Bucs Shouldn’t Risk Vita Vea
September 20th, 2024
Let him rest.
It blows Joe’s mind that Bucs Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea could bounce back this quickly from a knee injury.
And the way Joe looks at it, it may be too early.
It what seems an extraordinary rebound, Bucs coach Todd Bowles said the Bucs Pro Bowl defensive tackle could play Sunday.
Vea, who reportedly suffered an MCL sprain Sunday at Detroit, has yet to be ruled out for Sunday, Bowles said.
But why let Vea sit? Let Joe spell it out:
Joe thinks the Bucs should be able to handle the Broncos without both Calijah Kancey and Vea. Think about it: The Bucs held the high-flying Lions on the road to 10 points in the second half without Vea, who was injured early in the second half.
If the Bucs defense can handle a strong offense that has a ferocious offensive line with a proven veteran quarterback like Detroit has, the Bucs should be able to handle Denver , which has a hapless offense with a shat running game and a rookie quarterback making his third start of his career.
Joe thought when Vea went down, at best he’d be gone a couple of weeks. Now, it seems Vea may not miss a game. So, yeah, on face value, this is incredible. In November of 2021 Vea missed one game with the same injury.
Joe would much rather Vea sit out the game and be healthy for the Eagles a week from Sunday. And the two games after that are both divisional road games — at the slimy Saints and at the Dixie Chicks.
Joe would rather be safe than sorry. Let Vea’s knee heal.
The Bucs will need him for the seven-game stretch after this Sunday until the team reaches the bye week, perhaps the most important series of games this season.
Update on #buccaneers Vita Vea + his status this week pic.twitter.com/VutbY3STf0
— Maura (@mauracareyNFL) September 20, 2024
September 20th, 2024 at 1:31 pm
Totally agree with you Joe.
September 20th, 2024 at 1:32 pm
Agree
September 20th, 2024 at 1:32 pm
Agreed.
September 20th, 2024 at 1:44 pm
Agree. Let him sit this one out.
September 20th, 2024 at 1:47 pm
It’s all smoke
September 20th, 2024 at 1:48 pm
Could not agree more. Let him get some reps in this week and see how the knee reacts to that. If all good, ease him into being able to possibly play against the Eagles. If the Bucs can only get Kancey back to let Vea rest just a little longer.
September 20th, 2024 at 1:49 pm
Let the man rest!
September 20th, 2024 at 1:50 pm
You would think the Bucs don’t have any team doctors.
September 20th, 2024 at 1:55 pm
Its possible this is coach-speak – as in the Bucs have no intention of playing Vita this week – but why not let Peyton and his offensive coaches waste time scheming for Vea….
Or – its also possible that the knee strain was mild and is responding well to treatment and with a brace for support Vea can play and be effective….
We shall see – but yea – better safe than sorry in this case is my opinion too….
September 20th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
If he is healthy, he needs to play. Needs to stay sharp and shoulder the work along with the rest of the defense. Bucs should never take an opponent lightly. Especially one with a rookie QB.
September 20th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Thanks, Dr. Joe. Let me guess…you stayed at a Holiday Inn last night?
September 20th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Let him sit we have gauntlet after the broncos
September 20th, 2024 at 2:03 pm
No one is going undefeated this year. If the Super Bowls the goal sit all of them even Skule can play against these Broncos. Live in Colorado Springs this is not a good Broncos team even the locals know it. The few season ticket holders I know are mad saying Russell Wilson would have won last week (if the fans can clearly see that imagine the locker room talk we are not hearing about yet) and he’s getting paid this year anyways. Bucs should coast easily this week which is perfect for a trap game in the NFL but the depth proved against the Lions they can ball. I expect 2 picks hopefully 1 for 6 as Bo Nix can’t really complete anything beyond 5-10yrds downfield in the NFL so far. Greg Gains has come in and done a more than competant job and maybe Logan Hall can Show up finally? Maybe? Hopefully….
September 20th, 2024 at 2:03 pm
Mind games for Peyton. Make him plan Vea
September 20th, 2024 at 2:11 pm
Yes let him rest.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:13 pm
The Broncos will give the Bucs everything the Bucs can handle. Bucs struggled to beat Carolina twice last year. Fearful of the big win letdown.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Vita could possibly play but not the paper tiger Kancey. What a wasted first rd pick. I’m sick of that guy already.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:17 pm
If he says the knee is fine…then by all means let him play the game.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:23 pm
Bucs4evr … ‘Bucs should never take an opponent lightly.’
Agree 100%. ASSUMING that Vea is cleared to play, I’d suit him up but not play him unless we were in imminent danger of losing because their offense was sticking it to us. Gaines did an admirable job last Sunday against the Lions (66 def snaps). That’s as many def snaps as in any normal ball game total. Plus Brewer & Greene should be available. We’d be ‘light’ in the middle of the DLine, but Denver has only produced 163 rushing yards on 44 runs in 2 games.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:32 pm
Save him
For Philly.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:35 pm
It tells me that he wasn’t really hurt. He just tweaked it and they held him out of the game to be cautious. I say if he can play he should play
September 20th, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Brace him up and put him in there, he will know what he can handle.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:38 pm
Reddick will either be signed or traded by this weekend. No Reddick no Super Bowl. Come on Licht!!
September 20th, 2024 at 2:39 pm
Yes indeed let them chill!! Go Bucs!!!! One week and go in there and really do some damage, like Jensen. Funny thing seeing Baker run, he makes me think of someone running down the street with bullets flying. Lol. But he’s a little faster than Brady haha 🤣
September 20th, 2024 at 2:41 pm
As someone who has had multiple knee injuries and surgeries, you should rest him. I’ve sprained my knee and the one time I didn’t rest my knee because
I was in charge and on a training deployment, I ended up tearing my acl. Rest him. As a fan who looks at Broncos, if we can’t beat them without Vita, then we have bigger problems.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:44 pm
Acting like we have the luxury to sit our best players when they can go is crazy. There’s only 17 weeks in a season, every game counts. The Broncos may not be elite, but they’re still an NFL team. They also happen to have the best pass D in the league so far. We aren’t the ‘72 Dolphins, we need to try to win every game possible.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:47 pm
With or without….. Bucs 37 Broncos 10
September 20th, 2024 at 2:49 pm
I would be fine with not seeing Vea, Kancey and Winfield until week 5. Fresh bodies on the short week for a divisional game would be nice unless they have too much rust to shake off.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:51 pm
This is not a guaranteed win for the Bucs. They still have win it on the field. Games like this is what got Gruden fired…….remember the 9-3 Bucs…..running away with the division. And only cream puffs left on the schedule……the Bucs loss all 4 games. The last game was the clincher……they lost to the lowly Raiders and JeMarcus Russell…….and the Glazers fired Gruden first thing Monday morning…
September 20th, 2024 at 2:55 pm
Would be less worried about Vea if we had a pass rush but oh well I’m not surprised at all. Outside of yaya and Kancey licht and Bowles actually thought they had the squad they needed to dominate the trenches. Vea is a space eater we’re gonna miss him get ready for the eagles tush push
September 20th, 2024 at 2:55 pm
And that kind of thinking Joe is where Teams get beat in what’s called a Trap game.
Come off an emotional victory against a team that was more responsible for losing than a team winning. Go into the next game with an inflated sense of self. going in with an of it’s the Broncos for crying out loud. Put the second string out there is exactly the wrong thing to do.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:56 pm
Wagering lineup for week 3:
Week 1 2-3
Week 2 1-1 Won with Packers; Lost with Giants
Week 3:
Denver +7 Too many points. Denver must win to save season. This is the NFL!
Packers +3 Best underdog coach in the NFL.
Eagles +3 Saints are for real but Eagles have a better roster.
NY Giants +6.5 Assume they have a kicker this week.
Carolina +5 Highly motivated!
Chargers +1.5 Two well coached teams. Can’t trust Fields.
September 20th, 2024 at 2:58 pm
MORE CONCERNED ABOUT GOEDEKE
Baker got killed last week. He can’t play many games like that. I’m guessing Coen knows that, too.
September 20th, 2024 at 3:01 pm
Bo Nix can’t really complete anything beyond 5-10yrds downfield in the NFL so far….Josh
Watch Bo Nix look like potential ROY this week. Trap game, injuries, rookie QB = typical game for Bucs to do a face plant. We have seen it before…multiple times.
September 20th, 2024 at 3:04 pm
Fans are too hyped up on the 2-0 Buccaneers. If they were healthy, I could understand it. But they are not. Denver lost to two teams that are 2-0 and were in both games in the 4th quarter. This is the NFL. Raiders won in Baltimore! New England won in Cincinnati; Atlanta won in Philly. All three were big underdogs as were the Buccaneers. The NFL is a game sandwiched between two vital NFC rivals.
Buyer beware!
Vea will not play.
September 20th, 2024 at 3:07 pm
Fully agree. Vita needs to sit out this week.
September 20th, 2024 at 3:10 pm
Let’s get out of Denver game injury free for week 4 please
September 20th, 2024 at 3:11 pm
Bucs better take this game seriously. Let the rookie QB look all world and they will have their collective azzes handed to them. We have seen it before.
September 20th, 2024 at 3:19 pm
Bronco’s right tackle McGlinchey is OUT!!!!!
This is the game where we make up for our lack of sacks so far this year!!!!!
I saw JTS & Ya-Ya swapping sides back & forth last week.
Whoever is on their back-up RT needs to have a Hutchinson type day!!!
Pressure on Bo Nix ALL DAY from that side!!!
LFG!!!
September 20th, 2024 at 3:47 pm
If he can play, he should play.
Never take an NFL game lightly. Any given Sunday and all that. The Bucs have proven they can lose to rookie QBs, and Sean Payton knows the Bucs well.
September 20th, 2024 at 3:53 pm
He dropped that weight and it’s easy for him to get around take it from a guy who was bigger he is up moving around because he doesn’t have to carry the extra
September 20th, 2024 at 3:55 pm
I’d rather trust the doctors and their fancy MRI machines and feedback from the player over a blog speculating on injuries. But what do I know. 🤷♂️
September 20th, 2024 at 4:26 pm
I’d rather lose this game and have a healthy Vea later. This is one we should win, but we’ll need Vea for the Aints and that rough stretch later.
September 20th, 2024 at 4:41 pm
screw rest this isnt the nba.
September 20th, 2024 at 4:43 pm
Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix is 5-of-24 on passes thrown beyond 10 yards this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. All four of his interceptions have also come on pass attempts beyond 10 yards. I’m not trying to be rude just stating facts. I said myself this is a typical trap game but even if it is like I also said we were never going undefeated this year it’s smarter to sit our injured starters long term if we really think this is a team with super bowl asperations.
September 20th, 2024 at 4:44 pm
We have a comment on here from someone who lives in Colorado Springs. Did you all read it? The commenter expects the Bucs to win. I would like to know why Denver hired Payton with his character record? Bowles is letting VV decide if he’s playing. Bucs will be ready. Still, sure will be nice if Kancey ever shows up??
September 20th, 2024 at 5:01 pm
Let the man rest and heal. His play will be much more critical the following week when we travel to Philly and take on the Eagles. They will be looking for revenge.
I think Bowles realizes it’s the safe move to let him rest his knee another week.
September 20th, 2024 at 5:12 pm
Denver hired Sean Payton despite past controversies, like the “Bountygate” scandal, because of his proven track record of success in the NFL. His ability to innovate offensively, develop quarterbacks, and lead teams to victory, including a Super Bowl win with the Aints. These factors made him an appealing choice as the Broncos are looking for a turnaround, and Payton’s experience and leadership skills are seen as key to revitalizing the franchise, outweighing concerns about his past. Ultimately he was hired to “fix” Russell Wilson that didn’t work out and now there pot committed.
September 20th, 2024 at 7:24 pm
Chill Big Vita. There are bigger fish for you to fry down the road.
September 20th, 2024 at 7:53 pm
And that’s why you’re a blogger, Joe. Stick to that.
September 20th, 2024 at 9:42 pm
If he can play then play ! I’m sure he’ll play if he feels like he can help. And boy he can help. Only way he doesn’t play is if Doc says it’ll cause more damage. If he can play 20 snaps that would really help.
September 21st, 2024 at 1:59 am
He ain’t playing
September 22nd, 2024 at 1:08 pm
Here to say and just like that Bo Nix has 2 20+ yrd completions like he can play obviously he made it to the NFL so clearly we arnt super bowl ready yet even if we win this drive alone shows Patrick Mahomes would eat this team apart apparently.