Godwin and Gage are beneficiaries of Mike Evans' masterful day The irony was as plain as the powder blue on the North Carolina basketball jersey (Michael Jordan's No. 23, of course) Mike Evans wore to his postgame news conference Sunday. On a day in which the Bucs' premier deep threat delivered a singular performance, the team's receiver ensemble was showcased like never before. "We have one of the most talented receiver rooms in the world," Evans said after the Bucs' division-title-clinching 30-24 triumph against the Panthers. "So, when we're all making plays, it's hard to beat us." Nestled beneath Evans' bloated stat line (10 catches, 207 yards, three touchdowns) was another that would've commanded more attention on a more nondescript day: Chris Godwin had nine Tom Brady passes targeted to him, catching all nine for 120 yards while adding a reception for a two-point conversion. Toss in Russell Gage's unheralded contributions (three catches, 33 yards) and the Bucs' Nos. 2 and 3 receivers on this afternoon combined for 12 receptions on as many targets for 153 yards. Gage's first catch, on third and 4, gained 7 yards. His second, on fourth and 2, gained 5. Such is the byproduct of successful field stretching, not to mention single coverage on Evans, a potential Hall of Famer with nine consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. "When we're able to connect on deep shots, it opens up the rest of the field," Godwin said. "Over the course of the years, I think me and Mike have done a really good job of complementing each other. We both understand what we do well, but we're also very unselfish." While Evans appears a lock for NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, Godwin continued his pursuit of the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. Less than a year after knee surgery, the sixth-year veteran recorded his 13th consecutive game of at least five receptions, most in the NFL this season and second most in team history. He has 98 catches on the year, tying his 2021 total that ranks as the second most for a season in franchise history (and is eight shy of Keyshawn Johnson's 21-year-old team record). Godwin's only glitch Sunday: a fumble after catching a Brady pass over the middle on the Bucs' opening possession. On the Bucs' next offensive play, Brady went to him again for a 21-yard completion. "Man, Chris is a warrior," Gage said. "He goes out here every day, off the field. What people don't see is the rehab, the work he puts in to make sure he's doing his due diligence to make sure his body is good. He's a warrior, man, then he comes out here, he fights, he goes hard." Godwin getting a chance to eclipse Johnson's season receptions record is unlikely. With the division title - and accompanying playoff berth - locked up, coach Todd Bowles is expected to sit most of his front-line players next weekend in the regular-season finale at Atlanta. That includes most of the receiving ensemble, which earned a day off after Sunday's group effort. "They gave (Evans) a little more man coverage, I think; normally, guys kind of roll safeties to him and stuff," Gage said. "You see what happened. … You can't do that with a guy like him. But definitely, it makes things easier knowing you've got a guy like that over there and you're going to get their second-best or third-best (defensive back), for sure." Joey Knight, The Tampa Bay Times, published 2 January 2023