Marshon Lattimore gets dominated by Mike Evans in first half of Wild Card Game: Best memes, tweets

After four rather lopsided games to open the NFL Playoffs, fans have been treated to an electric back-and-forth affair between the Washington Commanders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. Both Baker Mayfield and Jayden Daniels look ready for the moment. This is what postseason football is all about.

The score was tied 10-10 at halftime. The star of the first half for Tampa was, naturally, Mike Evans, the veteran wideout with several postseason gems on his resume — not to mention a Super Bowl ring. He reeled in five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Washington can't seem to slow the 31-year-old down. Evans has been one of the most dominant wideouts in football for a decade now. He has 11 straight 1,000-yard campaigns under his belt. His excellence should not surprise folks.

The Commanders were hoping to negate Evans' talent with Marshon Lattimore, a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback. Lattimore, a former New Orleans Saints standout, has a rather long history with Evans. They don't like each other, and Lattimore has not been shy about wanting to shut off Evans' water.

When asked pregame if there might be a dust-up with Evans during the game, Lattimore gave a comically Rocky-inspired quote.

"If it comes, it comes."

Well, obviously, things have not gone Lattimore's way. Evans is feasting, including the physical TD pass shown above and a pass interference drawn in the end zone.

Tampa Bay fans relish Mike Evans' demolition of Marshon Lattimore in first half of Bucs-Commanders

Evans and Lattimore have squared off more than any active WR-CB opponents in the NFL. There is a rich history with his personal rivalry. Lattimore has historically fared well against Evans, but coming off a hamstring injury, the veteran stopper looks a step slow on the postseason stage. It has been all Evans in this game.

Bucs fans are relishing their superstar's dominance.

There's more where that came from. The memes are plentiful. The jokes are percolating.

If Evans and the Bucs emerge victorious, Lattimore might not hear the end of it for a while. Maybe ever. These are the performances that can define a career. And, after so many slugfests over the years, Lattimore getting cooked so thoroughly is a real personal low point.

The Commanders are nonetheless putting up an incredible fight. This Bucs offense has been on a heater of late, and Lattimore deserves some grace (even if he won't get it) coming off a multi-week absence and a hamstring injury. Hammies are always tricky. That said, excuses carry little weight this time of year. If Washington falls short, expect Lattimore to shoulder a healthy portion of the blame.