Thank heavens for Mike Evans.

Amidst a disappointing stretch of play from the Bucs, Evans returned to action in week 15 and brought some needed juice to the Bucs’ offense. After missing eight games this season, I posted on social media the improbable pace Evans would have to maintain over the final month of the 2025 campaign for him to keep his incredible streak of 1,000 yards alive.

For those still holding out hope, Mike Evans needs to average just 53.75 yards per…quarter to keep the streak alive.

— Josh Queipo (@JoshQueipo_NFL) December 10, 2025

And through the first three quarters against the Falcons, he was nearly keeping that pace. Evans finished week 15 with six catches for 132 yards on 10 targets. Evans also opened up the rest of the passing attack for Tampa Bay. His presence allowed every other receiver to settle into a role more tailored for their skillset. Emeka Egbuka, who had the lowest catch rate among qualifying receivers headed into week 15, caught four of seven targets for 64 yards. It was the highest yards per reception mark for the rookie since week 10 against New England. He also provided a welcome option for quarterback Baker Mayfield against man coverage, catching three of his four targets mano-y-mano.

Early Downs And Easy Buckets

Mike Evans has long been known for his ability to win downfield with his large frame and long arms. But so much of what makes Evans great is how he can help the offense stay on schedule on early downs with short-quick wins. His first catch of the night was on a second-and-9 speed cut that helped his net an easy first down.

Those speed cuts have been a hit-or-miss proposition for the offense this year but were a staple of their success in 2024. Evans’ 6-foot-5 frame also helps him box out defenders on quick in-breakers for similar table-setting chunks. He has been the best slant-runner in the NFL for quite some time.

Mike Evans Winning Downfield

Mike Evans also caught two of three targets of 20+ air yards, collecting 78 yards on those two catches. The Bucs have struggled to create downfield plays since around Week 6. But against the Falcons, quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 60% of his downfield passes and opened up underneath for Emeka Egbuka and others to thrive.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Evans torched Falcons’ rookie cornerback Cobee Bryant on an out and up for 33 yards to set up a field goal just before halftime and then mossed Bryant in the third quarter for a 45-yard jump ball win. It was a prime example of his physical dominance. Even at 32 years old, he is still able to box out and dictate terms with a physical style of play very few cornerbacks in the NFL are able to match.

Ultimately, despite coming off of a serious collarbone injury, the most promising part of his performance was he played significant snaps and took on hard contact while looking like the Mike Evans Bucs fans have enjoyed watching for the past 11-plus years. And while his record may be coming to a close this season — he now needs 60.67 yards per quarter to hit triple digits — based on his performance against Atlanta, he sets the table for a possible offensive run to close out a disappointing 2025 season strong.

After a strong return, he should build more comfort and confidence in his collarbone which can only bring more success as the team faces an important three-game stretch to finish out the season. Believe it or not, they still control their own destiny. And as the team knows, a destiny with Mike Evans is much brighter than one without.