Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jameis Winston will have a full array of weapons at his disposal Sunday with wide receiver Mike Evans ready to play against the New Orleans Saints, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Evans suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2 of the preseason and missed the first week of the regular season.
Bucs WR Mike Evans will play Sunday vs. Saints
The dynamic deep threat has been cleared to take the field after missing Week 1 with a hamstring injury.
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While Bucs head coach Lovie Smith said after Friday’s practice that Evans “looked good” in his return to the practice field last week, he was scratched as a game-time decision. After limited practices all week, Evans was listed as questionable on Friday, but is now reportedly ready to play.
Having the 6’5 Evans active should be a boon for Winston, who struggled at times during the preseason and had a rough start to his career in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. The No. 1 pick finished 16-of-33 passing for 210 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 42-14 loss. Evans caught 68 passes for 1,051 yards in his rookie campaign last season.
The Saints had the second-worst defense in the NFL in 2014, and those struggles appear to have carried over into the 2015 season. The Arizona Cardinals accumulated 427 yards of total offense, including 307 yards through the air against the Saints defense in Week 1.
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