Perhaps the toughest matchup the Arizona Cardinals will face this weekend when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be receiver Mike Evans. He is a physical mismatch at 6-foot-5, 231 pounds. His production is also incredibly high. He has never had fewer than 1,000 receiving yards in a season, averaging more than 1,200 yards. He has averaged 79 receptions per season.

This season, through eight games, he had 50 catches for 842 yards and seven touchdowns. Over the last two weeks, he has 23 catches for 378 yards.

Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is not surprised at all by Evans’ success in the league. He coached him at Texas A&M.

“Mike is a stud,” Kingsbury told reporters Monday. “I’ve known Mike since he was like 18 years old at Texas A&M. I knew he was going to be something special. His work ethic, it’s through the roof.”

He said Evans is “one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever been around, so it doesn’t surprise me what he’s doing.”

Kingsbury called Evans “phenomenal” against the Seattle Seahawks last week.

“He’s a tough matchup for anybody.”

In two career games against the Cardinals, Evans has nine catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

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