Why Vita Vea Returning Is So Critical
January 20th, 2021
Believes key for Bucs is pass rush.
Yes, today Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians made sure everyone knows the Green Bay Packers the Bucs will face in the NFC Championship game is not the same team the Bucs alley-stomped back in October.
That’s fair. Remember, both Arians and Sean Payton, coach of the slimy Saints, each noted how the Bucs now are much different from earlier in the season when they were seal-clubbed by New Orleans.
So it’s fair to suggest the Packers have changed, as well.
An important element is the Packers’ offensive line. The eye in the sky never lies and former Pro Bowl Giants center Shaun O’Hara took to the airwaves of NFL Network to detail why the Bucs held the Packers to just 10 points in October.
Packers receivers, specifically Davante Adams, were open for home run balls but Aaron Rodgers couldn’t get the ball to them because the Bucs’ pass rush was in his face and Rodgers found himself on his arse.
Fast-forward and the Bucs’ pass rush in hibernation. The Big Three, Ndamukong Suh, NFL sack king Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul, have a grand total of one sack in the last five games.
That is astonishing and unacceptable if not insulting. Somewhere, once-sackless Kyle Moore is holding his stomach.
So why might the Bucs be in a rush to get Vita Vea back on the field? Every little bit helps, and if Vea can draw two blockers and maybe get Shaq/JPP/Suh one-on-one with an offensive lineman, that could open someone up to force a turnover from Rodgers.
If the Bucs give Rodgers all day to throw, he will turn into Virgil Sollozzo: He’s good with the knife, but only in matters of business or some sort of reasonable complaint.
You may enjoy O’Hara’s breakdown of why the Bucs winning the defensive line of scrimmage is so vital Sunday.
“At this point in time, you can’t have any ‘my bads’.” @ShaunOHara60 breaks down the Packers O-Line. pic.twitter.com/e5dTVwR3S4
— GMFB (@gmfb) January 20, 2021
Enjoy the latest Ira Kaufman Podcast, presented by Bill Currie Ford.
January 20th, 2021 at 3:09 pm
Although I don’t wish the same fate as Sollozzo on Rodgers, I’d like to see the Bucs D, as Michael Corleone, incapacitate him with the same metaphoric avidly.
January 20th, 2021 at 3:14 pm
Well, certainly don’t like seeing how many times Adams was burning past our corners… Didn’t look like there was any safety help on those plays either.
Pass rush better get home, whether its our d-line or linebackers or safeties!
January 20th, 2021 at 3:16 pm
“He’s good with the knife, but only in matters of business or some sort of reasonable complaint.”
Classic, Joe!
January 20th, 2021 at 3:17 pm
🙂
January 20th, 2021 at 3:19 pm
So Rodgers shouldn’t eat veal Sunday? 🙂
January 20th, 2021 at 3:29 pm
I said the D would show up last week, and this week I predict JPP and Shaq step up. I feel a repeat seal clubbing brewing. This team has confidence, and the secondary and LB are looking like studs. You can bet Shaq, Suh and JPP want some of that action.
January 20th, 2021 at 3:30 pm
If the O-line can protect Brady nothing can stop him. There I said it.
January 20th, 2021 at 3:32 pm
How or why did we rattle Rodgers up the middle in the October game with no Vita Vea?
January 20th, 2021 at 3:37 pm
The defense had the advantage of knowing Brees couldn’t throw over the top last Sunday. Not this week, Lazard and MVS will be the key to the game. Adams will be doubled and if the those 2 take off the top we could be in trouble. I don’t think the Packers can run on us. But with their 3 RB’s they are going to try, Jones and Williams are excellent catching the ball out of the backfield. The Bucs avg 30 ppg and in the playoffs have scored 31,30. I don’t think GB can put up 30, they might get into the high 20’s but the Bucs will outscore them. I just hope we blow them out to save my sanity. Go Bucs!
January 20th, 2021 at 3:41 pm
@Joe
Nice attempt at a workaround.
And it would have worked if Tessio hadn’t suggested taping the gun to the back of the toilet.
January 20th, 2021 at 3:45 pm
If you have three studs that cant get to the qb when it matters most, do you any studs?
January 20th, 2021 at 3:54 pm
Lefty
Suh. He and Rodgers have bad blood 🩸…. and Suh got in his head.
January 20th, 2021 at 4:08 pm
Kay Adams doesn’t appear to be on the Bucs train. As I recall she was going with the Saints last week. Hope she’s wrong again!
January 20th, 2021 at 4:12 pm
That’s what surprised me about Bree’s performance because we weren’t getting much immediate pressure on Bree’s at all but somehow we held him to under 200yds passing..
January 20th, 2021 at 4:27 pm
Brees had 5 broken ribs
January 20th, 2021 at 4:33 pm
Alllivesmatter, you need to rewatch the game bud. Brees had guys in his face within 2 seconds over and over. That’s why all 3 interceptions happend. Not to mention countless incompletions. They only could have got their faster if the were straight up unblocked. Which on many throws might of well been. Brees isn’t taking sacks he will throw it before he gets hit and hope his guy gets it. The pressure on Brees was exceptional. If we’r play green bay that way expect rogers to get us some for sure. This will have to be another true team win with contributions from the entire roster like last Sunday. Also Brees was heavily pressured on his 1 td pass, but the wr was much bigger than cockrell, who had great coverage.
January 20th, 2021 at 5:04 pm
Rodgers is going to be looking to evade and escape the pocket. We need to keep him contained and bottle him up.
January 20th, 2021 at 5:15 pm
Mojo
I hope Devin White is his shadow.. he’ll pulverize him.
January 20th, 2021 at 5:28 pm
VV will be HUGE!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
January 20th, 2021 at 5:29 pm
Its funny how everyone’s saying GB aren’t the same team as when we played them,weren’t they undefeated then?
January 20th, 2021 at 5:31 pm
Let’s hope the Bucs’ secondary doesn’t wind up “sleeping with the fishes”
January 20th, 2021 at 5:58 pm
Well, the Saints might have cut us up too. Keep it up Bucs.
January 20th, 2021 at 6:41 pm
Suh will eat Rogers lunch AGAIN! Rogers and Suh not real friendly with each other since the ‘ankle stomp’ – circa 2009. Keep rollin Bucs!!
January 20th, 2021 at 7:04 pm
I like the Bucs chances a lot, unless this becomes a snow game.
January 20th, 2021 at 7:56 pm
SL Bob Says:
January 20th, 2021 at 4:08 pm
Kay Adams doesn’t appear to be on the Bucs train. As I recall she was going with the Saints last week. Hope she’s wrong again!
She never has been. Her, Mina Kimes and most of the female pundits have been against the Bucs all year. Diana Rusini another one.
January 20th, 2021 at 8:14 pm
The difference this time? Winfield and Whitehead will be bringing pressure also and if the Green Bay O-line misses, Rogers will be eating snow.
January 20th, 2021 at 8:55 pm
I wonder what the effect of the cold will have on the team.
I know it takes days to acclimate to higher altitude/lower oxigen environment like Denver, for example. But the cold? Does it really matter how cold it is? It’s not like you grow thicker skin in the cold. When it is cold it is cold equally for everyone, right?
January 24th, 2021 at 1:57 am
Dear Buccaneers: I have been a bucs fan since 1976 and remember that year we took the field. We lost every single game and only won one game the following year we got Doug Williams from Grambling and Fred Dryer broke his jaw and he was out the entire year. In 1979 We went 10-6 and beat the kansas city chiefs in overtime 3-0. made it to the second round of the playoffs. Then when we were about to beat the Rams, we lost the game and you were there and said that we will be back with a vengeance next year. Now that the mighty bucs are about to embark on something that has never been done. A team hosting their own super bowl. I would want that to be priority . Go Bucs!!!!