It’s time for Scott Reynolds’ post-game 2-Level Conversion column, which options two massive statements, two probing questions and two daring predictions.
The Bucs improved to 5-7 and snapped a two-game dropping streak by beating the 1-11 Panthers, 21-18, in a rain-soaked Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. had been the celebrities for Tampa Bay, as they’ve been all season. A Bucs win mixed by a Saints loss on Sunday makes this week’s sport at Atlanta in opposition to the 6-6 Falcons a do-or-die contest for Tampa Bay’s hopes of three-peating as NFC South champions.
2 BIG STATEMENTS
STATEMENT 1: Mike Evans’ Place In Bucs Historical past Might Shock You
What extra may be mentioned concerning the ever-growing legend of Bucs vast receiver Mike Evans?
In his illustrious 10-year profession in Tampa Bay, Evans has gone from being a High 10 choose to changing into a Professional Bowl receiver early in his tenure. He’s gone from being the very best receiver in Tampa Bay historical past to the best offensive participant in franchise historical past. Evans has gone from being a future Bucs Ring of Honor member to a future Corridor of Famer. He’s gone from being a receiver who has rewritten the document books in Tampa Bay to rewriting the document books within the NFL.
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
With an 11-yard catch within the fourth quarter of the Bucs’ 21-18 win over the Panthers, Evans went over 1,000 yards for the tenth straight season, which provides yet another 12 months to his practically untouchable NFL document of consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin a profession. With yet another 1,000-yard season, Evans, who caught seven passes for 162 yards, together with a 75-yard landing in opposition to Carolina, will match Jerry Rice’s record for essentially the most 1,000-yard seasons in an NFL profession.
Evans is simply 30 and has solely performed for a decade. Rice performed 20 seasons within the league and retired when he was 42. If Evans stays wholesome, he’ll end his profession with extra 1,000-yard seasons than some other receiver in historical past. What number of is as much as Evans, who exhibits no indicators of slowing down.
“I feel Mike can play so long as he needs to, his drive and want are there – I don’t have a timetable on it proper now, perhaps he can reply that query, I don’t however I would love him to play for so long as he needs to,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles mentioned. “I don’t know what extra you may say, he’s been like this for 10 years now. Over 60 catches 10 years in a row, over 1,000 yards 10 years in a row. You recognize he’s getting the ball and everyone’s making an attempt to cease him – he makes performs again and again, it’s a credit score to him, his work ethic, the best way he approaches the sport, unbelievable.”
It’s not sufficient to label Evans a future Corridor of Famer anymore. And calling him a future Bucs Ring of Honor member, whereas actually applicable, sort of cheapens his legacy as a result of it’s not practically praiseworthy sufficient. And that’s to not demean the distinguished Bucs Ring of Honor by any means.
Bucs legend Lee Roy Selmon Photograph By: USA As we speak
From the group’s roots in Tampa Bay in 1976 with the collection of Corridor of Fame defensive finish Lee Roy Selmon because the franchise’s first-ever draft choose, the Bucs have been recognized for protection. From the fabled 1979 protection to the protection that Tony Dungy and Monte Kiffin helped assemble that led to a dominant win in Tremendous Bowl XXXVII in 2002 to Todd Bowles’ unit that helped hold Patrick Mahomes and Kansas Metropolis out of finish zone in successful Tremendous Bowl LV, protection has been the calling card in Tampa Bay.
So it’s solely becoming that within the fictional Bucs Mount Rushmore that the 4 legends would all be defensive gamers – Selmon and a trio of different Bucs Corridor of Famers in Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber.
However the second Evans will get enshrined into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame when his taking part in days are completed, there will probably be a change on the fictional Bucs Mount Rushmore. Evans will change Selmon and take his rightful place in Bucs immortality as one among Tampa Bay’s 4 greatest gamers of all-time.
Selmon nonetheless holds the Bucs’ all-time sack document by one sack over Sapp, however Sapp has the good thing about a Tremendous Bowl ring, extra Professional Bowl berths and being on extra All-Professional groups. Selmon was the 1979 NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months, however Sapp earned that distinction too in 1999.
Brooks will get the nod over Selmon for a similar causes as Sapp. With 11 Professional Bowls and being on 9 All-Professional groups, Brooks is essentially the most adorned Buccaneer of all-time, along with successful the NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months award the identical 12 months Tampa Bay gained the Tremendous Bowl in 2002.
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Barber, who’s the Bucs’ all-time main interceptor, will get the nod over Selmon for having the franchise’s signature play – his 92-yard pick-six within the NFC Championship Sport that propelled Tampa Bay to Tremendous Bowl XXXVII. No different Buccaneer performed as lengthy in Tampa Bay as Barber did for 16 seasons. Barber will get the nod over Selmon for being the one NFL defender with a minimum of 40 interceptions and 25 sacks, in addition to successful a championship.
And that brings us to Evans, who has completed one thing that no different NFL participant has completed with 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin his profession. Evans ought to go Detroit’s Corridor of Famer Calvin Johnson, who’s within the dialog for being one of the vital elite receivers ever, within the receiving yardage ranks later this season. With three extra 1,000-yard seasons, Evans will probably be within the High 10 when it comes to all-time receiving yardage.
Evans and his 13 landing catches additionally helped the Bucs win a Tremendous Bowl in 2020. Not all Corridor of Famers are created equal, and those with Tremendous Bowl rings deserve extra notoriety in Tampa Bay. For that motive, when Evans finally makes the Corridor of Fame, he’ll displace Selmon on the Bucs Mount Rushmore and grow to be the one offensive participant to attain that legendary standing.
STATEMENT 2: Antoine Winfield’s Magical Season Continues
Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Contemplating the truth that Baker Mayfield threw for 202 yards in Tampa Bay’s 21-18 win over Carolina and Mike Evans accounted for 162 of these yards, one may surmise that Evans carried the group on his again for the victory. However soccer is a group sport with offense, protection and particular groups. And as a lot as Evans did for the Bucs offense, security Antoine Winfield Jr. did as a lot for Tampa Bay’s protection.
Winfield continued his season-long pattern of being a one-man-gang, main the Bucs with eight tackles, registering a sack and choosing off a key go within the fourth quarter to assist protect Tampa Bay’s fifth win of the season. He now has 89 tackles, three sacks, three pressured fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a career-high 11 go breakups this season, which is Winfield’s contract 12 months.
“Oh he’s been nice, he received a sack as effectively earlier,” Bowles mentioned. “He can see the ball very effectively from again there – I feel leaving him again there this 12 months as a substitute of placing him at nickel has been nice. Simply placing him down there some, the place he could make performs however he’s beginning to catch them, if catches all those they throw to him, he’ll be nice and he caught one in the present day and he makes play after play, week after week.”
As vital as Evans has been to the Bucs offense, Winfield has been the equal to Tampa Bay’s protection. Bucs season MVP honors may need to be cut up down the center between the 2.
That’s two massive checks that Bucs basic supervisor Jason Licht and assistant G.M. Mike Greenberg are going to have to chop to Evans and Winfield subsequent 12 months. There isn’t any method the Bucs can afford to let both participant depart Tampa Bay in free company.
2 PROBING QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1: The place Is J.J. Russell’s Sport Ball?
Bucs ILB JJ Russell and Panthers QB Bryce Younger – Photograph by: USA As we speak
Good query. J.J. Russell, who has spent a lot of the final two seasons on Tampa Bay’s follow squad, performed a heck of a sport filling in for injured starter Lavonte David (groin) and backup SirVocea Dennis (sickness) at Mo linebacker on Sunday.
However seven snaps into the sport, Okay.J. Britt, who was filling in for the injured Devin White (foot), suffered a again harm and didn’t return. That meant that Russell was the lone linebacker left and needed to assume the play-calling duties for the protection and play Mike linebacker.
Russell completed with seven tackles (six solo) and his first NFL sack and earned a powerful 79.2 Professional Soccer Focus grade versus the Panthers. But it was sturdy security Ryan Neal who received a sport ball from head coach Todd Bowles for being an emergency fill-in at linebacker. That’s actually comprehensible, and Neal did have 4 tackles and made a giant deal with for loss. However the place’s Russell’s sport ball?
“J.J. did a heck of a job, he even received a sack simply arising [from the practice squad] – he will get little or no reps and to return in and play like he performed in the present day – and Ryan got here in early for Okay.J.,” Bowles mentioned after the sport. “Ryan performed linebacker all of in the future of follow, in order that was enormous for him and he did a few of these issues in Seattle and we noticed it. He had a walk-through and he had a pair reps and he went in there and he performed a hell of a sport and he received a sport ball in addition to Mike [Evans].”
Doesn’t the previous follow squad participant deserve one, too?
QUESTION 2: Can The Bucs Lose At Atlanta And Nonetheless Win The Division?
Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photograph by: USA As we speak
Technically, sure – however probably not. A win by Tampa Bay at Atlanta on Sunday would imply that the Bucs and Falcons would have an identical 6-7 information and an identical 3-1 information within the NFC South. But the Bucs would have the tiebreaker as a result of their document versus widespread opponents. Tampa Bay beat Minnesota and Tennessee whereas Atlanta didn’t, so that may give the Bucs a brief tiebreaker benefit with 4 video games left within the season.
A loss at Atlanta would imply the Falcons could be 7-6 and an ideal 4-0 within the division. Atlanta would then end the 12 months at Carolina, versus Indianapolis, at Chicago and at New Orleans to finish the season.
That’s a far simpler slate than the Bucs, who must basically win out and hope Atlanta loses each divisional video games at Carolina and at New Orleans. The Bucs end the 12 months at Inexperienced Bay, house versus Jacksonville and New Orleans after which a highway sport at Carolina.
A loss to the Falcons on Sunday nearly closes the door on the NFC South title hopes in Tampa Bay.
2 BOLD PREDICTIONS
PREDICTION 1: Mike Evans Will Be Re-Signed By The Bucs
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photograph by: USA As we speak
Mike Evans is having a monster contract 12 months with 61 catches for 1,012 yards (16.6 avg.) and 10 touchdowns. He’s on tempo to complete with 86 catches for 1,433 yards and 14 touchdowns, which might be one among his most interesting seasons in his first 10 years in Tampa Bay. The 30-year outdated Evans is poised to obtain a giant increase from some group over the $16.5 million per 12 months deal he’s presently taking part in on.
The guess right here is that Evans checks the free agent market in March, will get a quantity and the Bucs match it or come shut sufficient to get a hometown low cost to maintain him in crimson and pewter. Basic supervisor Jason Licht understands how vital Evans is to the Bucs group – and the Bucs offense. And so do the Glazers. Evans’ 162 receiving yards on seven catches on Sunday accounted for 51% of Tampa Bay’s 322 whole yards versus Carolina.
PREDICTION 2: The Minute The Bucs Are Out Of The Playoff Race, It’s Kyle Trask Time
Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photograph by: USA As we speak
If the Bucs lose at Atlanta on Sunday or the next week at Inexperienced Bay and are nearly useless and buried within the NFC South division chase or the NFC playoff chase, search for Tampa Bay to show to Kyle Trask to see what the group has within the former second-round choose. Trask confirmed some promise and enchancment throughout coaching camp and the preseason, however has hardly ever performed in significant common season video games over his first three years in Tampa Bay.
Enjoying Trask may additionally assist solidify a greater draft choose within the first spherical. Not that the Bucs would deliberately tank, however taking part in a younger, inexperienced quarterback like Trask may end in extra turnovers than a seasoned veteran like Baker Mayfield would possibly produce. And turnovers often result in losses.
For you Traskaholics, prepare.
