The Dean Of Defensive Backs
October 19th, 2020
Shop now at BillCurrieFord.com. Bill Currie Ford quality and service is second to no other dealership. Family owned for the past 60 yards, a mile north of Raymond James Stadium.
BY IRA KAUFMAN
If Todd Bowles interviews for an NFL head coaching job in a few months, he might consider bringing Jamel Dean along for the ride.
Bucs DC/magician Todd Bowles.
In one fell swoop down the Green Bay sidelines, Dean turned Sunday’s game around. He may have also turned Tampa Bay’s season around in the process while helping Bowles assume center stage in his audition for Act II.
Bowles may be only two seasons removed from a failed tenure as head coach of the Jets, but he’s moving up the candidate chart about as quickly as his inside linebackers race to the football.
That’s fast.
Bowles came up with a sensational game plan against the Packers Sunday, limiting a blistering offense to a mere 201 yards. By the end, Aaron Rodgers looked bewitched, bothered and bewildered.
Jamel Dean
And pissed.
“Bowles did an unbelievable job with this defense,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur. “We just didn’t have answers.”
Credit Dean for sparking this tutorial. How did he do it? He studied. Dean watched so much film of Green Bay’s tendencies, he knew exactly where Rodgers placed his fingers on the football.
Even before Rodgers flipped that pivotal pass toward Davante Adams, Dean was closing hard. He sensed what was coming, based on the formation. That’s football intelligence. That’s Rondé Barber territory.
“Their corner squatted all over it and the guy made a good play,” LaFleur said.
Dean, who turned 24 last week, made a play he’ll never forget. He inspired Tampa Bay’s defense and breathed life into Tom Brady’s attack.
This Jamel Dean is one tough dude. He overcame a series of knee injuries to attract attention at Auburn, then ran a 4.3 at the 2019 combine. Despite that dazzling showing, 10 cornerbacks came off the draft board before the Bucs selected Dean late in the third round.
His first NFL start proved forgettable as he was torched by Russell Wilson in Seattle. No big deal … Wilson does that to a lot of cornerbacks. By the end of his rookie season, Dean proved to Buc Nation that this kid just might be a keeper. He has a habit of being in the vicinity of the football.
He is also a key contributor on the league’s stingiest run defense.
Although Dean has started only one game and plays on 68 percent of the snaps, his 28 tackles rank fourth on the team, one stop ahead of Carlton Davis.
Dean made his presence felt in Week 5 at Soldier Field, where the Bucs failed to make key defensive stops. He was one of the few Tampa Bay defenders who stood out while the Bucs somehow allowed Nick Foles to complete 30 passes.
“That second half in Chicago, he was outstanding,” Bruce Arians said Sunday while crediting Dean with the game-changing play against the favored Packers.
Arians is already on record praising Davis as a Top 10 corner in the league. Don’t look now, but Dean is gaining ground fast. The Bucs and the home crowd appeared listless until a pick-6 provided the tonic.
“Jamel made a hell of a play,” Brady said.
“Dean set the tempo for the whole defense,” said Devin White.
Bowles drew it up and Dean made it happen. Coordinator and player now find themselves tied at the hip pad. Bowles kept believing in his young defensive back and Dean has turned the corner. He’s earned the right to more playing time as the Bucs turn their attention to hounding Derek Carr, the NFL’s second-rated passer behind Wilson.
Just like the Packers, the Raiders are coming off a bye week.
Just like Rodgers, Carr has been carving up defenses all season. Dean will undoubtedly spend the rest of the week majoring in Raiders 101.
Bowles & Dean … sounds like a law firm. And yes, they’re working hard for your defense.
Ira’s friend Sean Sullivan, the Bill Currie Ford, will give you a special Ira Kaufman/JoeBucsFan discount, in addition to truly exemplary service.
Ira!
Subscribe today at the major podcast platforms. It’s free!
October 19th, 2020 at 1:21 pm
I LOVE VICTORY MONDAY!!!
I’ll take another, please.
October 19th, 2020 at 1:23 pm
Lol love that last line. As a dad myself I approve of that ‘dad joke’
October 19th, 2020 at 1:29 pm
Besides crediting for the dad joke this article was well written and agree… We all saw how Dean played near end of Bears game and he’s just continuing to turn it on. I fully expect him to surplant SMB and start opposite Davis . Hopefully starting this coming week… Or was I too distracted Sunday by everything I had going in and he was this game? Either way I love the competition with these you g guys and hopefully SMB will respond well to it
October 19th, 2020 at 1:30 pm
yall hear that?….
ndog and realist herding sheep….lol…
GO BUCS!!!!!!
October 19th, 2020 at 1:43 pm
Exciting times indeed.
The defense should keep aiming to the fence. This will allow Brady and company to jell.
The 50 yard field goal was sweet to yesterday.
Great job Ira. You make JBF great!
October 19th, 2020 at 1:45 pm
Ndog and Realisto will hibernate soon. Lol
October 19th, 2020 at 1:45 pm
Dean Bucs fan for life!!! Enough said! Go Bucs!
October 19th, 2020 at 2:05 pm
These DBs have me contemplating converting from Roll Tide to War Eagle!
October 19th, 2020 at 2:05 pm
Need all phases to continue to grow. Play smart and study who is next.
October 19th, 2020 at 3:20 pm
The key to beating the Raiders is stopping Josh Jacobs cold…..We usually do stop the run but Sunday night will be a test…..
October 19th, 2020 at 3:27 pm
There is Zero chance Bowles is going anywhere. He is Bruce Arians successor. If we have to make him by far the highest paid coordinator in league for a few more years than so be it. Todd Bowles is the next Bucs head coach. It is Byron Leftwich that will be interviewing outside the organization
October 19th, 2020 at 3:29 pm
Bowles is a great DC. He may not have the right personality to be a HC (translation: dull). Hopefully he’s around in Tampa as DC for a long time.
October 19th, 2020 at 3:30 pm
hammerhead Says: Your moderation is awaiting comment.
October 19th, 2020 at 3:48 pm
If you want to have a really good day…..watch the replay of the Dean Pick 6 about 40 times
October 19th, 2020 at 4:07 pm
Why does every successful coordinator “need” to be a Head Coach? It’s pretty obvious most are not cut out for the job.
October 19th, 2020 at 4:08 pm
No doubt that was one of the best defensive performances by the Bucs that I’ve seen since 2012’s SB team. Bowles has been building a championship quality defense over the last 2 seasons that’s now #1 in the NFL! Why would he even want to leave it behind, just so he could be a HC?
I sure hope the Bucs/Licht/Arians/Bowles have already come to some type of agreement that Bowles will become the next HC, once Arians wins one or 2 SB’s with his defense and the GOAT. This defense could be the next “best in the league” for years to come. Go Bucs!
October 19th, 2020 at 4:14 pm
Bowles ain’t going anywhere. He’s taking over after Bruce gets his Super Bowl.
October 19th, 2020 at 4:56 pm
we keep winning, BL will be our HC next year….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 19th, 2020 at 5:46 pm
@Sage … “If Todd Bowles interviews for an NFL head coaching job in a few months, he might consider bringing Jamel Dean along for the ride.”
Bad thought Ira; very bad thought. Like Goforthwface30 and ModHairKen have already said … ‘Bowles ain’t going anywhere’. He is the reason we’ve got a winning season at the moment, not BA & not BL. Although I don’t like dual-hatting HCs to also be DC or OC, in his case I’d say do it to keep him as a Buc.
Also agree with Goforthwface30 that ” If we have to make him by far the highest paid coordinator in league for a few more years than so be it. Todd Bowles is the next Bucs head coach” when BA re-retires in a year or two. Bucs are a DEFENSIVE TEAM first & foremost. That’s our heritage, and we need a HC who appreciates that.
October 19th, 2020 at 7:28 pm
Dean should be out there as a starter for all snaps. SMB should only be on the field as a nickel.
October 19th, 2020 at 7:33 pm
Only a few people besides Bowles know what his Jets HC experience was like. The guy may not want another HC job! He is watching his defense jell and improve. He is enjoying himself. He is training a group of very talented youngsters. Bucs have always been known for great defenses. They aren’t many but they exist and are part of Tampa Bay pro football history. I know I’m having a ball watching this defense as a long suffering fan. 🙂
October 19th, 2020 at 9:25 pm
I agree, dean needs to start opposite, cd3. Make it happen Bruce. Smb is a nickel through and through. Nothing wrong with that.
October 20th, 2020 at 2:12 am
As long as we keep playing good defense, I hope that the Glazers have a plan to make Bowles our next head coach. I am loving this style of defense and if Bowles keeps this up, he’ll deserve a second chance. Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll are going to the hall of fame because they were given a second chance, so we may strike gold too.
October 21st, 2020 at 12:21 am
I’ve been pumping this kid up since last season.
In fact I started doing that immediately after the Seattle game.
Did Russell Wilson get him a few times that day? Absolutely. But he also defended multiple passes and was making some plays on the ball. You could see his instincts immediately. At least I could.
I have felt that out of any of our corners, he actually has the highest ceiling. And I believe he plays better the longer he is in the game.