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Bucs receivers come out ‘smoking’ hot against Titans

Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson put on a show with power and speed that helped the offense win the day for the Bucs
 
Published Aug. 15, 2018|Updated Aug. 15, 2018

NASHVILLE — DeSean Jackson turned Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler around and hauled in a deep pass from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick during one-on-one drills. Mike Evans leaped over Logan Ryan, plucking the ball with two hands off the top of the cornerback's helmet in the classic Randy Moss style during the 11-on-11 period.

And so it went for the Bucs receivers in Wednesday's joint practice with the Titans. If one group won the day decisively, it was Tampa Bay's pass catchers.

"They were sharp. They were sharp,'' coach Dirk Koetter said. "It started right off the bat in one-on-ones. They came out smoking. Just the naked eye, I thought Mike had a really good day. DeSean didn't get as many opportunities, but when he did, he looked good. That should be no surprise. Those guys are good players.

"When it's one-on-one, the offense should win. There's no pass rush. That's an offensive drill. It evens out when you get into 11-on-11. They've got good corners, we have good receivers. It's fun to watch those guys compete.''

Titans coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged the Bucs pretty much had their way against the Titans defensive backs Wednesday, especially in the case of Evans and Jackson.

"He's a big, talented receiver,'' Vrabel said of Evans. "He's very gifted and has had a lot of success in this league. You look at their receivers, they've got the skill type, maybe smaller, quicker, faster. And they've got bigger guys that are able to play physical with you but smart enough to know how they use their body and their hands can kind of force you to kind of grab and react to them.

"We have to do a good job against them.  That's why, again, it's good to practice against different players and teams with different skill sets. We're going to play against bigger receivers in this league, and we have to know how to cover them.''