Tom Brady throwing four interceptions in the last two games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could beg the question if the 44-year-old quarterback is regressing.
“No, he looked just like himself,” Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans told the media on Sunday after a 29-19 loss to Washington. “We definitely had penalties. We had turnovers that weren’t even on him. That was on me and J.D. (Jaelon Darden).”
Darden took a hit on the pass to him, and the ball popped high in the air, giving Washington defensive back William Jackson III plenty of time to pick it off. As for the pass to Evans, the ball zipped by him into Washington defensive back Bobby McCain’s hands.
Brady looked a little more like himself in the second half, throwing for two touchdowns and getting the Bucs back within a score. Tight end Cameron Brate caught one on a 6-yard pass, and Evans caught a 40-yard touchdown — one of two receptions all day for the three-time Pro Bowler.
Tom Brady hits Mike Evans in stride for the 40 yard TD #GoBucs
“I was excited because it got us back in the game,” Evans said.
Deep throws by Brady hardly occurred in the loss as he completed only two passes over 20 yards the entire game. Darden had the other on a 29-yard catch.
Brady went 2-4 on throws over 15 yards, including a touchdown to Evans and an interception. All but three of Brady’s completed throws were under 10 yards on Sunday per Next Gen Stats.
“They did a really good job playing two-high defense,” Evans said of Washington’s secondary.
Evans: Defeat ‘Doesn’t Define Our Season’
Tampa Bay hit all systems go after the bye week last season and reeled off eight-straight wins to finish with a championship. Now the Bucs’ 2021 season will hinge on how the coaches and players respond to going thud after the bye.
“It’s extremely frustrating. I know we’re a better team than them, and we didn’t get the job done,” Evans told the media. “That’s why you play on Sunday. You’ve got to go out and give it your best because that’s an NFL team, and they are a solid team, and they got the job done tonight.”
Evans also explained how he will approach his role as a team captain in getting the Bucs back on track.
“Just keep doing what I always do. Just work hard, tell the guys, ‘it’s just one game, it doesn’t define our season, and we’ve got to come with it, if we want to get to where we want to go,'” Evans said.
Evans Still at a Loss
Evans couldn’t put his finger on why the Bucs came out flat but saw the areas needed for correction.
“I don’t know what everybody’s going through. I could have played better. I know that for sure. I wasn’t (overlooking Washington). Every game, I try to go as hard as I can, and tonight, it wasn’t enough,” Evans said on Sunday.
Evans, the Bucs leading receiver for touchdowns with nine, only got thrown to three times in the loss. He came in averaging 7.87 targets per game.
Evans also deflected blame from the defense, which gave up a 19-play scoring drive late in the game after the Bucs offense made it a one-score contest.
“That drive don’t define the game, we lost the game well before that with the penalties and the tipped balls and stuff like that,” Evans said.
“Recipe for disaster,” he said about the penalties and not making plays.
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Bucs’ Mike Evans Weighs in on Tom Brady Performance After Washington Loss