The 49ers signed Mike Evans this offseason because they thought he could be a difference-maker. At 5-0 with wins “on the road” against the Rams and Seahawks where Evans has played a pivotal role, it’s hard to argue that they were wrong.
On Sunday in Seattle, he had his biggest game as a Niner, hauling in 7 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Every reception he made seemed to be a big one. His first catch came on a 3rd down on the 49ers’ first scoring drive. His second catch was a touchdown. He also had 4 receptions on San Fran’s go-ahead touchdown drive in the 4th quarter.
But you saw a little of everything in this game when it comes to how he can impact the offense and quarterback Brock Purdy.
Evans was able to be a security blanket for his quarterback late in the play, as you can see on this 3rd-and-7. Watch him snag this pass along the sidelines for the first down:
He can play that role over the middle of the field as well.
This was a 3rd-and-10 in the 4th quarter. Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe was trying to keep himself between Evans and Purdy and playing to his safety help over the top:
But because of Evans’ size, he was able to play above the defense to haul in the pass for a big first down:
His biggest contribution to this passing game, though, is what he can do in 1-on-1 situations. He’s such an advantage for a quarterback because the rule is basically anytime he’s in a 1-on-1, he’s considered open because of his size and physicality:
That plays a huge role on 3rd down and in the red zone:
Arguably his biggest play of the game was a 4th-quarter 28-yard reception on a 2nd-and-21. This was a perfect illustration of the fundamental problem that Evans being a part of this 49ers offense presents for a defense.
Do you dedicate extra defenders to Shanahan’s front-side route combinations, which are often outstanding, or to Mike Evans?
On this play, the Niners were in a 3x1 set with a bunch to the left and Evans to the backside: