Bucs Feeling Vea’s Absence
November 19th, 2020
Targeted.
Joe has already documented that beastly Ndamukong Suh has been a little harder to find on the field of late.
Early in the season, it appeared Suh was playing a whole lot younger than his current age. He will turn 34 right about the time the Bucs play a wild card game in January. (Hopefully.)
The last couple of games? Joe’s starting to wonder if the cops are debating filing a missing person report.
Yesterday, Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers sort of gave Bucs fans a quick glance behind the curtain of why Suh is a different player. With Vita Vea out for the season, teams are starting to go after Suh to take him out physically.
“He’s garnering a lot of attention [with Vea out],” Rodgers said of Vea in pass plays. “A lot of protection turns his way.”
Well, it sounded like Rodgers was almost making an excuse for Suh. Almost. An excuse is concocting a fairy tale, but it makes all the sense in the world with Vea out an opponent would then focus on taking out Suh. Keep in mind Bucco Bruce Arians has said Suh might have been the most double-teamed player in the NFL last season.
However, Joe has to wonder. Isn’t this what Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles wants? Joe was under the impression the Bucs wanted their front line to eat up blocks so the linebackers could hunt. So if Suh is getting double- or triple-teamed, isn’t that the goal?
Yeah, that means Suh won’t be worth a darn if he’s getting buried by bodies at the line.
November 19th, 2020 at 8:02 am
Cowboys released Dontari Poe, hes 6’4″ 345, go get him.
November 19th, 2020 at 8:03 am
How about (Hopefully) no Wild Card game? And we win the Division due to Jaboo being Jaboo.
November 19th, 2020 at 8:24 am
Would not hurt to kick the tires on Dontari Poe. He is not a gamewrecker, but we need to be more stout at the line than what Nacho or Mclendon are bringing. I have seen Nacho be taken for rides, you would never see anyone taken the King kong Vita for a ride. We need the linebackers have the room to roam and blitz like Todd wants. GO BUCS!!!! BRING IN ANOTHER MASHER FOR THE D LINE!!!!!
November 19th, 2020 at 8:33 am
When you have 11 nose tackles, you don’t have any…..
November 19th, 2020 at 8:37 am
I’ve always felt anything from the interior was a bonus. QB hits, sacks and pressure. So for me Big Suh is still playing great.
Go Bucs
November 19th, 2020 at 8:38 am
@Pewter941 Poe had the potential to be a top 5 Defensive Tackle in the league but he was released most recently for being 30lbs over weight and getting blown off the line of scrimmage all year. Hard pass.
November 19th, 2020 at 8:38 am
Cute comment, but NTs are not QBs. If Poe will sign for whatever we have left in cap space, who would balk at that upgrade?
And Colonel, the only way to avoid a wild card is to finish as the 1 seed. Mathematically possible, but good luck with that. Jameis will have to go full Jameis AND the bucs lose only 1 game at most to win the division.
November 19th, 2020 at 9:01 am
I think the Bucs have a decent shot at the division now. It’s not like they’re 3-4 games back. Jameis tends to draw the ire of referees and is not a favored son like Brees. There was a time I believed in Jameis but he continually let his team down and he has the mentality of a 13 year old kid. I would not bet on Jameis based on his history.
November 19th, 2020 at 9:02 am
this was expected imo….VV is a beast….he controlled the middle…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 19th, 2020 at 9:18 am
Regardless of potential I would most definitely balk at an overweight lineman who was released by one of the worst teams in the NFL for his play and fitness.
November 19th, 2020 at 9:18 am
“So if Suh is getting double- or triple-teamed, isn’t that the goal? Yeah, that means Suh won’t be worth a darn if he’s getting buried by bodies at the line.”
Have no clue how those 2 sentences connect … the first does not lead to the second as a conclusion IMO. Whether Suh goes mano-a-mano or is double teamed or triple-teamed depends on the opponents’ OFFENSE, not on our DC. If they want to use 2 blockers on him, that’s up to them. Means someone else should be free to hunt?
As I watch Suh, he doesn’t always go balls-to-the-wall to get to the QB. Nor should he when he’s being double-teamed (or worse). Sometimes the best he can probably do is to protect his gap by maneuvering that double team to allow him to maintain gap control instead of letting it maneuver him away from his gap. Ndamukong does that very well from what I’ve seen, and he’s a huge reason we’re still #1 against the run even after losing Vea.
I agree with Rico 210 … “Big Suh is still playing great.”
November 19th, 2020 at 9:41 am
He’s done.
November 19th, 2020 at 9:44 am
We definitely miss Vita big time.
November 19th, 2020 at 9:48 am
Poe has to be better than Nunes, and Im sure its harder to move 345 than 275 which is what Mclendon weighs, Im not sure how much help Poe was getting at Dallas they did lose a starting tackle (MCcoy) before the season started. Poe could clog the line of scrimmage.
November 19th, 2020 at 10:22 am
he turned it on during the rams’ run in 2018 so i expect that this time around. he is also playing on MNF against his old team. he balled out last year against them and i expect a big game from our line this week.
November 19th, 2020 at 10:57 am
“…concocting a fairy tail…”
Now THAT’S a funny mental image!
Thanks for the typo, Joe!
November 19th, 2020 at 11:07 am
I realize edge rushers are not the same as DT’s but they face some of the same wear and tear and actually need greater speed and athleticism.
I bring this up to point out that Reggie White got 16 sacks at the age of 37. Julius Peppers got 11 at age 37. Both of these players were generational but so is Suh. He takes care of himself. He may not be as good as in his prime but Suh at 90% of his prime is still better than the vast majority of the league.
If Suh wants to play until he’s 40 he could probably pull it off. He certainly has 3 or 4 more productive seasons left if he still has the “want to”.
It’s quite possible that Suh and Brady each want at least one more year with the Bucs to see how good this team can be.
November 19th, 2020 at 11:15 am
When Vea went down it was heart-breaking. I think everyone knew that it would now be that much harder for us to make a deep playoff run.
Vea had really come into his own and been a 1-man wrecking crew. I think so much of Bowles’ game-planning was built around Vea and how teams would double-him and yet the penetration he still got up the middle.
There’s just no way this Bucs Defense isn’t a lot better right now if Vea is still healthy and playing. He’s really missed even though we have no choice but to soldier on.
November 19th, 2020 at 11:53 am
Suh maybe be tired, as he has alot of miles on the odometer. Arians said it the team is tired, so he gave them all a mini bye this week. It appears that other teams are also scheming to reduce the effectiveness of Suh.
However, the importance of Vea in Bowles 3-4 scheme is very evident. Look at the D since he has been injured, the ranking, numbers, the gash runs, the effectiveness of Suh, Nunez-Roches, Gholston since he has been injured.
If you are only looking at pass rush numbers and sacks, you are completely missing the importance of the big man in the middle. On pass rush he pushes interior so the opposing QB can’t climb the pocket. You could argue he is/was the most important piece on the entire D. He takes on double and triple teams to allow other players to excel. Remember how free 45 and 54 were to make plays before Vea injury.
Even on the Ira podcast, they were not overly concerned when Vea was injured. I believe their opinion in all likelihood has changed.
I think Joe may see the true value of Big #50 in the middle of that D. Tell us Joe!
November 19th, 2020 at 12:06 pm
draft a DT early in the draft plz
November 19th, 2020 at 12:18 pm
The Bucs need to inject youth along the dline during the upcoming draft. There are solid prospects that should be available in rounds 1-3.
Licht should keep the vets one more year and draft their replacements.
November 19th, 2020 at 4:53 pm
DTs like Suh are not expected to get “stats”. They have a vital role in dictating the LOS.
ABSOLUTELY yes, Vea is missed. However, Suh not getting stats is NOT an indicator of “poor play”. McClendon and Nunez-Roche have played admirably as Suh has continued to be a dominant force.
Stats are not the sole indicator of success, Shaq Barrett for instance. Shaq is effecting play regularly, he just doesn’t have the “stats” to show for it. Actually he does. The TEAM does. They’re called WINS!!!