Mike Evans pass interference kills touchdown drive
It was a rough game for Mike Evans, who once again failed to play a meaningful role on offense. We saw this happen in the Bucs other loss this year, as he dropped some key early passes against the Eagles which kicked the offense into a pit it culdn’t climb out of.
So goes Evans goes the Bucs offense. He was crucial in establishing a rhythm in wins over the Vikings and Bears, and started to cook against the Saints before he left with an injury. That hamstring was still a concern against the Lions, as Evans wasn’t operating at 100 percent, but that doesn’t excuse one of the biggest mistakes he made in the loss.
The Bucs put together a pretty good drive after halftime and were knocking on the door of taking the lead, down 10–3, when Evans committed offensive pass interference 3rd and 1. The ball had been at the Lions 8-yard line and if Evans hadn’t been flagged there’s a chance the Bucs go for it and convert.
Instead the ball was backed up to Detroit’s 18-yard line and the Bucs were forced to settle for a field goal.
That mistake potentially made the difference between Tampa Bay tying the game. It was a drive killer that zapped whatever momentum the Bucs had started to build. There’s a chance things still went off the rails, but the entire game is different if the Bucs find a way to score instead of continuing to limp behind the Lions lead.