Bucs WR Evans having erratic sophomore season
Mike Evans has scored three touchdowns this season after reaching the end zone 12 times last year as a rookie, in part due to dropped passes and extra attention from defenses. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS By Ira Kaufman | Tribune Staff Published: December 15, 2015TAMPA — By his own admission, Mike Evans has dropped the ball coming off a record-setting rookie season.A year after establishing a Tampa Bay franchise mark with 12 touchdown catches, Evans has seen his focus slip a bit in 2015. Despite posting four 100-yard games this season, Evans has reached the end zone only three times and dropped passes have been a nagging concern.“It hasn’t been as good,’’ Evans said Tuesday, regarding his sophomore season. “It’s easier for me to get open, but I haven’t been as tight on my fundamentals as I was last year.’’Heading into Thursday night’s matchup at St. Louis, Evans easily leads the Bucs with 57 catches and 889 receiving yards. His average of 15.6 yards per reception is slightly better than last year (15.5), but Evans, who missed the season opener with a hamstring injury, has seen his opportunities and production vary widely from game to game.In last week’s 24-17 loss against New Orleans, Jameis Winston threw only one of his 20 passes in the direction of Evans through three quarters. Evans finished with three catches for 39 yards, but his frustration level peaked in the fourth quarter when he was penalized for offensive pass interference and unnecessary roughness on consecutive plays.“I think people game-plan for Mike a lot more than maybe they did last year,’’ Bucs offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said. “Mike is drawing more double teams than perhaps he did last year. More than anything, defenses are probably more aware of him. There are growing pains with a rookie quarterback, and we’re running the ball more.’’With veteran wide receiver Vincent Jackson sidelined by a knee injury for the second time this season, Winston expects the Rams to rotate their coverage toward Evans, an agile 6-foot-5 target who was Johnny Manziel’s go-to receiver at Texas A&M.“When you have a great wide receiver like he is, you always have to find a way to stop him because he’s a deep threat,’’ Winston said. “Explosiveness is something we really harp on as an offensive unit. And with Mike Evans, he makes it easier for us.”But for every big play Evans has turned in this season, there’s been a setback.Besides at least 10 drops, Evans has been penalized nine times for 80 yards, wiping out an additional 56 yards the Bucs had gained.Five of those whistles were for offensive pass interference, with other flags ranging from false start to holding, an illegal block above the waist and unnecessary roughness.“There’s nothing I can do about it now — I’ve got to worry about the Rams,’’ Evans said of Sunday’s infractions. “We’ve got another physical secondary and I’ve got to match it with my physicality. I can’t worry about the refs. I’ve said that before, but it’s tough. I’ll get through it.”With three games remaining, Evans is determined to set a positive tone for 2016.“I’m looking to finish strong,’’ he said. ”That’s cool to get a prime-time game in so everybody gets to see what we can do. A lot of people haven’t seen us, they just see and hear the numbers and things like that. They get to watch us and, hopefully, they see the physical team that we are. We’re ready to redeem ourselves.”[email protected]Twitter: @IKaufmanTBO
