The guys I played for would have doubled that dude Mike Evans like it was a punt return….no way he’s getting that record on us‼️
— Scott Shanle⁵⁸ (@scottshanle) January 5, 2025
Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Saints was especially meaningful for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans. Evans tied the record set by Jerry Rice for the most seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards in NFL history (11), but he had to pad his stats to do it. The Bucs took over with a comfortable lead in the final seconds after rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler’s final pass fell incomplete, but they made time to get Evans a quick pass before kneeling out the clock.
And some Saints defenders took offense at that, swiping at the ball after the whistle and visibly showing their frustration. But hey, if you don’t want it to happen, stop it. That’s what Saints fans have told Atlanta Falcons faithful for years after Drew Brees and Darren Sproles ran up the score on them back in 2011. And that’s the message former Saints Super Bowl champion Scott Shanle shared on social media.
“The guys I played for would have doubled that dude Mike Evans like it was a punt return,” Shanle wrote of the pivotal play. “No way he’s getting that record on us!”
That’s exactly the aggressive approach previous Saints defensive coordinators like Gregg Williams were known for. And maybe it would’ve made a difference on Sunday. Either way, Evans got his record, and the Saints defenders who failed to stop him will be steaming about it until their next chance at evening the scales in 2025.
