Cade Otton might be in for a rough afternoon against the Giants this week

For the first time in four weeks the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be getting Mike Evans back into the mix on Sunday afternoon. The future Hall of Famer has missed every game since the Monday Night loss to the Ravens after he re-aggravated a hamstring injury, something that hopefully appears to be in the rearview.

Without Evans the offense looked different but it didn’t struggle nearly as much as everyone thought it might. That’s a testament to the job Baker Mayfield and Liam Coen did to keep the wheels turning, but props need to be given to tight end Cade Otton for how much heavy lifting he did.

Otton broke out as a top offensive weapon for the Bucs over the last three game, hauling in three touchdowns and nearly 200 yards. He was Baker’s top target and safety valve and has seemingly secured a place as a key piece of the offense moving forward.

As good as he’s been, though, things aren’t about to get any easier and it has nothing to do with Evans returning and potentially eating into his share of targets.

Cade Otton is going to be tested by a surprisingly stout Giants secondary

It’s not that the New York Giants defense is a bruising top unit all around, rather they specifically excel against tight ends.

That works against Otton’s pretty incredible upward trajectory. New York has given up only 332 receiving yards to tight ends in 10 games, which is lowest in the NFL. Adding to that, the Giants have allowed just a single touchdown to an opposing tight end this year, which is both baffling given how bad the team is but also tied for second-least with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Not for nothing, but the Bucs get a matchup against the Chargers in a few weeks and it’s very possible their streak of having given up zero touchdowns to tight ends is stil alive.

The Giants are going to be one of the biggest tests of the season for the Bucs in a number of ways, which is pretty sad considering they’re 2-8 and vying for the No. 1 pick in the draft. Sunday is a game that should help boost the Bucs back into the playoff race as they prepare to chew on the softest part of their schedule. It’s also a potential trap game that could unravel the entire season and lead to massive changes.

If the latter situation is going to be avoided, then Otton will need to continue playing a big role on offense — and it’s not impossible to see him have another nice game. Even with Evans back, Baker has established a routine with Otton which figures to remain a big part of the game plan. If anything, Evan returning could help take coverage away from Otton and allow for even more targets and open looks.

We’ll have to see how things end up playing out, but one of the Bucs best offensive players is going to have a lot on his plate this Sunday.

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