The final game of the regular season was a microcosm of how the entire year has been for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — an absolute rollercoaster.

Nowhere was that more evident than with veteran wide receiver Mike Evans and his pursuit of tying Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s NFL record of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons — a pursuit that came down to the final seconds of the Buccaneers’ playoff-clinching, 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 18.

Evans’ hopes of tying Rice seemed lost when Tampa Bay rookie running back Bucky Irving scored a touchdown with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter but the Buccaneers’ defense got a quick stop on the Saints’ next possession and got the ball back to the offense with 44 seconds left and Evans 5 yards short of 1,000 yards.

Instead of just taking a knee, the Buccaneers ran one more play and got the ball to Evans on a 9-yard catch and run on a pass from Baker Mayfield to Evans, giving the 2-time NFL All-Pro 1,004 receiving yards on the season — and cashing in a $3 million bonus for Evans.

“#Bucs WR Mike Evans has now started his NFL career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons, extending his own record,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account. “No player in NFL history has had more than 6. Elite.”

Evans breaking the record triggered a wild celebration on the Buccaneers’ sideline and with Evans’ former quarterback Tom Brady doing the color commentary on the game for FOX Sports.

“That’s just gret,” Brady said as the celebration went off. “One of the best things I’ve seen in a really long time.”