Wide receiver Mike Evans built a reputation for clutch catches and consistent production over 12 years with the Buccaneers and he didn’t leave any of those skills behind when he moved on to the 49ers as a free agent this offseason.
Evans has quickly become the player Brock Purdy looks to in big spots and Sunday’s game against the Seahawks showed just how important he is to the team’s offensive plans. Evans opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown in the first quarter and he set up that score with a 13-yard grab to convert a third down on the previous play.
Evans then had four catches for 75 yards on a go-ahead touchdown drive bridging the third and fourth quarters, which made it no surprise that Purdy looked his way for a two-point conversion that accounted for the final points in a 29-26 victory. Evans did all this while playing through a rib injury and his effort left linebacker Fred Warner grasping for superlatives after the game was over.
“Just a walking aura,” Warner said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “I mean, I can’t help it. Like, I’m on the sideline watching, dude, crazy stuff. I’m like, ‘We have Mike Evans.’ Like, I can’t believe it. He’s unreal. He really doesn’t say anything. He just shows up every week and just works and then goes out there on Sunday and just dominates you. So, it’s unbelievable. He’s great.”
Evans now has 24 catches for 326 yards and three touchdowns over the 49ers’ 5-0 start and the move to bring him to the team is shaping up to be a major feather in the cap of General Manager John Lynch.