Todd Bowles: You Don’t Replace Mike Evans And Chris Godwin
October 11th, 2025
Will be missed tomorrow.
Last year the Bucs passing game went into the toilet without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin not in the lineup. So it is not surprising the Bucs were 0-3 with both of their star receivers in street clothes.
One of those teams the Bucs lost to last year without their one-two punch at receiver was the 49ers. San Francisco kicked a field goal as time ran out to win.
Without Evans and Godwin against San Francisco, then-Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen went small-ball. It wasn’t like his offense was Don Coryell to begin with. But without Evans and Godwin against the 49ers, Coen really dialed the playbook back.
The Bucs’ leading receivers that day were running backs Rachaad White (6 catches for 39 yards and a touchdown) and Bucky Irving (3 catches for 14 yards). Unfortunately, Irving is unavailable tomorrow as well.
So for non-running backs, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield targeted tight end Cade Otton 8 times for 5 catches and 35 yards.
The receiver who had the most catches that day was Rakim Jarrett, who is no longer with the team. He had two catches for 10 yards.
So basically, the forward pass became little more than a forward pitch to running backs. Talk about taking the air out of the ball.
“I do not think you can ever fill a void [left] by Mike and Chris,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said yesterday.
So what will the Bucs do? Bowles said they actually do have other receivers on the team. Time for them to produce and time for the Bucs to find out how to best use them.
“Other guys have things they do well to make this team,” Bowles said. “We [have] to make sure when they are out there that we really try to enhance those abilities that we know what they can do and call the right plays from that aspect of it.”
Unlike last year, this fall the Bucs have a rookie who is tearing up the league, Emeka Egbuka.
But yeah, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht pulled a Matt Millen stunt by drafting a wide receiver at No. 19.
Right.