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NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Evans, Defense Carries Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Victory

By @davidrumseynfl

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver Mike Evans

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

There’s only so much to celebrate when a team is 2-8, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plenty to be happy about after defeating the Washington Redskins 27-7. Coming into the game, the Bucs were one of the biggest jokes in the NFL. Finally, though, Lovie Smith’s team played like he has designed them to. They put pressure on Robert Griffin III, which led to turnovers, which led to points. The Bucs led 13-7 (after a sloppy defensive performance to end the half) at halftime without scoring an offensive TD. In the second half, though, Mike Evans exploded. Finishing the game with seven receptions for 209 yards and two TDs, Evans showed why he really is the best rookie receiver in 2014.

I wrote about him last week and boy did he back me up against the Redskins. His speed and huge playmaking ability is what vaulted the Bucs over the Skins in the second half. Josh McCown had no fear throwing to Evans, and the rookie rewarded him with two long touchdowns. Charles Sims showed some sparks when he got the ball in his hands, although he only produced 36 yards on 13 carries. No player besides Evans had more than three catches, but no more were necessary. Evans was a beast and certainly the best player on the field.

The Bucs’ defense should be given some credit, too. Getting a pick six to put the Bucs up 10-0 early was huge, but it was their ability to never let Washington back into the game that was most impressive. After allowing five other fourth-quarter leads to slip away this season, the defense held strong against the Redskins and it never even looked like RG3 really had a chance to threaten a comeback. This defense should feel a lot better about how they played Sunday, and that should translate into more confidence for the rest of the season.

Finally, McCown played like he was supposed to. He only completed 15 passes, but those completions went for a total of 288 yards. Evans’ monstrous day obviously helped immensely, but McCown did what he needed to do get the Bucs the win. He took shots when they were there and he kept the ball out of the defense’s hands. If McCown could have played with this kind of composure earlier in the season, the Bucs could be right in the mix for first place in the NFC South.

After several weeks of consistent success and then a ridiculous game like this, Evans has clearly shown he is for real. I don’t think anyone was having doubts about the Bucs picking Evans at seventh overall this year, but he sure has validated the Bucs’ selection anyways. I wouldn’t trade him for any other rookie receiver in the league right now. If he keeps playing anywhere close to this level, he should receive a lot of consideration for Rookie of the Year. He was the biggest reason for the Bucs’ win on Sunday; can any other rookie claim that kind of impact on their team?

David Rumsey is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter, and Add him on Facebook or Google.

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