Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. has a unique opportunity ahead of him this weekend. Although he has called plays at other points in his career, Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the first time he'll be leading the show in a game that counts with a defensive scheme that he put together.
He also has the rare challenge of preparing for one of the most consistent receivers in the last decade.
From the time Mike Evans was drafted by the Buccaneers with the No. 7 overall pick in 2014, all the five-time Pro Bowler has done is churn out 1,000-yard seasons. He's hit the mark in each of his 10 seasons with his 2023 campaign, during which he recorded 1,255 yards and led the league with 13 receiving touchdowns, being the third-most successful of his career.
Despite turning 31 this offseason, Evans remains one of the NFL's best wideouts and doesn't appear to be slowing up. He'll be a problem that Whitt, and Washington's cornerbacks, will need to solve.
"He's a dog, man," Whitt said of Evans. "It's been fun to compete against him as a coach over the years."
Describing Evans as a "dog" doesn't quite do justice to how productive he's been over the years. He has 36 games of 100-plus yards, including a career-high of 209 yards he had against Washington in 2014. He's received a positive grade from Pro Football Focus in every year of his career and had just 66 drops on 1,321 career targets.
Evans holds the NFL record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, but even that doesn't cover Evans' impact in 2023. He had the second most touchdowns of at least 20 yards (7) and tied for the fifth most yards after the catch on explosive plays among receivers (100). He also had the best drop grade (81.7) for his position on explosive plays, beating out the likes of Justin Jefferson, Nico Collins and Amari Cooper.
That does present some obstacles for the Commanders' cornerbacks, who contributed to a secondary that allowed the most explosive passing plays in the league last season. Washington's defense, which struggled as a unit in 2023, ranked last in passing yards allowed (262.2)
The secondary, particularly the cornerback position, was one of general manager Adam Peters' biggest priorities during the offseason. On top of drafted Michigan corner Mike Sainristil in the second round, the Commanders also signed veterans Michael Davis and Noah Igbinoghene to work with draft picks Benjamin St-Juste and Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
The group is ready for anything Evans throws at them.
"He's gonna be physical at the point of contact," Forbes said. "You just gotta play through the hands and play through him ... We just gotta do our job and play physical with him."
Evans is 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, but Igbinoghene said there's more to what makes him successful. His catch radius and hands help him make contested catches downfield, which has allowed him to stay consistent and reliable throughout his career.
Igbinoghene also agrees with Whitt's assessment that Evans is a dog.
"Just the intensity that he plays with," Igbinoghene said. "A lot of guys don't have that intensity every single play. He's been able to do that for a long time. He's bigger than most corners and bigger than most receivers. Guys have to struggle with that."
Whitt wants his players to keep in mind that Evans is going to be a vertical threat and be prepared for shots downfield from Baker Mayfield. Of course, Whitt didn't reveal anything about the Commanders' plans for defending Evans, but he sounded confident in what they have in store for him.
"Everybody's in the NFL; everybody belongs," Whitt said. "If I was a corner, I would want to go against a guy like that, because now it shows I am this type of guy that I say I am. Don't shy away from competition, and he's one of the best receivers in the league and he's done it for a long time.
"I got a ton of respect for him, but we got good players, too, and we're gonna go out there and do what we do," Whitt added. "We're gonna do it at a high level."
And the players are fired up for what they'll see from Evans.
"If you just put hands on him, play consistent, play your technique," Igbinoghene said, "it should be fun."
