Mike Evans or Anthony Nelson?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored 20 fourth-quarter points on Sunday in their Week 17 come-from-behind victory over the Carolina Panthers, and it was a game full of eye-popping, momentum-changing plays. The Buccaneers charged into the playoffs with their win, and they did it on the backs of heroes both expected and unexpected.

Tom Brady threw for over 400 yards and a player you’re going to hear about in a momentum was on the receiving end of all three of his touchdown passes. That player was not Chris Godwin, who somehow played second fiddle on offense with nine catches and 120 yards. The offensive line made all of it possible for, as Head Coach Todd Bowles put it, keeping Carolina defenders away from Tom Brady’s feet and allowing him to loft so many perfect deep balls.

Anthony Nelson, Vita Vea and Sean Murphy-Bunting were all responsible for critical takeaways as the Buccaneers’ defense continued to rediscover its turnover magic. Punter Jake Camarda made a play that had to be seen to be believed, and might have averted disaster. There were stars aplenty, but only one can win the fan vote for Game Ball for Week 17.

Each time the Buccaneers win, Brianna Dix and I are tasked with nominating two players for the singular honor of our Game Ball. Those two are then included in a list of four candidates…and then the final decision is up to you. After you review the cases we make for two of those players, you will find a link at the bottom of the page to place your vote.

Since we can’t duplicate votes and getting the first pick could be important (spoiler alert: This week it is), we have been alternating the order of our choices from week to week. It’s Brianna’s turn to go first.

So, who should get this week’s Game Ball? Here are our suggestions.

Brianna Dix: WR Mike Evans

Well, Mike Evans finished the game with season highs in receptions (10) receiving yards (207) and touchdowns (3). His 207 receiving yards were the second-most in a game during his tenure and he now has 1,124 yards on the 2022-23 season – marking his ninth consecutive season with 1,000-plus receiving yards. I think we can all agree that those accolades should be regarded with high esteem. However, I applaud you for trying to play devil’s advocate below, Scott. In a must-win division battle for the title, Evans became the catalyst, exploiting the Panthers’ use of Cover 1 with no safety help downfield. In the Week 17 clash, vintage Evans made an impact between the hash marks.

Evans is the prime…