In the unpredictable world of the NFL, there are few in history who have been as consistently stellar as Mike Evans.
He enters Sunday looking to tie Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield remains steadfast in his aim to get Evans there.
"Let's put things in perspective," Mayfield said Wednesday, via team transcript. "You're talking about tying somebody [Rice] that has all receiving records across the ąú˛úÍâÁ÷Ířthroughout history. You're talking about somebody that's consistently been somebody in this community that has raised people up, continued to be the face of this franchise and be there for people, so that record is important for us. To get him to that -- obviously, winning is the most important part, but those two things go hand in hand."
Evans needs 85 yards Sunday for his 11th straight 1,000-yard season.
The Buccaneers need a win over the New Orleans Saints to clinch their fourth NFC South title in a row.
Tampa Bay is 4-0 this season when Evans has 85 or more yards.
Thus, the two do, indeed, go hand in hand.
"Mike is a huge part of this offense and a huge part of this passing game and so getting him involved early and often is a lot of the reason we've had success," Mayfield said. "Those things go hand in hand. There's balance and the most important thing is winning but I see it playing out -- if we win, Mike is getting the record. We have to focus on winning and getting him the ball, but [our] guys are playing for each other."
Evans long ago set the record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a career. Hall of Famer Randy Moss is a distant second with six.
Now Evans is entering the rarest territory of potentially tying Rice, widely viewed as the greatest wide receiver of all time, for the most consecutive 1K campaigns in a row overall.
He would also draw within three seasons of Rice's 14 total 1,000-yard showings in one's career.
Keeping the streak alive drew greater attention when Evans missed three games this season due to a hamstring injury. Now, he sits at 915 yards with 85 to go for more history and Mayfield will be his biggest supporter.
"Mike won't say anything about it, and that's just who he is," Mayfield said. "That's why we love him, that's why everybody loves him, that's why he's been so consistent for so long. It's never been about just himself; it's been about winning and trying to find ways to win."
