The Power Of Vita Vea
September 30th, 2024
Vita Vea, Logan Hall and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka celebrate Vea’s first sack of the season Sunday.
All it took was some Polynesian Power to unleash the Bucs’ dormant pass rush.
That’s the way Bucs coach Todd Bowles explained it yesterday. The Bucs had but two sacks in the first three games — both against a rookie quarterback in his very first NFL game — and seemed doomed to just run around yesterday against the Eagles.
Sure, Vita Vea was returning to the lineup after a Week 2 knee sprain in Detroit. Miraculously, the injury wasn’t severe. Still, the Bucs would need Vea most to contain Saquon Barkley not rush the passer. Barkley was entering Sunday leading the NFL in rushing.
But no! Vea came through in the pass rush as the Bucs racked up six sacks — six! And Vea added got the first one of the day.
Todd Bowles told the local pen and mic club after the game that Vea made all the difference in the Bucs having a pass rush for a change.
“It was huge,” Bowles said of Vea’s return to the starting lineup. “We were getting pressure on the outside in the past, but we weren’t getting a push up the middle and the quarterbacks were stepping up [avoiding the edge rush].
“To have him being able to push the middle and still being able to get pressure from the outside was huge for us.”
It looked like the pass rush of 2020 had returned. Absolutely massive for the Bucs to have six sacks after having just two in the season-opener.
And look what happened when the Bucs got an impressive pass rush. They dominated defensively.
Coincidence? Hell, no!
September 30th, 2024 at 4:20 am
yeah was gonna comment on a thread a little further down with vita as the pic…but just saw this…
it’s uber evident everything is completely different up front with vita clogging the middle…pushing and mushing dudes and heavily mucking things up on the interior…
it’s a complete difference…
the moment he came out of the game in detroit, it appeared there was so much more space to maneuver through the middle of the line…
gaines and company held there own after a few reps of adjustment, but reality is our big behemoth vita completely & utterly clogs the lane and causes absolute havoc for the defense when he’s super active…
it’s an amazingly different look with or without big vita…
vita is to the d line what wirfs is to our left tackle position…he’s a game changer
September 30th, 2024 at 4:37 am
Completely agreed, Adam. The young rushers are not quite up to snuff… Yet; they need that extra pressure from the middle to flush the qb out of the middle of the pocket for some success. I’m sure they’ll get there, but Vea is absolutely needed.
September 30th, 2024 at 4:53 am
Vita is certainly the key to the defense and hopefully kancey can return soon to form a formidable duo. His ability to collapse the pocket is top tier and it seems he’s keeping his burst later in games which we can contribute to his weight loss. Seemed to me when he got tired he played so high, while he just used brute force and now he’s got a little bend to him.
September 30th, 2024 at 5:07 am
Oh yeah, but how much better would the pass rush look with Derwin James?!?
VV sized sarcasm here. Remember that debate?
September 30th, 2024 at 5:36 am
i wanted Vita to sit out this game.
Simply because I was concerned he wasn’t fully healed, and our Thursday game is against a divisional opponent.
He played fantastic and it was great to see him sack Jalen Hurts.
Hoping his knee is fully healed and the whole team plays on Thursday like it did yesterday.
Go Bucs!!!
September 30th, 2024 at 6:15 am
No more kelce means Vita will eat
September 30th, 2024 at 7:58 am
They were lining him up everywhere late! It was really awesome to watch! He could play OLB for us? A 330lb edge? Wow!
Go Bucs!
September 30th, 2024 at 8:32 am
A freight train
September 30th, 2024 at 8:37 am
Vita is that DUDE
September 30th, 2024 at 8:48 am
To all the people criticizing Vea after the loss last week how’s that crow tasting? Shame on you guys talking ill of our man beast Vea
September 30th, 2024 at 10:17 am
Vita Vea = Maui and that’s just a “YOUR WELCOME” lmao https://youtu.be/79DijItQXMM?si=_Gx6HnI8S1Brtwg
September 30th, 2024 at 10:58 am
The way he just shoved Mekhi Becton, a 364lb man, aside like he was a bothersome puppy, and got that sack… a thing of beauty.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:17 am
Scoring points fast put pressure on the Eagles to mostly abandon the run game, which also helps unleash the pass rush. After the Eagles made it 24-14 and it was looking like they had momentum, offense marches right down the field and scores a TD. (And then the blocked PAT yuk)
After that the Bucs pass rush really went off, LVD got the strip and the game was over.
Offense does indeed rule. It enhances the pass rush.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:36 am
There is no question….We seem to play better, look better and have a different energy when Big Vita is on the field. Glad to see him back.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:51 am
Perceived power cannot be achieved if it’s injured on the side line. Yesterday proved how important Vea is to this defense
September 30th, 2024 at 11:58 am
Chris Jones was that type of player for the Chiefs last night and gets paid $30 Million a year. This was the hope at the beginning of the year with Vea and Kancey. You can’t double both. They trusted Becton with single coverage a ton And he got owned.
I’ve been a proponent of needing interior pressure for years as far as sacks go and yesterday proved it. Even the blitzes worked. We should trade for another beastly DT and a RT or LG and this team will be really good.
Dean played better, but I think this is his last year. I would give Funderburk some reps ASAP. Well, Its only a matter of time before Dean gets hurt.
LB is the other major concern for a DOMINANT team. Britt just isn’t the guy. Either start Dennis or there is another trade opportunity.
We are 2-4 guys from being ELITE every week.
September 30th, 2024 at 12:13 pm
Yes, Leighroy, I remember. At the time I was bemused by the fan reactions here. It was obvious that he was a beast and unusually gifted.
By the way we were still featuring a 4-3 based defense. So, was Licht already planning for a coming change? I have thought about this more than once.
Anyway, Vea’s importance cannot be overstated.
September 30th, 2024 at 5:00 pm
We need to start looking for the next Vita.
September 30th, 2024 at 6:35 pm
This is terrible reporting. I am unable to confirm from this article whether the Buccaneers’ GM Jason Licht is an AC/DC loving man. Awful.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:49 pm
Look at the guy coming out of Kentucky this year Deone Walker he looks pretty good and similar in the way he plays but with how the Bucs are doing he won’t be there
October 1st, 2024 at 3:01 am
BTW they flagged the big man for holding two….thats 2.0 three hundred plus pound O linemen Sunday. I would be embarrassed if I were one of those dudes. Just saying…
Go Bucs!