Atlanta Falcons Defense Contained 'Hall of Fame-type Receiver' Mike Evans In Loss
The Atlanta Falcons defense did their part in containing Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans in their 29-25 loss on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Evans was targeted by Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, and he only had one catch for eight yards. Evans, who became the first receiver to begin his career in NFL history with 10 straight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards earlier this season, had six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in their first meeting on Oct. 22. Atlanta went on to win that game 16-13 at Raymond James Stadium.
Falcons safety Jessie Bates noted defense's ability to contain Evans was a key part of the gameplan and was pleased with their ability to execute it.
"We had good execution of the gameplan for him," Bates said. "A Hall of Fame-type receiver, so sometimes you have to roll to him. That’s what we did. We did a good job of that.”
Mike Evans (13) being defended by A.J. Terrell (24).
USA Today
While Falcons head coach Arthur Smith praised his defense's efforts in keeping Evans in check, he noted that it came at a price in stopping the run. Bucs running back Rachaad White ran the ball 25 times for 102 yards, and Chase Edmonds had eight carries for 40 yards.
“That was the plan, and that's why you saw some -- probably their run game was working better, and to their credit, they stayed patient with it," Smith said. "They didn't get greedy. Yeah, Mike is a great player. Held him pretty well for the most part. Obviously, they made one more play than we did late.”
Atlanta cornerback Clark Phillips III also noted the importance of stopping Evans, though the result almost made it a moot point. Phillips had three tackles and two passes defended in the loss.
"It was a big thing," Phillips said. "We knew that we needed to take that guy away. He's a great, he's a great player, and he's done some great things over the last 10 years. We've been seeing the stat line, so we definitely knew we needed to neutralize him in order to get the win today. Even though we did that, we didn't get the win. So, we’ve got to go back and start chopping.”
Atlanta, Tampa Bay and the New Orleans Saints are all 6-7, though the Buccaneers hold first place in the NFC because of their conference record. The Falcons play the Saints on Jan. 8 at the Caesars Superdome.
The Falcons will have a chance to make up ground in the NFC South when they face the Carolina Panthers (1-12) at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
