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Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans made his highly anticipated return to the field on Sunday after missing two months with a broken collarbone. Though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were ousted by the Atlanta Falcons, Evans once again looked like the receiver that has dominated the league for so long.
In his return, Evans caught six passes for 132 yards, providing a boost to the pass game along with Jalen McMillan who played in his first game all season after fracturing his neck during the preseason.
Evans opened up in an interview yesterday about his approach to his return to the field.
“I was excited for the opportunity to return, been missing the guys, missing the team, wanting to help us get wins,” Evans said. “It felt good to be back out there; I was a little cautious at first, my first time playing in two months, had to see how the bone was going to hold up. After I hit the ground a couple of times, it was apparent that I was going to be close to being myself.”
So, that’s a great sign for Evans and the Bucs. They’re going to need him in the final three games of the season as they battle with the Carolina Panthers to claim the NFC South title and clinch a playoff spot.
Buccaneers Drop Disappointing Game to Falcons
With Carolina falling to the New Orleans Saints this weekend, the Bucs could have gained a leg up on the Panthers with a win. Unfortunately for Tampa, Kirk Cousins and the Falcons offense provided too much resistance for the Bucs to overcome.
Though Evans was happy with his individual performance in his return, he wasn’t content with how the game ended for his team.
“It wasn’t even about a certain number I was trying to reach, it was just about trying to do whatever I could to help the team win,” Evans said. “[Baker Mayfield] targeted me and [I] made some plays, but it wasn’t enough.”
After a scorching 6-2 start to the season, the Buccaneers looked poised to easily claim a rather weak NFC South. Things have taken a nosedive for Tampa since week eight however, as they’ve lost five of their last six games while the Panthers have surged up the standings with some marquee wins against the Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers.
Evans Unlikely to Secure 12th Straight 1,ooo Yard Season
Unless Mike Evans averages 242 yards in each of the final three games of the season, he won’t eclipse 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. Evans has been one of the most durable and consistent receivers in the league since 2014, but it looks like this collarbone injury will end one of the most remarkable streaks in NFL history.
Evans can still make an impact for the Buccaneers however, and they’ll need him to this weekend as they take on Carolina with the NFC South title at risk. Both teams are sitting at 7-7; they play each other this weekend and in week 18. A split favors the Bucs, as they’ll face the 6-8 Miami Dolphins in week 18, while the Panthers will face the 11-3 Seattle Seahawks.
Either team can clinch the division with a sweep over the other.
Matt Skillings Matt Skillings is a Boston based sports journalist and a graduate of UMass Amherst, where he majored in journalism and communication. Matt covered the UMass men’s ice hockey team for three years for the Massachusetts Daily Collegian. He was also a media intern for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League for two summers. Matt has additional bylines with the New England Hockey Journal, the Boston Globe and MassLive. More about Matt Skillings
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