Mike Evans had one reception Sunday and it came on a play starting at 2:46 of the fourth quarter. According to @NextGenStats, Marshon Lattimore lined up against Evans a team-high 29 times, and limited him to 0 receptions on two targets as the nearest defender.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) September 14, 2020
It’s refreshing when divisional rivals have real beef with each other. So many NFL players are professionals, treating games as business trips and remaining emotionally detached.
That’s not the case for Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore. Evans, the leading receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has a serious dislike for Lattimore. The New Orleans Saints cornerback has gotten the better of Evans often in their rivalry, and he did it again on Sunday. The pair were often seen pushing and shoving after the whistle, with Evans at one point striking Lattimore’s helmet from his head (officials ruled it a retaliatory move, and fouled Lattimore for starting it. Figures).
Evans being frustrated makes sense. NFL.com’s Next Gen Stats charted 29 matchups between Evans and Lattimore in Week 1, and Evans only drew two targets from Tom Brady in those situations — catching neither of them. Evans caught just one pass with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, and he did it while working through the Saints zone coverage without Lattimore nearby.
So chalk this game up as another win for Lattimore. He’s blanked Evans out in the past, though Evans would rather those losses be attributed to a team effort from the Saints. We should expect more fireworks when they pair up again at Tampa Bay on Nov. 8.
