact is that only arguably the greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice, has had more total 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL.
With his incredible 162-yard performance last night, Mike Evans tied Randy Moss for second all-time in 1,000 yards seasons. So why is Mike Evans not considered in the same tier as Jerry Rice or Randy Moss? While Evans may not have the gravitas as those two, he has consistently proven himself to be one of the best in the NFL since his debut in 2014.
However, maybe it’s about time that the NFL community as a whole starts to appreciate the greatness of Mike Evans while we still can. A four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, Evans has enjoyed a magnificent career that can best defined by his consistency. Jerry Rice played with the likes of Joe Montana and Steve Young. Randy Moss played with Randall Cunningham and prime Tom Brady.
Mike Evans? True, he spent two seasons with Tom Brady at the end of his career, but throughout his career, he has caught balls from the likes of Josh McCown, Mike Glennon, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Griffin, and Blaine Gabbert. Yes, Jameis Winston had his many flaws during his time with the Buccaneers, however, he knew that Evans was down there somewhere.
Yes, these are professional quarterbacks, but they are not the Hall of Famers that Rice and Moss played with. This should not be seen as an excuse in any way, in fact, it just goes to show us all how truly special and talented Mike Evans really is.
At 30-years-old and an upcoming unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, it remains to be seen where Evans will go or how long he will be able to keep this streak alive. Perhaps a change of franchise will bring more spotlight to the criminally unrated Evans. No matter what happens in the future, Evans will remain one of the greatest players in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history.
As I and the other 60,000 fans in attendance watched the Buccaneers celebrate his incredible milestone, I couldn’t help but look around the stadium and figure out where we would one day read his name and number plastered on the franchise’s Ring of Honor. Take a bow, Mike Evans, you deserve it.
