National Football League

Bucs WR Mike Evans turning into rare hit for Lovie Smith and Jason Licht

Published Nov. 3, 2014 7:00 p.m. ET

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TAMPA, Fla. -- There's room to nitpick Mike Evans pushing off against cornerback Buster Skrine on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' final drive Sunday. Don't do it. Avoid the temptation.

There was too much good from the rookie wide receiver to see it all receive the Wite-Out treatment because of a late penalty that wiped away a first down. The sequence turned a manageable fourth-and-1 into a backbreaking fourth-and-11.

Embrace the positive. Toss the rest.

Yes, Evans will learn. He told reporters in Cleveland that he thought he could do "a lot of things" within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. Problem is, the 5-yard chuck rule applies just to defensive players, and Evans was wrong for being too physical more than 1 yard past the line of scrimmage.

But don't let one error -- a significant error, possibly a game-changing error -- take the shine off what he accomplished at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Finally, the Bucs have found something. In a year of mistakes -- Josh McCown, Michael Johnson, Mike Jenkins, Anthony Collins, Evan Dietrich-Smith, etc. -- Evans is the first face with direct ties to the Lovie Smith/Jason Licht Era to assert himself.

Where others have fallen flat, the former seventh overall pick has risen in the past two weeks, beginning with four catches for 78 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. Where others have earned a title that rhymes with "crust," Evans has the look of a future star that can go far.

"He has been good since mini-camp here," Smith said Monday. "We have high hopes for him. I think he's going to be a great player in the league. But you have to have that type of game that he had yesterday. But the last three weeks or so, he's been stepping up his game."

What more could he have done Sunday?

Evans had a game-high 124 yards receiving on seven catches. With better throws from Mike Glennon, that number could have topped 200. He showed strong athleticism in cradling two touchdowns. The "Money Manziel" celebrations were done in good fun and revealed two things: The respect he has for his former teammate at Texas A&M, now riding the pine for the Browns, and the no-shy attitude he carries on the field that's necessary for a receiver to thrive in the NFL.

Evans' emergence can't come at a better time for Licht and Smith. They're a miserable 1-7. They're batting far below the Mendoza Line on their free-agent picks. And outside Evans and perhaps Austin Seferian-Jenkins, none of their six all-offensive draft selections have made an impact.

Yet Evans has started to find his way. The Bucs need him to become all they envision. The faster, the better, and Evans sure as heck doesn't lack the confidence to make his presence felt.

"I had no doubt," he told reporters in Cleveland about the final drive. "I was going to get it. ... I thought that we had it. They couldn't really stop us all night."

Feed him early. Feed him often. Let him become an exception.

After all, the list of recent Bucs first-round choices reads like something that should be paired with the "Halloween" theme song. This stuff is scary.

Josh Freeman (ahh). Adrian Clayborn (yikes). Mark Barron (shriek). Doug Martin (on the decline). Aside from Gerald McCoy, having the Bucs tap you in the first round since 2009 has served as a one-way ticket to Bustville.

The horror.

Sure, it's early on Evans. He has 32 catches for 460 yards and four touchdowns this season. That's a nice start, and with his breakout performance Sunday, he has passed Vincent Jackson as Tampa Bay's receiving leader this year. The veteran has 443 yards and two touchdowns on 32 catches.

Still, Evans must prove that he can be a sustainable weapon. Afternoons like Sunday must become the norm, not a blip. That's what separates the elites from the goods and the should-have-been-betters.

Evans has the potential to be great.

"I just think that we saw some of what he might be," Smith said. "I think he's just going to be a force once it's all said and done."

The chance to become a force will be there in time. Smith has said the Bucs should try to target Evans more often. He's right. Evans was targeted a season-high 11 times Sunday, an increase from the seven against the Vikings. That's also an uptick from his previous season best of 10 produced during a Week 1 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Double-digit targets for Evans must become common. Jackson, by comparison, has been targeted at least 10 times in four games this season. Jackson, a three-time Pro Bowl player, has earned the title as Tampa Bay's top receiver. But he's not getting any younger at 31 years old.

Evans, 21, represents the future. Tampa Bay should do everything to speed up the process to make him one of the NFL's most dynamic receiving threats.

But there's a rub. All the necessary pieces aren't in place.

A quarterback change after this season must happen. Glennon isn't the answer to make the most of Evans' skill, and the underthrows Sunday were the latest exhibits why. The upcoming draft will be huge for Licht and Smith.

Until then, focus on the good that Evans has given. Consider what can be with the right tools around him. He'll only improve with the right coaching and development.

Along the way, mistakes will happen. Learn to take some bad with a ceiling that rises high.

You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.

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