The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can ill-afford more injuries, but they might be facing that harsh reality once again this season after their loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The Bucs dropped their game against the Bills 44-32 in Week 11, but a more concerning matter than the loss is the status of their cornerback, Jamel Dean. Dean has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, fielding a Pro Bowl and perhaps even an All-Pro season, and Pro Football Focus has dubbed him the best cornerback in football by their own grades. Unfortunately, though, he left the Bills game on his second play from scrimmage after colliding with teammate Jacob Parrish, and he never returned to the game.
Todd Bowles spoke with media on Monday, and he had an update on Dean — and, potentially, some bad news for the rest of the squad.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) and cornerback Jamel Dean (35) react during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Bowles revealed on Monday that Dean is dealing with a hip flexor strain, and as it stands, he shouldn’t miss too much time long term.
“He’s got a hip flexor strain. Right now, he’s day-to-day,” Bowles said. “He’s getting more tests run – we’ll see later on this week.”
It would be ideal for that “day-to-day” to be by Sunday night, as the Bucs face a Los Angeles Rams team that is arguably the best in the NFL. It would be nice to have Dean in the secondary for that one, as Matthew Stafford and the Rams lead a top-10 passing offense in the NFL in yards per game. Dean’s replacement, rookie Benjamin Morrison, has struggled in recent weeks, so Dean’s health will be imperative.
There’s another thing Todd Bowles said after, though, that might bring even more cause for concern. When asked if other players got injured against Buffalo and were running some tests, he replied that quite a few Bucs players were. He declined to name them, but that’s something to watch for Wednesday’s practice.
“[There were] quite a few,” Bowles said. “We’re getting tests run. We’ll have a better update later on.”
The Buccaneers will face the Rams on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. EST.
