Will the 49ers be able to slow down Mike Evans?

The 2019 regular season opener for the San Francisco 49ers is inching closer and closer. The team will be flying to Tampa Bay to square off against the Buccaneers in what will be a highly anticipated matchup. Both teams bread and butter is their offense, which is led by two brilliant minds in Kyle Shanahan and Bruce Arians.

However, the edge from the offensive standpoint could be with the Buccaneers solely because of receiver Mike Evans. Evans is arguably a top five receiver whose talent is undeniable. The guy is an absolute monster at the position and a bully, which is strange to say about a receiver. He impacts the passing game heavily and brings the bully out when needed for run blocking.

Evans has been a phenomenal player even before Arians arrival, so just imagine what he can do now that he has a legitimate play-caller. There’s no way the 49ers will be able to outright shut him down. They don’t have the talent for that. Not even Richard Sherman can lock him down. Just look at how he fared in last years game against Evans, it was a struggle for Sherman to keep him in front.

Since shutting him down is out of the question, will the 49ers be able to at least slow him down?

If we're basing this off talent, then they will not be able to. Everything is going to be on defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to figure out a way to throw Evans off his game. Throwing different looks at him is the very least they should do to potentially catch him off guard. Pressing him, doubling or bracketing him will be crucial. However, that may not even be enough.

Bruce Arians would surely adapt to the situation to devise a way to get his best receiver open. I'm not even sure if Saleh is capable of brewing up something complex enough that can keep Arians and Evans guessing. The only way the defense can slow him down is by generating pressure with the full force of the pass rush. It's why Nick Bosa is the key player for them to emerge victorious.

The defense is going to need all hands on deck to reach Jameis Winston quickly. If he has more than three seconds consistently to find Mike Evans, then it'll be a long day for the 49ers. The offense might have to be the ones that slow Evans down by playing keep away. The same strategy that some teams use when going up against the likes of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodger and Patrick Mahomes.

If he is standing on that sideline, then he cannot hurt you. Running the ball is sure to be a staple in the 49ers offense, so they have to be able to produce from that aspect. It's not their only option in an effort to play keep away, but having productive runs makes life so much easier for the offense.

To slow down Mike Evans, it'll come down to the pass rush and the offense. At least one, but ideally both, is needed to limit the damage Evans can do. Unless, Ahkello Witherspoon and Richard Sherman surprisingly do enough to throw him off balance. Keep an eye on this matchup closely to give you an idea of how the game will play out.