TAMPA, Fla. -- It isn't just a playoff berth on the line for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week. History is on the line too for wide receiver Mike Evans, who needs 85 receiving yards against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the 11th consecutive season -- which would tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in NFL history.
It's a feat Evans, 31, has talked about since this summer, and even prior to that, and it was threatened by a hamstring injury that forced him to miss three games -- tied for the most missed games in a season in his career.