Buffalo’s Evans finally heating up

By Connor Byrne  |   Thursday, November 01, 2007  |  Comments( 53 )

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It took awhile, but it seems as if Buffalo Bills wide receiver Lee Evans has finally broken out of the somnolent state he was in at the start of the 2007 season.

After an 82-catch, 1,292-yard, eight-touchdown campaign in 2006, the belief entering this year was that Evans would either match or surpass his fabulous breakout season. Unfortunately, things rarely go according to plan in the NFL.

The fourth-year pro was ice cold the first three games of the season, catching a meager five passes for a pitiful 29 yards. Since then, however, the 26-year-old has gradually begun to elevate his play, which is a great sign for the hard-charging Bills, winners of three of their last four.

During the past four contests, Evans has hauled in 17 passes from quarterbacks Trent Edwards and J.P. Losman for a terrific 320 yards. His stats on the year include a still-relatively unimpressive 22 total receptions, but he is averaging an outstanding 15.9 yards per grab. Further, the 2004 first-round pick from the University of Wisconsin was responsible for the best play of Buffalo's season last week, an 85-yard catch and run that culminated in a game-clinching touchdown against the New York Jets. (It was also Evans' 200th career reception and his 25th score.)

Losman, filling in for the injured Edwards, dropped back to throw on a first-and-10 play from the Bills' 15-yard line late in the fourth quarter. His pass, which was between two defenders, easily could have been intercepted. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis had the ball in his grasp for a brief moment, but the 5-foot-10, 197-pound Evans ripped it from the rookie defender and jogged to the end zone, putting the Bills up 13-3 in stunning fashion. The catch was a highlight-reel play that officially kayoed Gang Green and earned Buffalo its third win of the year.

That type of big-play ability is what Evans became known for last season. Of course, the signature game of his young career occurred in '06, when he finished with 11 receptions for 265 yards (both career highs) and two 83-yard touchdowns in a 24-21 win over Houston. He also chipped in two other 100-yard performances and four games in the 80s or 90s. On a relatively weak offense, he was the only consistent bright spot over the course of the entire season.

As far as this year is concerned, Buffalo's offense is currently ranked 31st in the league, and its quarterbacks have only recorded a 200-yard outing once (Edwards in Week 4). Losman, who sustained a knee injury in Week 3 and lost his job, will step in for the still-wounded Edwards this Sunday against Cincinnati, whose pass defense is only 28th in the league.

With that in mind, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising if Evans, thanks largely to his own skills, a poor enemy secondary and Losman's big arm, puts forth another 100-yard showing.

If the 3-4 Bills are to have any hope of going on a second-half run and possibly making the playoffs, Evans will have to be an integral part of any hot streak. The good news for Buffalo is that he's finally beginning to heat up. For opposing secondaries, it doesn't get much worse than that.
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CommentsComments: 53  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Cinga		07:38 AM
11/01/2007
And Conner, with the threat of the deep ball apparently back, this should also open some run lanes for Lynch, as some posters...
No.2
Nate		08:52 AM
11/01/2007
Evan's poor start was not all due to the quarterbacking problems nor the play calling problems. As I recall he dropped more than...
No.3
Nate		09:12 AM
11/01/2007
For Cinga and like minded posters, wasn't JP Losman the quarterback of record for the first two games of this season? How many...
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