To our readers: Mike Evans' 2016 NFL Catch of the Year and the big Bucs' offseason catches — DeSean Jackson, O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin — inspired us to mark the start of the 2017 season with a series of stories celebrating "The Catch." We hope you enjoy them.
Mike Evans' one-handed grab against the Falcons was the catch of the year. His 39-yard reception against the Bears after Jameis Winston's 12-second scramble might have been the miracle of the year.
As impressive as those plays were, neither signaled the arrival of the Buccaneers as a legitimate playoff contender quite like Evans' touchdown catch against Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman in late November.