TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Chris Godwin is back, even if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver who has been a model of consistency never really disappeared.

But nearly three years removed from a serious knee injury that he says is finally behind him, Mike Evans’ old sidekick is thriving like never before.

Entering the game Sunday, Godwin led the NFL in receptions (43), ranked third in receiving yards (511) and tied for the league lead in touchdown receptions (five) with Evans, Ja’Marr Chase, George Kittle and Allen Lazard.

The Bucs (4-2), coming off a 51-point outburst against New Orleans in which Godwin had 11 catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns, host the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) on Monday night.

Godwin’s strong start followed an offseason in which he mourned the death of his father while also preparing to transition to slot receiver on the field, a role he held earlier in his career.

The position change has also helped the Bucs’ rejuvenated running game, which benefits from Godwin being an excellent blocker.

“I think what I’ve learned over the last four or five years is that I’m really comfortable with that. … It allows me to be involved in other ways instead of just catching the ball,” Godwin said.

Godwin, a third-round draft pick of the Bucs in 2017, is a four-time 1,000-yard receiver whose achievements are sometimes overshadowed by the remarkable consistency of Evans, the only receiver in NFL history to begin a career with 10 consecutive 1,000- yard receivers. seasons.

Godwin was approaching 100 receptions in December 2021, when a serious knee injury ended his season with 98 catches for 1,103 yards.

And while he rebounded well enough to catch 104 passes in 2022 and top 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons, it wasn’t until this year that Godwin felt like he was truly back.

“I mean, he helps in the running game as much as he helps in the passing game. …His (performance) speaks for itself,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said, reflecting on Tampa Bay rushing for 277 of the franchise-record 594 yards the Bucs had in New Orleans.

On one of his two touchdowns against the Saints, Godwin caught a short reception from Baker Mayfield, broke two tackles and turned it into a 55-yard scoring play.

Entering Sunday, Godwin led the NFL in yards after catch with 335, including 105 of 125 yards receiving in New Orleans.

“He’s healthy, he’s competitive and he’s having fun. He runs, he catches, he blocks,” Bowles said. “You’ve seen the best of what Chris Godwin has right now.”

Baltimore, which has won four straight after an 0-2 start, has the NFL’s top-ranked defense. The Ravens rank 31st against the pass and will be tested by Evans and Godwin, who coach John Harbaugh said pose “huge matchup problems.”

“You single (Evans), he’s a problem. And then you have (Godwin) in the slot – if you single him out, he’s a problem,” Harbaugh said. “They are both catch-and-run players; they are both contested catch players.

With Mayfield also off to a strong start in first-year offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s system, the Bucs have a top 10 offense and are averaging 29.7 points per game.

One of the most important things was involving playmakers other than Godwin and Evans. Rookie Bucky Irving is the team’s leading rusher, and second-year pro Sean Tucker expects to get more playing time against the Ravens after scoring twice and amassing 192 yards from scrimmage last week.

“It’s one thing if a man leaves because you feed the hot hand, right? But if we can spread the ball around, everyone gets involved,” Godwin said.

“And as the game goes on, you have so much more at your disposal than just the handful of plays that worked early,” the receiver added. “So if a team makes adjustments, you now have answers.”

Just don’t expect the Bucs to forget that Godwin is one of the answers.

“Chris is a reliable guy,” said Mayfield, who marvels at the consistency of both Godwin and Evans, Tampa Bay’s career leaders.

“It’s how smart he is, he understands the defense and the coverage, understands what we’re trying to get done within our own concepts, and (he’s) a guy who’s all about winning,” Mayfield said. “He’s playing really well, feeling good (and) we have to keep him going.”