Todd Bowles: Vita Vea Having His Best Season
December 26th, 2024
“Lavonte, I’m going to squish that guard like the cockroach I put in your locker.”
Joe notices several commenters who gripe on this here site that beastly Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea sometimes takes games off.
Some games Vea is a wrecking ball. Other times, commenters type, Vea goes into hibernation.
Well, Bucs coach Todd Bowles doesn’t want to hear any of that smack.
Tuesday, Bowles told the gathered Tampa Bay pen and mic club that Vea has been an absolute force this year. In fact, Bowles added he doesn’t believe he’s seen the Pro Bowler play better.
“I think it’s probably the best year I’ve seen him have since I’ve been here, and this is my sixth year having him,” Bowles said. “From coming back in shape to playing hard every week to using his hands more and becoming more of an unstoppable force.”
Well, this comment makes Joe wonder if Vea wasn’t always fully buying in. Why else cite how he came into training camp in shape? Why mention how he’s now using his hands more — unless he wasn’t previously in shape and wasn’t previously coached to use his hands?
Bowles continued bragging about Vea.
“He used to just use brute strength without using technique, and then he’d get stuck a few times, but right now, he’s got the whole gamut working,” Bowles said. “He drops [into coverage] once or twice when we ask him to, he rushes the passer well when they single him, he plays the run, he causes havoc inside. Between all the records and everything, he’s having a heck of a year.”
Joe thought NBC and PFF tribe-owning Cris Collinsworth captured Bucs’ fans feelings Sunday night when Vea damn near saved the game against the Cowboys.
Collinsworth said when he sees tackles drop back into coverage, he moans. But because of that (an accident?) Vea was able to make a bone-crushing tackle to force the Cowboys off the field and give the ball back to the Bucs.
Joe’s guessing when Dallas tight end Jake Ferguson got splattered by Vea, he wondered what model Ford pickup from Bill Currie Ford hit him.
December 26th, 2024 at 12:09 am
And with a better coach Vita is a look Hall of Famer.
December 26th, 2024 at 12:43 am
Wow he must have good fundamentals. Thankfully he wasn’t coached up by Bowles and his staff
December 26th, 2024 at 2:01 am
FFS… “he drops back into coverage when we ask him to.” That may well be the stupidest thing Bowles has said yet.
December 26th, 2024 at 2:14 am
We will need him to stop Chuba Hubbard on Sunday. It is likely to rain and both sides may be eager to get their run game going. I prefer to see Vea playing run stopper defense and pressuring up the middle instead of in coverage. There is forecast for lightning and rain so it will be playing a factor, still a ways out so it may change.
December 26th, 2024 at 4:40 am
That picture and caption are awesome!
Interesting Coach Bowles mentioned Vea coming back in shape too. I enjoy watching Vea on the field. Hope he crushes it strong this Sunday.
December 26th, 2024 at 8:30 am
Hes delusional idiot the whole defense especially the d line is horrible all season long this goes to show why he should be terminated at the end of the season
December 26th, 2024 at 8:40 am
The whole defense is not having a “heck of a year” at all. Individual players having good plays here and there means absolutely not when we lose the game. Winning the football game is the goal and our defense prevents us from doing that way to often. That should be the only measuring stick we are using for ” having a great”season”
December 26th, 2024 at 8:42 am
Todd Bowles: Too clever by half.
December 26th, 2024 at 10:21 am
When “dropping back into coverage” is at the top of your list…
Smdh 🤦🏻♂️
December 26th, 2024 at 10:44 am
Vita is having a Good Year, but not All World! With all the Injuries at LB and the secondary, the DL should be a Force, but I don’t see it.
I have respect for Bowles but he needs to go