Evans’ magic missing from Bucs’ offense, but he hopes to get it back
Mike Evans’ three catches in the Bucs’ most recent game, Oct. 11 against the Jaguars in Tampa, increased his season total to only 13. By Roy Cummings | Tribune Staff Published: October 24, 2015 at 08:49 PMLANDOVER, Md. — Mike Evans can no longer squeeze himself into the black Gryffindor robe his mother gave him a few years ago. Like everything else Harry Potter, though, the Buccaneers second-year wide receiver can’t bring himself to let it go.“Yeah, I’ve still got it,” Evans said of the robe. “I’ve still got a couple of Harry Potter blankets, too. And all the movies, of course. A lot of people wouldn’t think Harry Potter is the kind of thing I’d be into, but I am.“I love that stuff.”Evans hasn’t extended his love for the popular young-adult fiction series to the point that he wears an invisibility cloak during games, but no one could be blamed for thinking he had. He’s been mostly inconspicuous Sunday afternoons this season.Evans hopes to change that today when the Bucs (2-3) play the Redskins (2-4). Last season, in a 27-7 victory at Washington, Evans had the best game of his rookie season when he caught seven passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.“Mike’s fine,” first-year offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said. “I’m sure he’s a little frustrated, but we’ve been down this road before with other guys. We just need to get him started, because there’s nothing he’s doing wrong. He’s practicing hard and he’s playing hard.”The hard work has yet to pay off in a big way, with the exception of Tampa Bay’s game at Houston on Sept. 27, when he was targeted 17 times and hauled in a season-high seven catches for 101 yards. Evans has yet to work the same kind of magic that made him an NFL Rookie of the Year finalist last year.After catching 68 passes for a team-leading 1,051 yards and setting a franchise rookie record with 12 touchdowns in 2014, the Texas A&M product has played like an ordinary Muggle this year. After four games he’s on pace to catch just 42 passes for 557 yards, and he’s still waiting to make his first touchdown catch.“I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated by it,” Evans said of his slow start. “I’ve been making plays, but there have been a couple of times when I just haven’t made the plays that I’m usually capable of making.”That Houston game was a prime example. On a day the Texans defense focused on stopping the run, limiting the Bucs to 57 yards on 20 carries, Evans became the focal point of the attack. His response, though, included two dropped passes and a penalty for pass interference.Not that Evans is solely responsible for his struggles.A hamstring injury forced him to miss the final two games of the preseason and the season opener, and rookie quarterback Jameis Winston has struggled at times to stay on the same page as Evans. Three of Winston’s seven interceptions came on errant throws intended for Evans, who is also seeing a more steady diet of double coverage than a year ago.Through all the difficulties, though, Evans’ confidence and work ethic have remained intact.“I haven’t seen any change in his attitude or approach to the game at all,” veteran wideout Vincent Jackson said. “He’s still competing out there, still having fun. And these things, they happen. You’ll have three, four, five slow weeks and then all of a sudden you’ll go for three weeks where you’re just tearing it up.”Evans can attest to that.He got off to a modest start last year, catching 21 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns through five games. Then came the bye week and a three-game span in which Evans caught 21 passes for 458 yards and five touchdowns.Included in that was Evans’ breakout game at Washington, in which one of his two touchdowns went for 56 yards, his longest of the season. Obviously, Evans is hoping for a similar breakout following the bye this year.“It’s big getting that week off,” said Evans, the No. 7 overall draft pick in 2014 out of Texas A&M. “It allows you a chance to get your body right and things like that, and that’s what I did. I got away from football a little bit, got my body right and now I’m ready to go.”The Bucs need Evans to be ready.Though they have so far succeeded in establishing a formidable ground attack — Tampa Bay ranked ninth in the NFL with 122.4 rushing yards per game — opponents are gearing up to stop it.Two weeks ago, the Jaguars made a commitment to stop the run by putting eight defenders into the area directly beyond the line of scrimmage. The Bucs still managed to beat the tactic, running 40 times for 183 yards. But any subsequent failures likely will force them to rely on Winston and his receivers.Winston has yet to prove he’s capable of carrying the team. The Bucs lost each of the three games in which threw 30 times or more.A boost from Evans, though, could change that.“We need Mike to (step up),” Bucs coach Lovie Smith said. “We like what we’re seeing as far as the direction we’re going offensively, but if we can add Mike Evans’ best ball to that, that’s exciting.”Jackson expects Evans to bounce back.“I think he’s a better player now than he was last year,” Jackson said. “In terms of his skill set, his ability to run routes and understand concepts, defenses and this new system, he’s picked it up really well.”[email protected] Twitter: @RCummingsTBO
