In the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ locker room, the blame for a stunning 23-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers wasn’t spread evenly. Head Coach Todd Bowles had a specific player and a specific play in his sights.

“He [Jamel Dean] could have played it better. The Blitz should have got home. He should have been in a different position,” Bowles said in his post-game conference. “It was a bad technique and play on his part. The ball should have never happened.”

On the 2nd & 3 play (mentioned 2nd & 2 in the NFL game book) with 12 seconds remaining for halftime, the Bucs defense went on a blitz on the quarterback, Bryce Young. But the Panthers’ offensive linemen held them back as the signal caller fired the ball deep to his left to the wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Cornerback Jamel Dean, who has earned $30 million in his eight-year career with the Bucs, couldn’t keep up and got left behind.

McMillan spaced himself enough to catch the 22-yard touchdown pass and take the Panthers ahead with a 13-10 score before the half ended. Though Dean tried to avert the catch by swinging his right arm, he couldn’t cover the distance. It swung the momentum in the home team’s favor. They entered the second half with a belief that they would win and eventually did. With their eighth victory, they also moved to the top of the NFC South division.

While it was definitely a critical mistake, another mistake on the Bucs’ last drive of the game cut their chance of scoring the game-winning touchdown.

Todd Bowles needs to make better plans for Baker Mayfield

Quarterback Baker Mayfield looked invincible earlier in the season. But the aura has faded with two weeks remaining. With 49 seconds on the clock, the defense pressured Mayfield on the 2nd & 9 play at Carolina 42. He looked for an open receiver and threw the ball to receiver Mike Evans. But it was a gross misjudgment.

Evans turned to the right, and the ball went straight into the hands of safety Lathan Ransom, who made no mistake. It was essentially the end of Krewe’s hopes of a comeback. Todd Bowles accepted that it was a crucial mistake.

“We controlled every category except for the turnover battle at the end, and we lost the ballgame,” he said.

They need to learn their lesson from the Week 16 loss, as the division is still open. While the Bucs are favored to win against the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, the Panthers will face the tough Seattle Seahawks. If Bowles’ side wins and the division toppers lose, the two teams will face off in the season finale to qualify for the playoffs.

After the arduous 2025 season, the NFC South is set to have an explosive season finale. The Krewe is still expecting a fight from the team.