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Wide receiver Mike Evans, who already has a impactful connection with Tom Brady, is dealing with a soft tissue injury.
Evans was the only Buccaneer player to miss practice on Wednesday. He followed that up by sitting out on Thursday. On Friday, he was on the field with his teammates but his level of involvement isn’t clear.
He’ll make the trip to New Orleans with the team, though coach Bruce Arians told the media that he’ll be a game-time call for the contest.
If Evans misses the contest, Chris Godwin would be the team’s clear No. 1 WR. Scotty Miller could be in line for a target increase. The slot wideout has earned the trust of Brady, as Pro Football Action relays. “He’s another consistent, trustworthy player,” said Brady said of Miller. “Whatever we talk about, he takes it to the next practice and his play is showing everybody that he’s earned a big role.”
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Evans Quietly Building Hall-of-Fame Career
Evans has somewhat quietly been one of the most dominant receivers since he came into the league in 2014.
The former No. 7 overall pick has gained 1,000 in each of his first six seasons, something only Randy Moss has done, as Football Outsiders highlights in their 2020 version of the almanac. Seven-straight would be the record.
Evans’ production in 2020 will surely be tied to Brady’s. The future Hall-of-Fame quarterback is entering uncharted waters, leading a team at 43-years-old.
Brady posted lowest touchdown total (24), touchdown rate (3.9%), and completion percentage (60.8%) of his career in 2019, something fueled by a combination of injuries around him in the New England offense, a lack of explosive weapons, and perhaps age catching up to Brady.
His efficiency over the second half of the 2019 season may seem alarming but as Bassinger notes, full-season performance is much more predictive than half-season performance. Still, there’s a ton of reasons to believe that quarterbacks, at the age of 43, simply can’t get it done: one being that there haven’t been any. No player at that age has ever surpassed even 1,000 passing yards.
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