Mike Evans makes more history with huge performance vs. Panthers
The 2022 season hasn’t gone as expected for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense, but one thing they can always count on is Mike Evans putting up historic numbers.
Evans entered Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers just 83 yards away from his ninth straight 1,000-yard season, already the NFL record to start a player’s career. He quickly eclipsed that mark in the second quarter on a 63-yard touchdown catch from Tom Brady.
Early in the fourth quarter, Brady would find Evans deep again, this time for a 57-yard score.
That score made Evans the first player in Bucs history to haul in multiple touchdown receptions of more than 50 yards in the same game:
Mike Evans is the first player in franchise history to record to touchdown receptions of 50-plus yards in the same game.
— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) January 1, 2023
Evans also continued his climb up the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list:
Mike Evans has surpassed Harold Jackson, Santana Moss, and Lance Alworth in all-time receiving yards.
Evans' current total of 10,388 receiving yards are 45th-most in NFL history. https://t.co/CaT6FVrwyK
— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) January 1, 2023
He wasn’t done yet, though.
With the Bucs still trailing in the fourth quarter, Evans found the end zone for the third time, this time on a 30-yard strike from Brady to give Tampa Bay the lead for good.
It marked the third three-touchdown game of Evans’ career, as he finished with 207 yards on 10 receptions.
At just 29 years old, Evans still has plenty of time to keep strengthening his case for the Hall of Fame.
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