TAMPA — Just before halftime Friday, Bucs rookie cornerback Jamel Dean had his first NFL touchdown gift-wrapped for him.
Dolphins quarterback Josh Rosen looked left and lofted a throw right at Dean, who had nothing but green between him and the end zone. Given Dean’s speed, it surely would have been a pick-six interception, but the wet football slipped through his hands.
Dean didn’t play in last week’s preseason opener because of a hamstring injury, so Tampa Bay’s 16-14 win over the Dolphins on Friday was his first opportunity to show what he could do in a game.