The Washington Commanders meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in an NFC Wild Card showdown. It’s a rematch from Week 1 when Tampa Bay gave the Commanders one of their five losses on the season.
Much has changed since that Week 1 showdown. A significant change for Washington is the addition of cornerback Marshon Lattimore. While Lattimore has only played two games since the trade due to a hamstring injury, he’ll be in the lineup on Sunday.
That’s significant. Not only will the Commanders have one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks on the field for a playoff game, but he’ll be covering someone he knows all too well. Mike Evans is a future Hall of Famer and remains one of the NFL’s better receivers. But his rivalry with Lattimore is personal. They do not like each other.
When Lattimore played for New Orleans, he faced Evans twice per season. Lattimore held his own against Evans, winning his share of battles to the point the usually cool Evans lost his composure.
Mike Evans Career #’s vs Marshon Lattimore
Regular season – 33 rec, 564 yards, 3 rec TDs
2.75 rec/game, 47 yards/game, .25 rec TDs game (well below career averages)
Playoffs – 1 rec, 3 yards*Evans has been fined $100,000+ and suspended 1 game twice, Lattimore $10,500 https://t.co/JHpbWMoD8g
— Mitchell Tischler (@Mitch_Tischler) January 8, 2025
Evans and Lattimore have fought to the point both have been suspended. They’ve been fined, penalized, ejected and suspended. So, when the Commanders traded for Lattimore in November, many thought this rivalry was over.
Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore have history
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(: @NFL) pic.twitter.com/yJ9gHZGl2V
— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) September 19, 2022
On Friday, Lattimore spoke about facing his old rival.
“It’s just another game, and go out there and help my team,” Lattimore said Friday. “I’m really just trying to lock him down, all the other stuff, it is what it is.”
How much of his rivalry with Evans is about the physical aspect of the game or about the players trying to get in the other’s head?
“I want to be physical with anybody, but it’s just an extra level of it just because of the past and all that. But this is really ain’t about the mental game……you’re going to know I’m out there.”
Evans also spoke and had the right attitude about his meeting against Lattimore.
“I’ve just got to be at my best,” Evans said, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’ve got to give my best, because he’s a really good player. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of really good matchups. If he’s playing, I look forward to the matchup.”
Both players are saying all the right things. Former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman believes their history will impact Sunday’s game at some point. Things may be fine before the game, but that could change in a hurry.
Get your popcorn ready.