There is still optimism regarding the availability of Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans for the team's Wild Card round matchup against the Washington Football Team. He previously suffered a hyper-extended knee but has looked good all week long which now puts him as a game-time decision on Saturday, per NFL Network‘s James Palmer.

Evans recently made history in their Week 17 tilt against the Atlanta Falcons where he became the first player in league history to begin a career with seven-straight 1,000-yard seasons. He was injured one play after he notched the record-breaking reception and was eventually carted off the field in the first quarter of the game.

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Despite losing Evans, the Buccaneers still imposed their dominance against the struggling Falcons all throughout the game led by quarterback Tom Brady's four passing touchdowns. Tampa Bay ultimately emerged with a 44-27 victory and ended their regular-season campaign on an 11-5 record.

Nonetheless, the Buccaneers are still loaded with many weapons in the event that Evans won't get to return to the field against Washington. According to Palmer, veteran wide receiver Antonio Brown is expected to step into a bigger role on offense, given his impressive performances in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, wideout Chris Godwin, running back Ronald Jones, and tight end Rob Gronkowski are all looking to lead the offensive attack and deal damage for the team in the must-win tilt. With or without Evans, the Buccaneers will still certainly come out with an eagerness to compete against Washington to open their playoff run with a commanding victory.