At Mercedes-Benz Stadium in week five, Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans made history among the hashmarks. He racked up five receptions for 62 yards and two touchdowns against a division foe on Thursday night, reaching his career total of 100 touchdowns. His total of 100 touchdowns makes him the 26th player in NFL history to accomplish the feat. Evans tied both Frank Gore and Hall of Famers Franco Harris and Curtis Martin (100) for the 23rd most touchdowns in the league’s annals. He now has 99 career touchdowns, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Hutson for the 11th most receiving touchdowns in NFL history. With his two receiving touchdowns, Evans surpassed Antonio Gates for the seventh-most games with multiple receiving touchdowns in NFL history.

Evans’ first touchdown came in the opening frame. The Falcons scored on their opening possession and Tampa Bay answered with a possession of their own. Evans capped the nine-play, 63-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown pass. From the first goal, running back Bucky Irving got moving, drawing defenders to the left side of the formation. Baker Mayfield dropped back and found Evans wide open in the back of the end zone, slanting in the opposite direction, tying the score at seven.

His second of the day came in the second quarter of second-and-11. Trailing by four, the Falcons safety rolled down, leaving Evans in a favorable one-on-one matchup. Mayfield delivered a dart to Evans on a corner route for a 23-yard touchdown. That 23-yard play is now etched in Bucs history and marks Evans’ 100th career touchdown.

“It’s quite a shock that they left him one-on-one with the collateral they have,” Mayfield said. “But yeah, he did a good job winning with less than ideal leverage on that route. And Mike being Mike, he had a great night.”

A top specialist, Evans is the only receiver in NFL history with more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first ten seasons, surpassing Hall of Famer Randy Moss. He is the Bucs’ franchise receptions leader, franchise receiving yards leader and franchise receiving touchdowns leader. Evans continues to achieve consistency and longevity in the NFL and sets the tone for the offense. The back-shoulder catch enthusiast and future Hall of Famer has a physical presence at the top of routes and is a big target in the red zone. He threatens to score from anywhere on the field and is adept at picking up yards after the catch and making contested grabs look effortless with excellent body control. With his rare jumping ability, it is routine to see Evans working over the top of the turns while grabbing highlights on the sidelines. Evans sparked the Bucs’ offense against the Falcons, building momentum in the first half.