TAMPA — It's the first week of the regular season, and as the Bucs on Monday began preparations to play the Saints, Mike Evans was bracing for a lopsided, laugh-track loss.
The Pro Bowl receiver is among the most competitive players in the NFL, but there was such an inevitability of defeat that it was shocking to hear the resignation in his voice.
"He's going to beat me down, man," Evans said.
Evans is wrong. It's even worse than he imagined. He was crushed 43-0.
Of course the game was Madden NFL and the opponent was pro gamer Shay "Young Kiv," Kivlen.