Todd Bowles gives latest Mike Evans injury update ahead of Week 6

Remember that scene in The Office where Andy says he wishes we were told when we were in the good times so we could enjoy them in the moment instead of after the fact?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the good times right now.

Coming out of their bye week the Bucs are 3-1 and in control of the NFC South. Things could not be going much better, as Tampa Bay thumped the Saints in Week 4 and have spent the last week resting up and getting healthy for a potential playoff push.

It's a complete 180 from where experts had the team during the offseason. Almost nobody gave the Bucs a shot to do much more than tank for a top draft pick, but instead they're gunning for a home playoff game. A lot still needs to happen and there's plenty of time for the good times to get derailed, but right now the Bucs are cruising.

One of the biggest storylines throughout the bye week was the health of Mike Evans. The sliver lining is that it was the most pressing thing the Bucs needed to worry about, rather than anything schematic, but it's a massive deal.

Evans exited the Bucs win over the Saints early, and was later diagnosed with a hamstring injury. The bye week came at the right time for him to get some extra time to heal but there's still concern that he won't be all the way back in time for Sunday.

Buccaneers give latest Mike Evans injury update ahead of Week 6

Head coach Todd Bowles spoke with the media this week and gave a good-but-not-great update on the status of Mike Evans ahead of Sunday's game against Detroit.

"He's coming along, we'll have a better idea on Friday," Bowles said. "Probably see him do some more running and then go from there."

Evans wasn't at the media portion of practice on Thursday, but the news wasn't as bad as it seems. Tampa Bay released its latest injury report and Evans was listed as a limited participant, which is an encouraging sign that he could suit up on Sunday.

Tampa Bay will need him, as teh Detroit Lions are coming to town for the team's creamsicle throwback game. It's an unlikely battle of first place teams, and could be a playoff preview. If nothing else it's a measuring stick game for the Bucs to see just how good they really are, and if they can hang with the best the NFC has to offer.

Having Evans healthy is obviously a good way to come into the game as competitively as possible.

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