With only four games to go in the 2024 regular season, it felt like Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans was off-pace and unlikely to reach the 1,000-yard mark for an NFL-record-tying 11th straight year.

Now, with three games to go, the odds may be back in Evans’ favor.

Yes, a lot can change with one monster game.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

Let’s go back to the previous installment of the Mike Evans 1,000-Yard Season Watch, which was published on PewterReport.com last Wednesday:

“It’s not looking likely for No. 13, but all it takes is one monster performance to change those odds. He may only have one 100-yard game thus far in 2024 (Week 13 at Carolina), and it could take something like the 207-yard day he had against the Panthers in Week 17 of the 2022 season. But it’s still hard to count Mike Evans out just yet.”

Well, in the Bucs’ 40-17 win over the Chargers, Mike Evans had that big game he needed to swing the odds back in his favor. He caught nine of his 11 targets for 159 yards and two touchdowns on the day, and that took his 2024 receiving yardage total from 590 to 749. That means he is 251 yards away from the 1,000-yard mark with three games to play.

That averages out to Evans needing an average of 83.7 yards per game over Tampa Bay’s final three contests. The Bucs match up with the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football next week, then they close out the 2024 campaign with home games against the Panthers and Saints.

The work isn’t done, but all of a sudden, Evans’ chances of extending his streak look much better. He now has two 100-yard performances in the last three weeks, and he’s looking much healthier these days. The future Hall of Famer may be hitting his stride at the perfect time – both for his streak and for the Bucs’ chances of four-peating as NFC South champions and making the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

Explosive Plays Were Key In Mike Evans’ Monster Day vs. Chargers

Bucs WR Mike Evans Photo by: USA Today

Other than the fact that he missed three games with a hamstring injury, what had been holding Mike Evans back from the type of production he, the Bucs and Buccaneer fans have been accustomed to was the lack of downfield shots in Liam Coen’s offense.

Now, that’s been more than okay, as Coen’s offense has been humming all year long and is among the best in the NFL in terms of point production, yardage and the lot of it.

But there are fewer vertical elements under Coen’s direction, and that has cut into Evans’ yardage total. That wasn’t a problem on Sunday, though, as Evans beat the Chargers defense for two explosive plays – both of which were touchdowns.

Evans began the game with catches of seven, five, 12, nine, eight and three yards. But his next catch took him over the 100-yard mark for the day, as he broke free for a 57-yard touchdown to put the Bucs up 20-17 early in the third quarter.

This was an out-of-structure play that saw Baker Mayfield escape the pocket and roll to his left with Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs getting out in space in front of him. Mayfield buying himself some time (and Wirfs’ presence) allowed Evans to find some space near the sideline. Mayfield hit him on the run, and the 31-year-old did the rest. One Los Angeles defender flew by him into the sideline, and he took it the rest of the way for a whole lot of yards after catch and a crucial touchdown.

Not long after, Evans beat the Chargers defense deep again. This time, it came on a key 3rd & 12 that saw Mayfield step up in the pocket and deliver a beautiful ball to Evans for a 35-yard touchdown.

It was a great move on the route by Evans, and Mayfield threw an absolute dime to his top target. Evans later added a 23-yard catch for good measure, and now he’s impressively within range of the 1,000-yard mark despite missing three games and only just recently hitting the 100-yard mark in a game for the first time this season.

Evans is now up to 52 catches for 749 yards (14.4 avg.) and nine touchdowns. And with an average of 83.7 yards per game against the Cowboys, Panthers and Saints the rest of the way, he will get to 1,000 yards for the 11th straight year and tie Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the longest streak in NFL history.