TAMPA — If the Bucs could paint the dream scenario Sunday, Mike Evans would surpass 1,000 receiving yards for an 11th straight season to tie Jerry Rice for the longest such streak in NFL history.
He would do it by catching Baker Mayfield’s franchise-record 44th touchdown pass of the season to top Tom Brady, who is calling the game against the Saints for Fox.
The Seahawks would beat the Rams, who are resting most of their starters, giving Tampa Bay the NFC’s No. 3 seed in the playoffs.
Head coach Todd Bowles, after the Bucs win their fourth straight NFC South title and third under his direction, would be met at the locker room door by the Glazer family with a contract extension.
Liam Coen would follow the example of Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson by announcing plans to forgo any NFL head coaching opportunities until he wins a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay because the window is open for 2025 as well.
And linebacker Lavonte David would defeat Father Time and continue to build his Pro Football Hall of Fame-worthy resume for another game or another season.
In other words, a lot is at stake in the Bucs’ regular-season finale. Let’s take a closer look at what’s riding on the outcome.
Evans and his exclusive club
Eighty-five receiving yards. That’s what Evans needs to join Rice as the only players in NFL history to have 11 straight seasons of 1,000 or more.
A few months ago, when Evans missed three games with a hamstring injury, it didn’t seem possible as he sat with 335 yards and just seven games to play. But here we are..
Everybody — Bucs players, coaches, fans — seems to want to see Evans claim a share of NFL history on his way to Canton, Ohio. The four-time nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is a community hero with his giving through the Mike Evans Family Foundation.
When he touches the football early and often, the Bucs win. Coen says he will be keeping close track of what Evans needs to extend the streak.
“Obviously, we’re all aware,” Coen said. “The team wants it just because of the human being. … You want what’s best for him, obviously, with the team-first mentality, which, that’s who he is, so it doesn’t matter. The guys all want it for him anyway.”
Why does the record mean so much to Evans’ teammates?
“I think because he deserves it,” tackle Tristan Wirfs said. “He’s been here for so long, done everything the right way, the type of person, the type of player, the type of teammate Mike is. Why wouldn’t you want him to get something that’s — has anyone done it? Just Jerry Rice? … Yeah, that’s awesome. That’s really cool. I hope he does. We’re going to do everything we can.”
Evans has a financial stake as well. He needs five receptions and 85 yards to trigger a $3 million bonus.
Will it be the No. 3 or No. 4 seed?
Let’s assume the Bucs win Sunday. If the Seahawks beat the Rams, Tampa Bay would receive the No. 3 seed, and the No. 6 seed would head to Raymond James Stadium for a wild-card game.
In that scenario, the Bucs would face the Commanders or the Packers. If Washington wins at Dallas, it would play at Tampa Bay. If the Commanders lose and the Packers beat the Bears, Green Bay would visit the Bucs.
However, a Rams win over the Seahawks would drop the Bucs to the No. 4 seed. That means they’d face the loser of the Lions-Vikings game in a wild-card game in Tampa.
Bowles’ future
We have to go there. Regardless of what the Bucs do in the playoffs, it would be hard to fire a head coach if he wins 10 games and three straight division titles for the first time in club history. Some will move the goal post and say he has to win a playoff game, maybe two, to show real progress. We’ll see.
Yes, the defense struggled. But Bowles has the second-youngest team with no experienced depth and lost significant players to injuries for long periods, such as Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Whitehead, Calijah Kancey, Yaya Diaby, SirVocea Dennis, Tykee Smith, Christian Izien and Jamel Dean. Yet since the Week 11 bye, they have allowed only 16.6 points per game as the Bucs have gone 5-1.
On the other hand, the Glazers fired Tony Dungy after he made the playoffs four times in six years, and he’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But they hired Jon Gruden, and he won Super Bowl 37.
It’s possible Bowles’ future is linked to whether Coen is close to accepting a head coaching job. The Bucs may prefer Coen, not wanting to let a future Sean McVay go.
Coen’s future
Bowles is on a hot streak when it comes to hiring offensive coordinators. Dave Canales is the Panthers head coach after only one season as the Bucs play-caller. Nobody was banging down the door or really knew Coen that well until Tampa Bay lured him from Kentucky.
He’s only 39 years old and can be picky. A year from now, maybe his hometown team, the Patriots, come calling?
You’d hate to lose him, but you’d think good offensive coordinators would be banging down the door at One Buc Place after the team sent its last two to NFL head coaching jobs. Keep an eye out for Seahawks pass game coordinator Jake Peetz, who interviewed for the job Coen got last year. He worked with Coen and McVay with the Rams.
