Tampa Bay's defense pitched a second-half shutout against the Panthers and the Bucs tallied 5.0 sacks in Sunday's win, tied for their second-most in a game this season. In addition, Tampa Bay limited Carolina to 39 rushing yards on the day, their third consecutive game holding their opponent to fewer than 40 yards on the ground. The three-game stretch is the longest-such streak by any team since the 2013 Detroit Lions from Weeks 10-13.
The Bucs have dealt with a laundry list of injuries in the secondary during the 2024 slate with Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Whitehead, Tykee Smith, Mike Edwards, Christian Izien and Jamel Dean all missing time due to ailments. Throughout the year, there has not been one game where the starting five played together from start to finish. Instead, there has been a perpetual rotation throughout the year, but the Bucs got Jordan Whitehead back against the Panthers. Whitehead was activated off injured reserve on Saturday and suited up for the first time in Week 17 since suffering a pectoral injury against the Giants in Week 12. He eased back into the fold and his presence was felt in disguises and communication on the back end, which forced the Panthers' off-kilter.
"He didn't get a whole bunch of action," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "The communication that he was doing and the disguising he was doing for everybody else and making them think one thing when we did another was outstanding."
Whitehead helps set the tone with jarring thuds and provides position flexibility. Known for his exotic pressures, Bowles utilizes a variety of coverages and looks on the back end to confuse offenses, whether man coverage, zone coverage, fire zones, Cover Three, Cover Four, disguised blitzes or disguised drops. Some teams use three of four coverages but in the Todd Bowles' system, there is at least 15. When he was with the Jets, Whitehead primarily played in the post and displayed his range in Cover Four. He enhanced his skills in pass coverage and has taken it with him to the Bay. Back in the Bucs' defense with a flux of injuries and guys moving in-and-out of the lineup, the critical component is communication with both safeties on the field to foster faster play and cohesion.
"It is just whoever is going to be next to you that week, you have to make sure you get with them and make sure, 'Ok, if this is called then you are always going to do this,'" noted Whitehead via Bucs Total Access. "It is a lot, so you have to make sure that everybody is on the same page … It is a lot of communication during the film session and if you pay attention during meetings and walk-throughs and practice, that's all you need. You always have to come to the meetings with questions and then you solve it from there. You are not in one spot the whole game and that is what makes it fun. For his [Bowles] safeties, it is disguising, and you are not just sitting back at 10 yards and doing a specific thing. Bowles lets you be free if you want to fake a blitz or align on the line of scrimmage or get back to the middle of the field – you can do a lot of different things. It is a lot to learn but once you get it, and once you know it, it is very exciting."
Whitehead fits the mold of his system with a multifaceted skillset. The Pittsburgh product can play nickel corner, disrupt the run in the box, blitz the quarterback or man centerfield as the single-high safety. He is a fearless downhill hitter with rare first-step quickness. He has taken on a larger leadership role alongside Lavonte David in the absence of Winfield Jr. in getting teammates lined up in the right spots.
