Don’t worry about Tom Brady and his WR1.
One of the largest disappointments of the Buccaneers’ first game against the Dallas Cowboys was the uncharacteristic absence of any major connections between Tom Brady and Mike Evans.
Although he was targeted six times, Evans only managed to haul in three receptions for 24 yards, an acceptable amount for a mediocre receiver, but not up to par for a receiver with the talent of Evans. Even without amazing numbers, two of those six targets were swatted away by defenders that would have almost assuredly been catches, so the lack of production was not due to a lack of trying.
Bucs fans shouldn’t have any serious reason to worry, especially after an interview with Tom Brady earlier this week. When asked about the performance of Evans in the first game, Brady gave his receiver high praise and expressed how much confidence he has that Evans will “get his” as the season progresses.
Brady couldn’t talk enough about how great Evans looked during training camp. He continued on, explaining that the only reason he got less chances than usual in week one was less about Evans, and more so because Brady was simply just trying to find whoever was open.
It is also true that Evans will usually be covered by the opposing team’s best cornerbacks, which will help out the Bucs’ other top-tier wide receivers, even if it at the expense of Evans’ stats.
Mike Evans has shown that he is far more worried about winning games than being the receptions leader on any given day, which in turn has helped the offense flourish. However, this was the case all last season, and Evans was remarkably still able to achieve over 1,000 receiving yards.
The reality is that Evans has been, and will continue to be Brady’s most talented receiver. Bucs fans can rest easy knowing that Brady is fully aware of the talent Evans brings, and even the GOAT expects a great season from him despite the slow start.
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