Buccaneers' Evans: Week 1 loss 'not the end of the world'

Week 1 did not go as expected for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Tom Brady's first start with his new team was spoiled by the New Orleans Saints, but wide receiver Mike Evans is not overly worried.

"It's not the end of the world. The outcome wasn't what we wanted, but we're back to work this week," Evans said Thursday, according to The Athletic's Greg Auman.

Evans caught just one of the four targets that came his way, and the Saints' defense managed to intercept one of the passes intended for him. That interception was a hot topic following the loss, and head coach Bruce Arians initially blamed Brady before saying it was Evans' fault.

The wide receiver admitted that he was responsible for the interception after misreading the Saints' coverage.

"The first pick was definitely my fault. We got quarters and I thought it was Cover 2," Evans told reporters, including Buccaneers staff writer Carmen Vitali.

As Tampa Bay prepares to face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Evans' hamstring is in better shape. The wide receiver was listed as doubtful for last Sunday's contest before being upgraded to questionable Saturday.

"I feel a lot better. Nobody ever plays at 100 percent anyway - especially if you're a good receiver, nobody plays always 100 percent. So I'm close enough," Evans said, according to CBS Tampa's Grace Remington.

Copyright (C) 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.