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BY IRA KAUFMAN

When Buc players and coaches gather for the first time at the team facility, Todd Bowles will be looking for No. 12.

“I’ll be the first one to greet him once I see him,” Bowles says of his former tormentor. “Show him how happy I am to have him here.”

During his epic 20-year run in New England, Tom Brady caused a lot of defensive coaches to reach for the Maalox. They spent game week diligently preparing a plan to contain the Patriots, only to have Brady ruin their day.

Bowles knows the feeling.

Whether he was a secondary coach, a defensive coordinator or a head coach, Bowles rarely got the best of Brady. Whether Bowles was working for the Browns, Cowboys, Dolphins or Jets, Brady was the great white shark — relentless, always moving forward and keen to smell blood in the water.

Todd Bowles is 2-16 against Tom Brady. No typo there.

Bowles helped design 18 game plans against Brady with four different organizations and came away victorious only twice. In those 18 games, Brady threw 35 TD passes and only 9 interceptions as the Patriots averaged 30 points.

“He takes what you give him,” Bowles said this week. “He puts you on your heels every play.”

Bowles no longer has to consider Brady an adversary. That’s a great relief for Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator, whose final game as an NFL head coach came in Week 17 at Foxborough two years ago.

That’s when New England administered a 38-3 beatdown of the Jets, with Brady throwing for 250 yards and four touchdowns. It was an inglorious exit for Bowles, who is hoping a Brady-led turnaround in Tampa will lead to another head coaching opportunity.

Full Appreciation

In his own way, Brady helped usher Bowles out the door in New York.

The Jets won only 1-of-8 meetings against New England during Bowles’ tenure, outscored by an average margin of 15 points per game. For a defensive-minded coach like Bowles, Brady proved to be an insurmountable obstacle.

“Some of the things that make him great is doing the same things every day and being consistent at it,” Bowles says. “You don’t get to be a great player unless you work at it every day — not when the cameras are rolling, but when the cameras are off.”

Now Bowles gets to see Brady’s remarkable focus and will to win up close and personal. Now it is Bowles’ defense, rather than New England’s, which will benefit from extra rest as Brady minimizes giveaways and maximizes possessions.

Only Baltimore and New Orleans boasted a better time of possession last season than the Patriots, who led the league in turnover differential.

Finally Partners

It’s not hard to imagine the dialogue accompanying that first embrace between Brady and Bowles at One Buc Place.

Bowles: “Glad you’re on my side, Tom.”

Brady: “Let’s go do this thing.”

It’s hard to imagine another coach in this league harboring more respect for Brady than Bowles.

Quarterback help for Bowles’ defense

“He takes care of his body, he understands the game,” Bowles says. “He’ll play the same way, whether it’s the Super Bowl or the preseason. He comes to win, and that’s a great mental aspect added to our team.”

Working within the AFC East for the Dolphins and Jets, Bowles faced Brady 14 times since 2008. Twelve times, he came up short. He never quite figured out how to confuse Brady or deposit him often enough on his keister.

In that regard, Bowles has plenty of company.

If Bowles has a few minutes to spare during the week, he just might pop his head into Tampa Bay’s quarterback room to observe Brady’s legendary preparation skills. Bowles will assuredly face a challenge getting his guys ready for Drew Brees in Week 1, but now he’s on the same sideline as Brady.

After 20 years in the arena, they’re finally partners. Like Bogie said at the end of “Casablanca,” it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Ira with his good friend Sean Sullivan, general manager of Bill Currie Ford, Tampa’s first family of ford. Sean will help you personally in any way he can. Click on Ira’s nose to visit BillCurrieFord.com.