The loss versus the Panthers was one to forget for the Buccaneers. Mike Evans is right about the turning point from this disaster.
The Buccaneers were just beaten by one of the worst teams in the NFL.
There isn’t much of a way around this difficult realization. Whether it was coaching or play, the Bucs lost in every aspect of that game.
Plenty of individuals deserve a handful of the blame from such a disastrous performance, but a decent chunk of that should fall on offensive captain Mike Evans.
Evans is often one of the best players on the field for the Bucs and has a pretty easy claim to being the best offensive player in franchise history, but his drop early in the game looked anything but up to the level he has set for himself.
Evans dropped a wide open pass that should have gone for a touchdown and a much-needed early lead for the Bucs, and it was a fair assertion on his part that this moment killed a huge part of Tampa’s chances.
Video: Mike Evans says no one play is responsible for a loss, but he knows how big his drop was on the opening drive. “I saw the life go out of us.” pic.twitter.com/RvprGnGqFo
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) October 23, 2022
One play doesn’t kill a game, but that one play might’ve played the biggest part in taking an advantage away from the Bucs.
An easy touchdown like that against a bad team like the Panthers with a questionable quarterback is a great way of getting ahead and staying ahead of a bad team.
A drop there accomplishes the exact opposite in a stretch for the team where that absolutely can’t happen.
The Buccaneers are dying on offense during one of the wildest stretches in franchise history. Gone are the days of offensive success, but the one silver lining is that Evans was still able to make his mark on that game after that point.
Still, something like this can’t happen from a player as important as Mike Evans.
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