Mike Evans returned to action for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12 after a three-game absence and his quarterback, Baker Mayfield, could see the difference immediately. It wasn't just what Evans was doing as Mayfield surveyed the field on his dropbacks, it was what the defense was doing simply because the Pro Bowl receiver was on the field.
"When Mike's in there, we get a bunch of different coverages that, when he's not in, you don't see them," said Mayfield after the Buccaneers' dominant 30-7 road win over the New York Giants on Sunday. "He obviously changes the game even when he's not getting the ball. It's huge that we have him in. We're lucky to have him, like I always say. Just trying to get him the ball early and often and keep him going."
Indeed, Evans was Mayfield's first read on the game's opening play, though the ball was eventually checked down to tight end Cade Otton in the right flat. Evans got the ball three plays later for a nine-yard gain that got the ball over midfield on an eventual 70-yard touchdown drive. On the first play of the second quarter, Evans hauled in a 26-yard pass that accounted for most of the yards on a 33-yard field goal drive.
Evans finished with five catches for a team-leading 68 yards though he didn't find the end zone as he so often does because the Bucs kept running the ball across the goal line. Tampa Bay had rushing touchdowns from four different players in a single game for the first time in team history. Head Coach Todd Bowles thought Evans looked fresh and at the top of his game.
View the postgame celebration of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' regular season Week 12 win vs. the New York Giants
"I thought he looked just like he did before he got hurt," said Bowles. "He made some catches early, he made some throughout the ballgame. He was fresh, he felt good afterwards and it was good to have him back."
Not figured into Evans' final yardage was the 22-yard pass interference flag he drew on a third-and-10 in the third quarter. The foul happened in the end zone, which meant the ball was placed at the one-yard line, and Rachaad White scored on the next play. Evans ran a double-move route on the play and Mayfield didn't hesitate to loft it up despite a nearby defender.
"Then there's like the 50-50 balls, with the pass interference in the end zone – I could make a better throw, but either Mike's catching it or you're probably getting a PI," said the quarterback. "Having him in there is a big difference in the game."
Evans was one of five different Buccaneers who caught a pass of more than 25 yards, a very welcome development after the offense went the previous two games without producing a single gain of 20 or more yards. Mayfield tied a team record by completing passes to 11 different players. Evans' presence in the game clearly changed how the Giants distributed their coverage, and Mayfield simply found the open man. And Evans' absence over the last month led to Mayfield gaining trust in a number of other pass-catchers.
