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Arians on Evans, Godwin: Just keep throwing to them

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers deploy the most productive receiver duo currently running in the NFL.

Mike Evans is the Pro Bowl No. 1 target that causes defensive coaches to lose sleep. Chris Godwin is the rising stud, who makes plays every time his number is called.

The duo has been ripping apart defenses through four games in 2019.

Roll coverage to attempt to eliminate Evans, and Godwin will rip your heart out with chunk gains over the middle and leave secondary defensive backs in his dust. Adjust and leave Evans one-on-one, he toasts you like French bread.

As the season begins its second quadrant, coach Bruce Arians has a message for QB Jameis Winston: Keep feeding the horses.

"They can do so many different things,'' Arians said, via the Tampa Bay Times. "They're not always sitting in one spot. They're both good blockers so they can get through play action because they block. They have great hands and they're good receivers. Just keep throwing the damn ball to them."

Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich move the duo around the formation to create mismatches, and Winston has found his top targets time and time again early this season.

Through four tilts, Godwin leads the Bucs with 28 catches for 386 yards -- third-most in the NFL -- and four TDs (tied for most). Evans has 18 receptions for 368 yards -- sixth-most -- and also four TDs. They are the only two players in the entire NFL with 350-plus receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Evans and Godwin have been the top WR duo through four weeks, and it hasn't been particularly close. The next closest tandem is Cleveland Browns stars Jarvis Landry (18/328/0) and Odell Beckham (21/308/1).

The start of the season isn't exactly an outlier though. Since the start of 2018, Evans and Godwin have combined for 3,120 receiving yards, the most by a teammate WR duo over that span, beating out Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu (3,071), per NFL Research.

"It's early in the season,'' Evans said. "I've said it at the beginning of the year and I'm going to stick with it. I wouldn't trade our receiving room for any in the league. The production is there and it shows. Not every receiver is going to get the ball a lot. We do a really good job of feeding off each other and Jameis has been playing great this year.''

Godwin's production was blocked at times last season by DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries. With those receivers gone, Godwin's potentially has been fully unlocked, as Arians predicted this offseason, and the duo has exploded.

With the Bucs facing a New Orleans Saints defense that shut down the Dallas Cowboys last week, Tampa will need another sterling performance from its wideouts once again. If New Orleans deploys Marshon Lattimore to slow Evans, it could mean another week of a massive target-share for Godwin coming Sunday.

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