Since the bye week, the Tampa Bay Bucs have gone 5-1, with the offense scoring 30+ points three times in that stretch and 40+ twice. That includes Sunday’s 48-14 triumph over the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium that kept the team’s playoff hopes alive.

But that victory came at a cost as starting cornerback Jamel Dean missed the second half due to a knee injury. Against a lesser team like the four-win Panthers, the Bucs didn’t need Dean as Tampa Bay outscored Carolina, 21-0, in the second half.

Yet against a more formidable foe, such as a playoff-caliber team in January, that could pose a problem for Todd Bowles’ defense.

After the game, Bowles said he didn’t have an update on Dean’s knee injury.

“I don’t know at this time,” Bowles said. “We will see during the week. I’ll get results when I go back in.”

Pewter Report has learned that Dean’s knee injury appears to be soreness rather than ligament damage, but he’ll undergo further testing on Monday to confirm that.

While that appears to be good news, it should be noted that rookie nickelback Tykee Smith missed three games with a bruised knee earlier in the season. So Dean could miss some time as Tampa Bay tries to make a playoff push.

Bucs Turning A Corner Or Losing Another One With Jamel Dean’s Injury?

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum and Panthers WR Adam Thielen – Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay has looked the part of a legitimate contender on multiple occasions this season. At times, Baker Mayfield has looked like an MVP-caliber quarterback for stretches this season, and if not for his 15 interceptions, the fact that he’s No. 2 in passing yards and top three in passing touchdowns would likely be getting him more attention nationally.

However, the team will need him to play clean football in order to have a chance in the playoffs, that is if the Atlanta Falcons relinquish control of the No. 1 seed in the NFC South by losing one of their final two games and the Bucs win to closeout the final game of the season.

The other issue this season has been the team’s ability to defend the pass. All year, the secondary has struggled not only to play well but to play at all due to injuries.

Sunday was no different.

In the first half, Adam Thielen looked like he’d found the fountain of youth as he caught all four of his targets for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

At halftime, head coach Todd Bowles didn’t hold back on his defense, telling Bucs Radio Network sideline reporter T.J. Rives that the “DBs have to get their heads out of their asses.”

Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

In the second half, the team would only allow Thielen to catch one pass for a mere three yards. Unfortunately, starting cornerback Jamel Dean was unable to play due to a knee injury he sustained earlier in the game of unknown severity. Dean, who was replaced in the second half by Josh Hayes, gave up Thielen’s first touchdown in the first quarter.

Dean, who has already missed four games due to an injured hamstring,  joins fellow secondary starter, All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., as another defensive back who has been unable to stay on the field this season.

As far as turning a corner, the Bucs were historically dominant today, particularly in the second half. But for now, it would seem that they are what they’ve been all season: a sleeping giant that, at its best, can hang with any team in the league offensively. But a sleeping giant nonetheless, as evidenced by the defense’s struggles early on in the game as the Bucs held a 13-7 lead in the second quarter.

If Tampa Bay makes the playoffs, how far the team goes will likely be decided by two things: the health of the squad and how long it takes the team to remember just how talented it really is.

It’s the Bucs’ talent that has allowed them to beat playoff teams like the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Los Angeles Chargers. Still, the team’s lack of consistency at times could come back to haunt it, just as it did in their first matchup vs. the Falcons when a late collapse allowed them to blow what looked like a sure win in overtime.