In the world of comic books, Superman’s one weakness proves to be the tiny, fractured remains of his destroyed home planet, Krypton, which come in the form of glowing, green rocks known as Kryptonite.
In the comics, Kryptonite is pretty hard to find — kind of like 4-time Pro Bowl Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore has been since the team traded for him on November 5 and he’s battled hamstring injuries.
Like Kryptonite, though, if Lattimore is finally put into use it can be a potent deterrent against a powerful foe — in this case not the alien known as Kal-El on Krypton and Clark Kent/Superman on Earth, but NFL All-Pro Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.
Headed into Sunday’s NFC Wild Card Playoff Game between the Commanders and Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, it will be Lattimore who will be counted on to face off against his longtime nemesis.
Lattimore was a full participant in practice for the Commanders in Thursday’s practice after missing the final 2 games of the regular season. Lattimore has missed 6 of a possible 8 games for the Commanders since being obtained from the Saints in exchange for 3 draft picks at the NFL trade deadline.
“The Commanders could use Lattimore against the Bucs, as he has been Mike Evans’ Kryptonite,” Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams wrote on January 9. :In 12 meetings since 2017, including one in the postseason, Evans has 16 receptions for 309 yards and three touchdowns on 30 targets while facing Lattimore.”
For terminally online football fans, the week leading up to the Buccaneers-Commanders playoff game has been a walk down memory lane for the Evans-Lattimore rivalry, and a meme-filled extravaganza. Mostly it’s been clips of especially violent moments between 2 individuals in pop culture, professional wrestling or MMA with tags like “Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore after every play.”
Lattimore Might Return at Crucial Moment
If Lattimore can return from an injury that’s kept him out for the last 2 games and make an impact in the postseason, all will likely be forgiven.
The first signs he would be available came when Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced Lattimore would be a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.
“Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said on Wednesday that cornerback Marshon Lattimore has been ‘hitting all the markers’ in his attempt to return to action after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury and that continued to be the case at Wednesday’s practice,” Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper wrote on January 8. “Lattimore was listed as a full participant in the team’s first session ahead of Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. The practice was described as a jog-through and Thursday’s workout will be full speed, so it may be more telling about Lattimore’s ultimate outlook for the weekend.”
Buccaneers Have More Than One Option at WR
While most of the attention has been on Evans as he tied Jerry Rice’s NFL record with his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season in 2024, another potent receiver threat has emerged for the Buccaneers over the last month-plus.
Rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan enters the postseason as hot as any wide receiver in the league after he scored a touchdown in 5 consecutive games to end the regular season. While McMillan finished his rookie year with 37 receptions for 461 yards and 8 touchdowns, he had 24 receptions for 316 yards and 7 touchdowns over those final 5 games.
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