Mike Evans injury: Hamstring strain takes Buccaneers receiver out of the game

Update: After the game, Lovie Smith said that Evans' injury "wasn't that serious." In Lovie-speak, that could mean anything from "good to go tomorrow" to "out for a month", though.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to finish the game against the Cincinnati Bengals without Mike Evans, as he suffered a hamstring strain in the first quarter of Monday Night Football, leaving the game without a catch. The fact that he's already been ruled out for the rest of the game is not a good sign, and he may be out for quite some time.

Even if the hamstring strain isn't overly serious, those injuries tend to linger and he'll be unlikely to suit up for the rest of the preseason. We'll have to wait and see whether he's available for the start of the season and if he is, whether he can go at full speed.

Losing Evans would be a pretty big blow to the Bucs. They don't have a quality replacement for their top receiver -- but then, who does? Louis Murphy is likely to move into the starting lineup, while Russell Shepard and rookie Kenny Bell should see some extra playing time too.