Mike Evans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ top receiver, is questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore said Evans is “near the top of the league” when it comes to players at his position and that Evans is a tough cover.
But the fourth-year Saint is less concerned about who he has to cover Sunday, but rather how he'll cover them, as Lattimore aims to treat every receiver he plays this season as elite.
Lattimore said that in the past he's lost focus when he isn't covering the NFL's best.
"That's not a good mentality to have," he said. "That's what I've had in the past. But no more."
Lattimore specifically recalled the Saints 2019 Thanksgiving day matchup where he says he lost focus when he found out Atlanta Falcons star receiver Julio Jones would not be playing.
"I go against a hard receiver like Julio," Lattimore said. "I go against him and then I have to go against receiver not so good, I lose focus."
Lattimore said he spent much of this offseason working on changing that mentality.
"I have to go in and lock in every play, no matter what, who I'm playing," Lattimore said. "That was really just my downfall, it wasn't the lack of talent or anything like that. It was just the focus on the receiver, like, because I go against number ones all day, and then when I get easier receivers... I feel like it's going to be a cakewalk and I got to go out there and play like I'm playing against Julio."
Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen liked what he saw from Lattimore throughout training camp.
“I thought the way that he went out and worked every day, the way he competed every day (was great)," Allen said. "My thought is camp was outstanding and that's what's going to allow him to play to the level that he's capable of playing at on a more consistent basis.
"And so I feel like we've had a really good corner in him for the last three years, and I feel like that's still there. There's still a lot of improvement that he can make and certainly I think he understands that and has really worked towards that throughout the offseason.”
Lattimore said that when he takes the field Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at 3:25 p.m., his goal will be to win "by any means necessary."
"I'm a big time corner, so for me and everybody in the room, we just know we got to go out there and battle no matter what so you just got to win," he said. "That's all that's on my mind."
