The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will potentially get an important part of the offense back. Mike Evans has started practicing again after an absence lasting several weeks.
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Evans injured his hamstring during a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. This is the same game in which fellow wideout Chris Godwin dislocated his ankle. Godwin will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery, but Evans had circled Week 12 as an opportunity to return to the field.
The veteran receiver took the first step toward achieving this goal as he returned to practice on Wednesday. Whether he plays on Sunday will determine how he progresses through the week.
"Again, I'll have to see where he is next week," head coach Todd Bowles said ahead of the Bye week. "He's getting better and better. With the week off, hopefully, he'll be able to do something next week."
The Buccaneers need Evans back. He has been an incredibly consistent weapon for the offense throughout his career. He has topped 1,000 receiving yards in 10 straight seasons, and he needs just under 700 to make it 11 straight seasons. Evans has also scored 100 receiving touchdowns.
The Buccaneers are 4-6 coming out of the Bye week, but this is not an insurmountable hurdle. The team is second in the woeful NFC South and only two games behind the Atlanta Falcons (6-5). The Falcons are on Bye this week, which presents an opportunity for the Buccaneers to gain ground.
The next opponent for Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and co. is the New York Giants. This is a team that fell to 2-8 with a loss to the Panthers in Germany. The Giants also benched quarterback Daniel Jones in favor of Tommy DeVito.
The rest of the regular-season schedule favors the Buccaneers. After the Giants are the Panthers, Raiders, Chargers, Cowboys, Panthers, and Saints. The Chargers are the only team in this group with a winning record.
