Mike Evans reached 1,000 yards with a phenomenal moment in Bucs win over Saints

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just needed to kneel the ball to run out the clock and secure their place in the playoffs as the winners of the NFC South. Instead, they lined up to throw a pass that would secure Mike Evans $3 million and a growing place in NFL history.

Frankly, that play could have ended in catastrophe in the final seconds of an eight-point game. Any New Orleans Saints defender could have jumped the route, picked off the ball and returned it for a touchdown. Baker Mayfield could have been sacked and fumbled. Hell, Evans himself could have fumbled.

The risk was more than worth it. Just watch the reaction of Evans, his teammates and the crowd at Raymond James Stadium after he made the catch and dived for the yards he needed.

Mike Evans now has 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, tying Jerry Rice's record. He's now just three 1,000-yard receiving seasons from matching Rices total of 14. Reaching that yardage total also activated a performance bonus for the veteran wide receiver, netting him a cool $3 million.

It obviously meant a whole lot to Evans and the Buccaneers. He's already a surefire Hall of Famer but he's steadily climbing beyond legendary status.

Best social media reaction to Mike Evans' 1,000-yard season

Evans has been in the league 11 years. He has never finished with fewer than 1,000 yards. He's been that dominant for literally the entirety of his career. He came into Sunday's game 84 yards shy of the mark, largely because he missed three games with injury. He finished with 89 yards on nine catches.

The individual achievement was made all the more sweet by the Buccaneers' team achievement on Sunday. Their win over the Saints secured their fourth-straight division title. They'll be the No. 4 seed at the very least. A loss for the Rams against the Seahawks would move them up to No. 3.