Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady didn’t jump on the panic bandwagon when star wide receiver Mike Evans had three catches for 24 yards in Week 1.
“Mike didn’t have as many (yards), but Mike’s going to get his; I have no doubt,” Brady said last week on his podcast, Let’s Go via JoeBucsFan.com.
Evans did just that on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons as he made five receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-25 win. Brady found Evans early on two throws for 20 yards or more in the opening drive, “less than a minute” into the game as independent NFL reporter Dov Kleiman noted.
Evans also reemerged as a red zone threat with his two touchdowns from Brady inside the three-yard line.
Tom Brady ➡️ Mike Evans
Electric
Happy Mike Evans day 😁
“I’m just happy to get in the end zone,” Evans said in Sunday’s postgame press conference. “Anything that I can do to help my team win, I’m trying to do that whether it’s scoring touchdowns, blocking, getting first downs. Whatever it is, I’m trying to do that.”
For everything that went right for Evans on Sunday, he did have a scare on one route where he appeared to hurt his ankle according to Football Injury Doc Edwin Porras. Evans returned to the game quickly as Pro Football Doc David J. Chao noted. “Painful but doesn’t look injured,” Chao wrote.
Mike Evans’ injury just a run-of-the-mill lateral ankle sprain. Big sigh of relief.
For Evans, It’s All Hands on Deck With Offense
Evans expressed acceptance that he may not have near 100 yards and two touchdowns every time out going forward — though he has a streak of seven-consecutive 1,000-yard seasons going. The Bucs simply have that many go-to players for Brady to choose from.
“It’s great. We’re putting up 30-plus points a game, so I’ll take that all day every day,” Evans said in Sunday’s press conference. “We’re trying to do something special on offense this year. We have so many guys who can get the ball at any given time.”
In light of the team’s offensive depth, Evans didn’t expect Brady to make good on any prediction coming into Sunday’s game or beyond.
“I never ever know,” Evans said about how much he will get thrown to in any given game. “I wish I did, but I never know. Every game is different. Every year is different. I was happy to get in the end zone twice today and help the team win.”
Brady hinted at that being the case in his podcast, too.
“For me it’s just a matter of finding the open guy,” Brady said via JoeBucsFan.com.
Brady: Evans Is a Future Hall of Famer
Brady not only believes in Evans as a reliable receiver but also one who will arrive in Canton, Ohio, after his career.
“He’s one of the great all-time receivers and will be a Hall of Famer at some point,” Brady said in his podcast via JoeBucsFan.com.
Evans eclipsed all-time elite receiver company when he collected his seventh-straight 1,000-yard season to begin his career. He passed Hall of Famer Randy Moss with that achievement. Evans also made three Pro Bowls in those seven seasons and one All-Pro second team appearance.
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Mike Evans Makes Good on Tom Brady’s Prediction