TAMPA, Florida — The sight of Mike Evans stretched out on the ground in the back of the end zone, then limping off with a hamstring injury was bad enough. When Tampa Bay’s other top receiver, Chris Godwin, went down in the closing minute of a 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, an already frustrating night got more disappointing for the Buccaneers.
“Got a heavy heart right now,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “It’s never something you want to see happen to any of your guys.”
Evans left the game early after earlier catching a 25-yard TD pass from Mayfield to become the 11th player in NFL history with at least 100 touchdown receptions in a career. He also joined Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens as the only players to reach 100 in their first 11 seasons.
Godwin injured his left ankle late in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach, leaving coach Todd Bowles to explain why Godwin — off to the best start of his career — was still on the field.
Especially with Evans already hobbled with what the Bowles described last week as a nagging injury.
“He’s a player. We’re trying to win the ballgame. We were still down 10, we’re trying to get extra points and kick another onside kick,” Bowles said. “It just happened. With Mike (Evans) going down, we didn’t have that many receivers left as it was, so we play what we got.”
Evans, who missed two days of practice last week, appeared to aggravate the injury on the scoring reception. Mayfield nearly connected with him in the end zone again in the second quarter, but this time the ball glanced off Evans’ hands as he and Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens went to the ground.
Evans remained on the ground for several minutes before being helped to his feet and limping to the locker room.
Mayfield said he can’t remember ever being part of a team that lost two players in the same game who mean as much as Godwin and Evans do to the Bucs.
“Definitely not two of the guys that are the huge heartbeat of this team,” the quarterback said.
“But like I said, we have to find a way... We’re going to be playing for first place in the division next week at home against Atlanta,” Mayfield added. “Got to have guys step up. That’s just the way it is. There’s no other way around it.”