Beat Versus Eat
August 5th, 2021
Who could forget the powerful quote from Devin White right before the Super Bowl, when Joe asked White for his unsung star of the Tampa Bay defense.
White paused and fired off a rant about defensive tackle Rakeem “Nacho” Nuñez-Roches.
It closed with White shockingly saying, “You know, I don’t feel like we took a step back when we lost Vita. I feel like Nacho was still the same impact guy. “I felt like he held up in the run game. I feel like whatever we called on him to do, he did it. So I gotta give it to my guy Nacho, big No. 56.”
But what about Vita Vea, the manbeast many consider among the very best nose tackles in the game?
Todd Bowles delivered a fantastic explanation today about the different between Nacho and Vea.
“… Vita, he not only eats up double-teams, he beats double-teams. I think he’s been having a good camp thus far. He’s got a good ways to go,” Bowles said.
“His understanding of the defense has grown immensely since last year. I’m looking forward to having him for 17 weeks and being a presence but we’ve still got to develop guys just in case. I think ‘Nacho’ and Steve [McLendon] do a great job as well. Vita’s big for us.”
Joe loved the “eat” versus “beat” analogy when it came to double-teams. Nuñez-Roches certainly held his own starting most of last season, but Vita is a fully different level.
Vea may be one of the great X-factors of the Bucs this season. Nobody really knows how much the gargantuan, experienced 26-year-old can accomplish over a long season.
Also, the “just in case” line is key. Vea hasn’t been durable through three seasons. It feels much more like bad luck than bad genes, but that’s unclear.
Enjoy today’s Ira Kaufman Podcast.
August 5th, 2021 at 7:47 pm
Vea better beat double teams and help get to the QB or our TERRIBLE SECONDARY is going to get exposed against like in the wildcard game and for much of last season.
I so love how everyone’s on this “Gravediggers” bandwagon thinking our secondary is somehow elite now. LOL. Our pass rush played some of their best games ever in the postseason (often against backup lineman) and it made our secondary look better than they really are.
Reality Check is coming. Let’s just hope our Offense puts up so many points it won’t matter.
August 5th, 2021 at 7:55 pm
@BradyBucs. It takes two!
August 5th, 2021 at 8:39 pm
BradyBucs…the secondary is still very young they’ll come along nicely.
I’m not as worried as you are about them.
Vita just needs to stay on the field.
August 5th, 2021 at 9:28 pm
Vita looks like he can make game changing types of plays. But still guys like Suh and JPP that still take more snaps than most guys in their position are really so under-rated for this defense.
I agree with we should wait and see on the secondary.
But it is not terrible unless every single secondary in the NFL is considered terrible.
You just can’t ignore our play of our secondary during the playoffs. They came through.
I would be hard pressed to name 10 secondaries that I would take over the Buc’s in the NFL right now. Another reason we appear to be a favorite going into this season.
August 5th, 2021 at 9:33 pm
There is not a Secondary in the NFL or College that can stand without a solid pass rush. That is the facts of life in football.
With that being said, the Bucs secondary needs to continue to get better. All the more thankful that the Bucs have an elite front 7 that is one of the best at sacking the QB in the NFL.
We as fans want the secondary to be great and nick names are fun, but the reality is the secondary has to get better. When you watch a CB falling on the ground and Devante Adams running for a TD in the NFC Championship game, it does not inspire confidence. There was strides made by the secondary in the last 3 games of the post season, and was awesome to watch this team win it all.
But if we honestly go back and watch the 2020 season,play by play, game by game, it can be down right painful watching the secondary get shredded at times.
Again the secondary improved, but there is much room for growth, and as a fan I am rooting for them, hopefully they continue their upward trend.
GO BIG BAD AZZ DEFENDING WORLD CHAMPION BUCS!!!!!!
August 5th, 2021 at 9:54 pm
John Lynch seems incredibly happy at the pro-bowl, seems legit excited here on TV. Also nice to see SB highlights and know that there’s now TWO to choose from.
August 5th, 2021 at 10:43 pm
Agree Rod, loved seeing Lynch in those Tampa Bay SB clips. He did seem happy as hell. There’s a reason everyone loves John Lynch. He’s a super good guy.
August 6th, 2021 at 1:30 am
Brady bucs… Carlton Davis has more pass break ups than any cb in there league in the last 2 years… I’d say that’s pretty good!! Bunting finally got it during the playoffs and it wasn’t all due to the line!! They didn’t get to Brees hardly at all
August 6th, 2021 at 8:39 am
Go watch the bears game last year. Before the injury Vita was having a monster game. It looked like he was headed to another level. His return was valiant and he played well but I’m looking for that next level this year.
August 6th, 2021 at 5:29 pm
If Vea can stay healthy this could be a big year for him. Also he opens things up for Suh and others by knocking o lines on their heels. He is a bulldozer when healthy. Part of the Bucs defensive strength is how well they complement each other. Some have power, others have speed and finesse.
August 6th, 2021 at 7:08 pm
Sorryjack,
Pass breakups aren’t a complete stat by any means. It can also mean other teams test you a lot because they know you’re a liability in coverage so you end up with more pass breakups because you’re getting a lot of chances.
Davis has played well at times but he needs to be more consistent.
Jamel Dean on the other hand looks like the next Hargreaves. Has occasional flashes but overall doesn’t have what it takes to be a consistent corner in the NFL.
SMB has been even more inconsistent. He played great in the playoffs but he was also beaten a lot (and out of position) during much of last season.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:18 am
BradyBucs bringing some terrible takes here lol.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:18 am
Dean is 100x better than Hargreaves lol what an awful comparison