When the New Orleans Saints take the field in Week 18 for the regular season finale, they won’t have anything on the line. They are already out of playoff contention, their draft pick is pretty much set, and the organization already has a coaching search planned for the offseason. New Orleans will just go out and play free, wrapping up what’s been a horrible season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on the other hand, who New Orleans will be playing, has a lot on the line. With a win, they’ll clinch a playoff spot and a fourth straight NFC South title. While that’s the most important streak the Bucs are hoping to continue, it’s not the only one they’ll be trying to keep alive.
Wide receiver Mike Evans has garnered a lot of notoriety for surpassing 1000 receiving yards in every season of his career. He entered this year with 10 straight years of more than 1000 receiving yards. Only one person in NFL history has strung together more 1000-yard seasons than that, and it’s Jerry Rice, who many consider the GOAT.
Rice’s streak was 11 straight years, and Evans has the chance to tie that mark. However, he enters Week 18 85 yards shy of 1000. That means he’ll have some work to do against New Orleans to keep his impressive streak alive.
Mike Evans’ 1000-yard streak will be on the line against Saints
Evans dealt with a significant hamstring injury this season, so he has only played in 13 games so far. Still, with 915 yards, he’s averaging 70.4 yards a game. That means he’ll need an above average day to keep the streak alive. This season, he has just four games with more than 85 yards.
In his career against the Saints, he averages just 49.7 receiving yards a game, in 20 total games. Evans has only had 85 or more yards in three of those twenty games. He actually has more zero-yard performances (2) than 100-yard performances (1) against New Orleans.
A big reason why that was the case was Marshon Lattimore. The elite corner famously battled with Evans, and was frequently able to contain him. However, Lattimore is now with the Washington Commanders, and the starting corners in New Orleans are Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry. They’ll be the two that will help determine if Mike Evans continues this streak or not.