TAMPA \u2014 Mike Evans exhaled deeply as he walked through the tunnel at Raymond James Stadium to the Bucs locker room, having provided one of the most breathtaking moments in club history.<\/p>\n
After catching a 9-yard pass on the final play Sunday against the Saints to tie Jerry Rice with an NFL-record 11th straight season of 1,000 yards receiving, Evans was mobbed by coaches and teammates and overwhelmed by emotion.<\/p>\n
It was one of the most unforgettable plays in 49 years of Bucs football, not only because of the rare accomplishment, but because of the quality of the man who accomplished it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everybody was so excited to see it happen,\u201d coach Todd Bowles said. \u201cProbably all the emotion I\u2019ve seen out of Mike more than I\u2019ve been here, so that was great to see. It was great to see the guys erupt on the sideline, playing for each other. It was just a cool moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
A week later against Washington, the task for Evans is to see if he can move on from history and avoid histrionics.<\/p>\n
Evans will be reunited in Sunday\u2019s NFC wild-card game with cornerback Marshon Lattimore, his former Saints nemesis who was traded to the Commanders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re both great players, and they both like to compete,\u201d Bowles said. \u201cMike is a pro, and he understands what\u2019s at stake. He understands the game. Nothing really needs to be said about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps, but so many years Evans would vow not to do anything to hurt his team and yet the in-game fighting with Lattimore has resulted in penalties, ejections, fines, suspensions or all of the above.<\/p>\n
Evans has been thrown out of a game once and hit with two, one-game suspensions for his tangles with Lattimore.<\/p>\n
Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, without helmet, was penalized for unnecessary roughness following this 2020 altercation with Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans (13) in New Orleans. [\u00a0DIRK SHADD | Times\u00a0]<\/p>\n
The first real physical altercation came in 2017 and didn\u2019t initially involve Evans.<\/p>\n
The Bucs were trailing the Saints by 27 points midway through the third quarter when quarterback Jameis Winston, who was no longer in the game, came off the sideline following an incomplete pass and poked Lattimore in the back of the helmet.<\/p>\n
Lattimore turned and shoved Winston. That\u2019s when Evans, in a full sprint, blindsided Lattimore with a vicious hit in the back and knocked him to the ground.<\/p>\n
Evans was flagged for unnecessary roughness but not ejected. He would, however, be suspended one game.<\/p>\n
Several years passed until they got into it again in 2020. After a running play, Evans shoved Lattimore, who retaliated by pushing Evans in the back. The Bucs receiver responded by hitting Lattimore hard enough to separate him from his helmet. Flags flew; however, it was Lattimore who received the 15-yard penalty.<\/p>\n
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Explore all your options<\/a><\/p>\n As is often the case, Evans didn\u2019t initiate the altercation. The worst incident came in 2022, early in the fourth quarter of a game tied at 3. The Bucs and quarterback Tom Brady thought Lattimore should\u2019ve been called for interference on a deep pass to Scotty Miller. As Brady, who ran down the field to complain to officials, and Lattimore began getting in each other\u2019s facemasks, running back Leonard Fournette shoved Lattimore.<\/p>\n Evans saw his quarterback engaged with Lattimore and rushed in, shoving the cornerback to the ground. The sidelines emptied, and this time both Evans and Lattimore were ejected. However, Evans was suspended for the next game against the Packers, which the Bucs lost.<\/p>\n A year ago, Mayfield was excited to witness the Evans-Lattimore feud up close.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a physical matchup, it\u2019s non-stop. It doesn\u2019t matter what\u2019s at stake,\u201d Mayfield said last year. \u201cGetting to watch it from afar was fun. Now, being in the middle of it is going to be even more fun.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bucs are likely to move Evans around Sunday, and he has played a lot of snaps in the slot. That\u2019s a good idea, since Evans has averaged 2.6 catches for 43.6 yards in 13 games head-to-head against Lattimore.<\/p>\n Of course, Evans is saying all the right things this week.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be disciplined,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re a better team than we played in Week 1, and we\u2019ve got to come disciplined.\u201d<\/p>\n As for renewing his rivalry with Lattimore?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve just got to be at my best,\u201d Evans said. \u201cI\u2019ve got to give my best, because he\u2019s a really good player. Obviously, we\u2019ve had a lot of really good matchups. If he\u2019s playing, I look forward to the matchup.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter <\/a>to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.<\/p>\n Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram<\/a>, X<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n