The Buccaneers got the ball first in Sunday’s road game against the Panthers and their third offensive snap looked like it would result in a touchdown.
Wide receiver Mike Evans ran wide open deep down the field and quarterback Tom Brady hit him with a pass that would have resulted in an easy touchdown if Evans had simply been able to catch it. The Bucs star wasn’t able to hold onto the ball, however, and the Bucs wouldn’t come that close to a touchdown again over the course of a 21-3 loss.
After the game, Evans said the drop took a serious toll on him and the team.
“No one play is the sole reason you lose, but that was definitely the biggest reason,” Evans said, via Sara Walsh of NFL Media. “I saw the light go out of us. It took me a while to get back playing, your thoughts are just play the next play but it’s tough. Wide open, one of the best in the game, I’ve gotta catch that.”
Evans has made plenty of big plays for the Bucs over the course of his career and Sunday’s drop is one of many signs that nothing is going according to plan for Tampa right now.
