Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans was in disbelief.
Evans, only two snaps after hauling in a 43-yard pass to set Tampa Bay up in the Red Zone, found himself wide open in the end zone early in the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. But the play didn’t result in the Bucs firing off their celebratory cannon. The four-time Pro Bowler was apparently focused on something other than securing the catch and dropped an on-target pass from Baker Mayfield. Cheers inside Raymond James Stadium turned to groans as the ball hit the ground, and Evans only had himself to blame.
“I was wide open and I dropped it,” Evans said postgame before saying that he didn’t want to talk about the play anymore. “Got a little cocky. Thinking about what fan I was going to give the ball to. Can’t do that.”
Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans at Raymond James Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. Evans dropped a touchdown earlier in the game.
Getty Images/Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
Evans wasn’t going to make that mistake again. The 6-foot-5 receiver carried Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton into the end zone for a 22-yard score on the next drive, which proved to be more than enough offense for the Bucs in a 20-6 win.
The Buccaneers, who had not won in over a month, snapped a four-game losing streak with Sunday’s victory. And Evans was a big reason why. The soon-to-be free agent topped 100 yards for the first time since Week 2 and finished the day with six receptions for 143 yards and, of course, a touchdown that he so desperately wanted.
“I was angry,” said Evans, the only player in NFL history to begin a career with nine consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, of dropping the earlier pass. “I was angry at myself, I was frustrated. That next drive, Baker kept throwing me the ball. I just made it a point to try and get that back — get that touchdown back.”
Added Bucs head coach Todd Bowles: “Mike is mentally tough. If he drops one, we get it right back to him because we know he’s going to catch it again. He’s going to be open multiple times. If we keep feeding him, we know he’s going to come through for us.”
Evans credited the offensive coaching staff for scheming him open so often against a Titans defense that relied heavily on quarters and man coverages.
Mayfield finished 18-of-29 passing for 278 yards and two touchdowns. The former No. 1 pick played mostly mistake-free football aside from a pick on Tampa Bay’s first drive of the day and a fumble, which was recovered by left tackle Tristan Wirfs, right before the half. Mayfield hit his right thumb on a helmet late in Sunday’s game though remained on the field. Bowles said the team will evaluate the injury to determine its severity.
“Feels good,” Mayfield said of his thumb after the game.
Tennessee opened the contest with a 12-play drive that resulted in a field goal. But points would be tough to come by after that for the Titans. Tampa Bay scored the game’s next 17. Bucs running back Rachaad White found open space on a second-quarter screen pass, following his blockers for a 43-yard score. The Bucs added a field goal to start the third quarter after Evans’ drop, then saw their star pass-catcher redeem himself in the end zone shortly after. Tampa Bay (4-5) and Tennessee (3-6) traded field goals in an otherwise uneventful fourth quarter.
A week after surrendering 470 passing yards and five touchdowns to rookie QB C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans, Tampa Bay’s defense contained another first-year signal-caller on Sunday. Titans QB Will Levis was sacked four times, threw a pick, and failed to lead a touchdown drive in his third professional start.
All-Pro Titans running back Derrick Henry was held to just 24 rushing yards on 11 attempts on the day.
The Buccaneers, who last won a game on October 1, ended their longest losing drought since 2019 and are now just behind the New Orleans Saints (5-5) in the NFC South, which Tampa Bay has won two years in a row. But putting together consecutive wins won’t be easy.
Tampa Bay heads to the Bay area for a road matchup with the San Francisco 49ers (6-3) next Sunday. But it’s an obstacle the Bucs will have to face to get to where Evans believes they can go.
“It’s a lot of weight off your shoulders,” Evans said of finally winning a game again. “I mean, this feels great. Everyone in the locker room, having fun. Four in a row is tough. Especially with our talent, what we believe we can do. I definitely believe we can be contenders and be a playoff team. This is a start for us.”
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