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Buccaneers’ Mike Evans officially activated from IR ahead of Falcons clash
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- Buccaneers’ Mike Evans officially activated from IR ahead of Falcons clash
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A banged-up Tampa Bay offense is inching back toward full strength at exactly the moment the NFC South race is tightening. Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan returned to work this week, with Todd Bowles acknowledging that both receivers, along with left tackle Tristan Wirfs , are being ramped up for the short-week showdown against the Atlanta Falcons rather than being rushed recklessly back onto the field.
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According to Adam Schefter, the Buccaneers have now activated wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan from injured reserve, and both are eligible to play Thursday night in Atlanta, turning earlier optimism about their status into a clear green light as long as there are no late setbacks.
Evans' situation has hovered over Tampa's season. The veteran has been limited to four games by a broken collarbone and earlier hamstring trouble, stuck at just 14 catches for 140 yards and one touchdown.
His streak of 1,000-yard campaigns is effectively over, but his impact goes well beyond raw numbers. When he's on the field, coverages tilt, safeties back up and Baker Mayfield finally has a true jump-ball winner to punish single coverage on the outside.
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McMillan is the wild card. The rookie wideout has been working his way back and profiles as the kind of intermediate and slot target who can feast if defenses overcommit to Evans down the field. Even limited snaps from him would diversify a passing game that has leaned heavily on role players in recent weeks.
Up front, any snaps from Wirfs would be massive. The All-Pro's oblique issue forced Graham Barton into emergency duty at left tackle, and while Barton held his own, protecting Mayfield on the road in Atlanta is a very different assignment than grinding through a home date with the Saints.
For a team trying to fend off the Falcons and cling to a playoff spot, having both Evans and McMillan in uniform, even in a limited capacity, could be the difference between controlling the division and chasing it.
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Related: Buccaneers rumors: Mike Evans in line for TNF injury return vs. Falcons
