Injury updates on Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean ahead of Week 4 vs the Saints
Todd Bowles, head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, provides an update on the health of Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis ahead of a crucial Week 4 battle against the New Orleans Saints.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are focusing on how to prevent repeat embarrassment in an even bigger game this Sunday as the sting of Monday night’s loss to the Eagles wears off.
Going up against Philadelphia on national television is a big event, but the Bucs-Saints game in Week 4 could have an even bigger impact in the long run. If Tampa Bay wins, they will enter their bye week 3-1 and in command of the NFC South.
A loss would raise serious concerns about the Bucs’ chances this season.
Aside from the significance for the division, a win against the Saints simply feels different. It’s a rivalry that has only grown in recent years, and this year’s inaugural game is already shaping up to be a difficult matchup for the Bucs.
Tampa Bay already has two crucial players on the injured list, making the job of defeating the Saints even more difficult.
Injury updates for Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis ahead of Week 4
Carlton Davis hasn’t played since the Week 1 victory against Minnesota, and Dean’s injuries have gotten worse as the season has progressed. Dean exited Monday’s loss many times, highlighting severe depth issues that Tampa Bay is attempting to rectify ahead of Sunday.
On Wednesday, William Jackson was brought in for a workout, but it’s uncertain whether he’ll be signed and available on Sunday. It’s also unknown whether Davis or Dean will play, and head coach Todd Bowles isn’t ready to make a definitive statement this early in the week.
“Jamel is unsure; we’ll see how he feels at the end of the week.” “Carlton says he’s feeling better, but I won’t comment on it until I see him run,” Bowles added, hinting at some positive improvement. “Right now everyone is in play [for Sunday].”
That’s not exactly encouraging, but it’s also not an indication that the Bucs are concerned about missing their top two cornerbacks on Sunday. It’s a dreadful scenario to be without Davis and Dean against a hated opponent like the Saints, who are a really decent club.
On Monday, it became painfully evident how unsustainable the Bucs’ cornerback depth is. The secondary had little chance against Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown as soon as they started dropping like flies, and it’s the type of situation Jameis Winston might exploit with Chris Olave and Michael Thomas.
