In an alternate universe, maybe in one where Bucky Irving is tackled at the one-yard line or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense allows one more first down, Mike Evans would be giving a stoic postgame press conference in the late afternoon on January 5, 2025. He would have just finished his 11th NFL season with 995 yards, marking the first time he had ever failed to surpass 1,000 yards in a campaign. He would have fallen one short of tying the great Jerry Rice for the longest streak of such seasons in league history. And he would be solemnly declaring that what really mattered on that day was that the Buccaneers beat the archrival Saints to clinch their fourth straight NFC South title.
Oh, but it very much did matter what happened on the last play of that game, with victory already secured, and in this universe Evans made history. And, yes, he did care, very much, as did every teammate and coach on the sideline and every fan in a packed Raymond James Stadium.
Over the last month, fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been voting in an NCAA-style tournament bracket featuring the "50 Seasons Best Moments Presented by Ticketmaster." That bracket is down to the Final Four, and all four moments are among the most lasting, most remarkable events ever to unfold in a half-century of Buccaneers football. Over the next week, fans will determine which of those four stands alone as the best moment in team history.
The one that should come out on top: Mike Evans extending his record streak of 1,000-yard seasons on the very last snap of the Buccaneers' 2024 regular season.
To reset the scene, Evans came into the game with 915 receiving yards in a season in which he had lost nearly four whole games to injury. After becoming the first player ever to start his career with 10 straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, he was close to tying Rice's record streak and becoming second overall in such campaigns to the former 49ers superstar. Evans had been hot down the stretch and he had a big impact in Week 18, too, with eight catches for 80 yards through three-plus quarters. Time, however, was running out on his 1,000-yard quest.
Leading by a single point, the Buccaneers drove down to the Saints' 11 at the two-minute warning, getting close to a potential game-clinching touchdown. From that spot, the Bucs could accomplish both goals, going up by eight points and getting Evans over 1,000 yards, if Baker Mayfield could find his favorite target in the end zone. Evans was indeed the first read on second-and-two but Mayfield didn't like the look and had to scramble away from pressure. He ended up improving a flip to Irving, who did what running backs do and dashed all the way to the end zone. Game-clinching touchdowns are to be celebrated, but it was not lost on many that Evans and the Bucs' offense might not take the field again. Had Irving been stopped anywhere inside the five-yard line, the situation would have been even more dire.
Fortunately, Tampa Bay's defense got a fourth-down stop with 40 seconds left. The Bucs would normally kneel out the clock in such situations, but this was not a normal set of circumstances. Instead, Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen drew up a play with two clear-out routes and a quick curl by Evans, who caught Mayfield's pass a couple yards past the line of scrimmage and turned upfield for a nine-yard game. The Raymond James Stadium crowd erupted in delirium and Evans' teammates rushed onto the field to mob him in celebration. The clock ran out, the Bucs won another division crown and Evans had a defining moment in his Hall of Fame career.
