Badgers in the NFL Update
November 22, 2006 | Football
Below is UWBADGERS.COM's weekly look at how some former Badgers fared in their NFL games. For a complete list of former UW players in the NFL, please click the "Badgers in the NFL" link on the right-hand side of the main football page.
Evans has Record Day
Already experiencing his best season to date, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Lee Evans took it to another level Sunday in a 24-21 road victory over Houston.
In the first quarter alone, he had 205 yards receiving, the most in a single quarter in the NFL since Baltimore's Qadry Ismail had 210 receiving yards against Pittsburgh on Dec. 12, 1999. Twice in the opening quarter, he beat the Texans' secondary deep for nearly identical 83-yard touchdown receptions down the left sideline. With the two receptions, Evans became only the third player in NFL history to have two touchdown catches of 80 yards or more in one game, joining San Francisco's John Taylor (96 and 92 against the Los Angeles Rams in 1989) and St. Louis' Torry Holt (85 and 80 against the Atlanta Falcons in 2000).
Evans credited the big plays to the Texans' style of pass coverage.
"We knew that they took chances with one-high, bump, man coverage," Evans told the Buffalo News. "So it was imperative for us as receivers to beat man coverage and make big plays down the field."
Evans went on to tally 60 yards over the final three quarters, giving him 11 catches for 265 yards (both career highs). Evans' total was the 11th-most receiving yards in a game in NFL history and the most since Terrell Owens put up 283 yards with San Francisco against the Bears on Dec. 17, 2000.
'It's special," Evans said. "It's hard to put it into words, but it's truly special. I'm honored to be in those ranks. It's good to celebrate in a win with my teammates."
For the season, Evans has caught a career-high 55 passes and his 822 yards receiving are seventh-best in the league and only 21 yards shy of his personal best mark he set during his rookie year with the Bills in 2004.
Weekly Roundup
Miami wide receiver Chris Chambers had six catches for 44 yards in a 24-20 win Minnesota ' San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Williams had two kick returns for 52 yards and two punt returns for eight yards in a 20-14 victory over Seattle ' Jacksonville linebacker Nick Greisen had two tackles in the Jaguars' 26-10 win over the New York Giants ' Greisen's teammate, cornerback Scott Starks, forced a fumble and had three tackles in that game' Bills' safety Jim Leonhard had a tackle in Buffalo's victory over Houston ' Detroit linebacker Alex Lewis had two tackles in the Lions' 17-10 loss to Arizona' Lewis' teammate, cornerback Jamar Fletcher, also had two tackles in the loss.
