Sunday will feature a huge matchup, and Dan Quinn expects the sports networks to make much of it.
That matchup is Tampa Bay Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans and Washington Commanders’ cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
🚨BREAKING: WE WILL GET TO WATCH MIKE EVANS AND MARSHON LATTIMORE BATTLE IT OUT IN THE PLAYOFFS NEXT WEEK.#Commanders – #Buccaneers should be a movie.
LATTIMORE & EVANS HAVE HAD MULTIPLE ICONIC FIGHTS DURING THEIR BATTLES.
🍿🍿🍿
pic.twitter.com/4wbYjfrScR— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 6, 2025
Commanders’ GM Adam Peters traded for Lattimore at the NFL trade deadline. Thus far, Lattimore has only provided his team with one full game vs the Saints. The following week, he injured a hamstring against the Eagles again and was unavailable the last two weeks in wins over the Falcons and Cowboys.
Yet, Quinn was positive in his outlook for Sunday’s playoff game:
“He’s hitting all the markers in a good space, so we will have a jog through practice today, and then we’ll be full speed back at it tomorrow,” Quinn said. So, he’s hit all the markers up to this point and I anticipate that trending through the week, but tomorrow and Friday, specifically tomorrow will be one that’s more speed.”
Lattimore and Evans have provided quite the entertainment in their past meetings as the two battled each other.
Quinn expressed Wednesday he knows it will be a big matchup but he was also quick to say there will be many big matchups in this game.
“There’s definitely matchups all over the field that make a difference in winning and losing,” he said. “And these are two elite competitors, and it’s honestly what makes coaching so much fun.”
Quinn even went as far as to imply that, yes, the television commenters will make much of this matchup, but he is not overlooking several matchups that will be fought Sunday night in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
“Those aren’t the only two that are going to be absolutely battling for it. It may be the only ones that the networks may show [laughs], but let me tell you, there’ll be a lot of guys that are really going to go for it. And it does make that part fun.”
Baker Mayfield torched the Commanders in the opener. He completed an impressive 24 of 30 attempts for 289 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, averaging 9.6 yards per pass attempt.
Having a healthy Lattimore will help, but the Commanders will also need more (much more) pressure up front than in the first game when they only hit Mayfield four times, sacking him just once.
