The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints 27-19 to win the NFC South crown and clinch a playoff berth. Five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans caught nine passes for 89 yards in the game. With that performance, Mike Evans eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for an 11th straight season, tying Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the all-time record.
Interestingly enough, Evans didn’t go over 1,000 yards on the season until the very last play of the game.
“I was just hoping we would get a stop because I can’t pass up history,” he said during the Buccaneers’ post-game press conference. “Coach Bowles didn’t want to let us pass it up, or Liam [Coen]. I’m happy that they had me go out there and get that because it has been hard to do for 11 straight years… It means a lot to me and my family.”
MIKE EVANS. 1,000 YARDS ONCE AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/V4S7S8APUX
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025
Evans couldn’t nail down one specific thing that helped him reach this historic achievement.
“I’ll be here all day if I list off the things that it took,” he explained. “The main things are my faith, my work ethic, my family, the teammates that I’ve had around me, the coaching staff, the front office making moves to change this franchise around and become a winning franchise. It’s a lot of those things, and I just love the game of football. I love the game, and I love to compete, so any time the ball comes my way, I try to make a play.”
The fact that Evans tied the record at home made the moment extra special.
“It was amazing, man. They made it that much sweeter,” he said. “You know, NFC South Champs, and then I’m tied in history with Jerry Rice. They made it that much more sweet. I love those guys to death.”
Even though Evans had an amazing career accomplishment, now the hard work begins. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play host to the Washington Commanders in the first round of the playoffs. Tampa won the last game between these two, a 37-20 matchup in Week One of this season.
