Bucs head coach Bruce Arians wasn’t exactly thrilled by the way his cornerback group played in Sunday’s victory over the Colts. Never one to shy away from fair criticism, Arians talked about the defensive showing on Bucs Total Access. Sitting down with team reporter Casey Phillips, he was asked about the play of his corners.

“I think we did, by and large, a good job of keeping it in front of us,” Arians said. “But we were a little too soft. We weren’t aggressive enough. We gave up that one chunk play for a touchdown. That can’t happen.”

Tampa lost cornerback Jamel Dean early in the contest to a shoulder injury. Once again, Pierre Desir was tasked with stepping up. For the most part Desir held his own, allowing only 43 yards on five completions. Albeit, one of those was a touchdown. He did, however, also make the game-clinching interception.

Bucs CB Sean Murphy-Bunting – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

No Bucs cornerback struggled more than regular starter Sean Murphy-Bunting. The second rounder allowed three receptions for 96 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown. He also committed defensive pass interference (DPI) in the matchup. It was the second DPI in as many games for Murphy-Bunting. After Sunday’s victory, Arians was asked specifically if Murphy-Bunting was expecting safety help on the deep touchdown he surrendered.

“If he was, he shouldn’t have,” Arians remarked.

As the Bucs get back to work for their upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons, there is plenty to be hopeful for. Dean was listed as a full participant on Wednesday’s injury report, and Carlton Davis seems to be ramping up toward a return on Sunday. If both players are able to go, it will mark the first time all season the Bucs have had their entire starting secondary on the field together.

“Yeah, there’s a good chance,” said Arians when asked about having the starting defensive backfield intact. “Carlton [Davis III] looked real good again today. This week, last week. His volume is picking up a little bit. And Sean [Murphy-Bunting] did well last week. Fingers crossed, we’ll start getting them all back.”