Mike Evans had some thoughts on what led to his brawl with Marshon Lattimore following the Bucs 20-10 win over the Saints in Week 2.
It took less than three quarters for the annual Mike Evans-Marshon Lattimore brawl to take place.
With the Bucs and Saints tied in a proverbial slugfest, Evans and Lattimore got into a literal fight that ended with both of them being ejected from the game. After that, the Bucs were injected with new life that was largely aided by the best defensive player for the Saints no longer being on the field to cause Tom Brady problems.
But if Evans and Lattimore fighting seems like something that has happened before it’s because it has. Going all the way back to 2017, the two have rarely missed an opportunity to get into it with each other whenever the Bucs and Saints meet up.
If you missed it, Evans took Lattimore out with a cheap shot following a scuffle involving Lattimore and Leonard Fournette.
https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/1571580335074189312
For what it’s worth Lattimore was trying to instigate something, first with Tom Brady and then with Fournette who seemed to come over and defend Brady’s honor. After the scuffle was seemingly over, Evans sprinted back onto the field and rocked Lattimore, thus starting another brawl.
Evans spoke about the incident after the game, and his comments won’t do much to quell any hurt feelings for the next time the Saints and Bucs meet.
“We’re in New Orleans. It gets spicy sometimes,” Evans explained. “Got a little heated in the scuffle. I’m glad nobody got hurt and glad our team responded after it.”
In talking about what caused the brawl, Evans seems to place the blame squarely at the feet of Lattimore and skirted any sort of responsibility for his role. Rather, Evans justified his decision to start the brawl by saying he was defending his teammate after being attacked by Lattimore.
“Today, he was just too emotional. You don’t throw punches at guys on the field. He threw a punch at [Leonard Fournette], and I can’t let that happen to my teammates. So I shoved him,” Evans said. “Turned into a brawl.”
The Bucs and Saints don’t meet again until December 5th, which will be a primetime affair on Sunday Night Football. For what it’s worth, before the Lattimore ejection the Bucs had only scored 3 points in the last six quarters against the Saints which includes a 9-0 shutout loss the last time the two teams met on Sunday Night in 2021.