Are Vita Vea And Akiem Hicks Co-Defensive MVPs?
January 8th, 2023
Bucs struggle without him.
People have different definitions of an MVP. Some consider it to be a team’s best player. Others consider it to be a team’s most important player. Yes, there’s a difference.
Last year Vita Vea made the Pro Bowl. The year prior, Vea was a huge reason why the Bucs beat the Packers and Chiefs when he came back from his broken ankle for the Super Bowl run.
Consider the Bucs’ record when they are missing one of their stud defensive tackles, Akiem Hicks and Vea. When the Bucs have the services of both, the Bucs are 6-1.
When either Hicks or Vea don’t play, the Bucs are 2-8. Today, the Bucs didn’t have Vea. They lost.
To be fair, the starters were mostly pulled by the second half. So Joe cannot pin the blame for the loss on Vea being declared out last week.
Given how different the Bucs’ record is when Hicks and Vea are on the field together and when one misses a game, you could argue those two are the defensive MVP’s this season.
January 8th, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Vea has been fighting injuries the whole year……so it’s not really fair to be down on Vea.
But Hicks……now this seems like a wasted pick.
January 8th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
……Hicks…..free agent signing ^^^^^ 🤣
January 8th, 2023 at 4:56 pm
Vea is a great player but always hurt and Akeem can also be fragile here and there. Best ability is availability and hopefully they can stay healthy because it gets frustrating not having them out there together playing.
January 8th, 2023 at 4:56 pm
Try a game with LVD or White missing……glad we don’t have to.
Is there really anyone here that thinks the Falcons would have beaten our starters?
We didn’t have Evans, Wirfs….Vea, Davis….D Smith….much of Lenny…..
Didn’t have Julio….but we are used to that…..He was “down by the schoolyard”
January 8th, 2023 at 5:07 pm
Give everyone a “participation trophy” just for showing up.
January 8th, 2023 at 5:07 pm
There is only one MVP on this team and it’s not even close
But I get your point and see the question as rhetorical 👍
January 8th, 2023 at 5:09 pm
On another note Sam Howell and the Commanders are slapping the Cowgirls around early
January 8th, 2023 at 5:11 pm
Earth to the Bucs: You have the perfect QB of the future! First three plays:
1. Lethargic handoff up the middle- -minimal gain (surprise).
2. Overthrown pass
3. Bad pass to the flat!
Trask is obviously the Bucs’ man they are looking for to replace Brady.
Sigh.
January 8th, 2023 at 5:12 pm
UGH!…
Just saw a report that Jim Harbaugh interested in the Panthers job…
IF that happens, Panthers will be a migraine next season and IF the Bucs keep Bowels, they will have so little of a chance in the division!
January 8th, 2023 at 5:12 pm
Sam Howell just threw a stupid interception in the end zone bro ! 🤣
January 8th, 2023 at 5:15 pm
Hey……layoff Trask……he’s playing with all 3rd stringers…..
Now if he was doing bad with all starters…..that’s another story
January 8th, 2023 at 5:15 pm
Bucs defense has given up almost 2000 yards rushing this season. Run defense hasn’t been the same. They need to find a way and stop teams from running .
January 8th, 2023 at 5:15 pm
Omg…..Washington just scored off of a pick 6 from Dak Prescott
January 8th, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Anyone, with a football IQ above room temperature, know why the Bucs have been any good, or even relevant.
January 8th, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Tye i still don’t know what harbaugh would find interesting about the panthers job. They have no QB.
January 8th, 2023 at 5:16 pm
All it matters now if the Bucs play good in the playoffs….
January 8th, 2023 at 5:20 pm
Cowboys are stinking up the joint so far. Parsons got dinged. Dak threw a pick 6.
January 8th, 2023 at 5:21 pm
Dak is playing horrible and so are the whole Cowboys team too
January 8th, 2023 at 5:24 pm
I answer to your query Joe, the acronym tells you what MVP means – valuable, not necessarily best!
January 8th, 2023 at 5:24 pm
Cowboys are overrated every year but they might just pick up a playoff win against this loser toilet bowles.
January 8th, 2023 at 5:26 pm
That’s a low bar man
January 8th, 2023 at 5:33 pm
I think it’s safe to say, there’s no need to schedule the caterer, for the SuperBowl this year.
January 8th, 2023 at 5:33 pm
@ AmauryGuzman
We get it…..you hate Bowles…….but
You realize that’s it’s Todd Bowles defense that has been keeping the games close all year long because the offense has stunk so bad…….
January 8th, 2023 at 5:42 pm
TheBucsAnthem the bucs defense has been a tad overrated. When they have played good teams they have given up the points. Rushing defense hasn’t been the same as well.
January 8th, 2023 at 5:42 pm
Neither Hicks or Vea can stay on the field long enough to be MVP. You don’t get an award for missing so many games or snaps.
January 8th, 2023 at 5:44 pm
AmauryGuzman
That is your opinion… you have a right to it…
Matt Corral got hurt and went on IR all season… Corral might be the Panthers future under good coachng!
January 8th, 2023 at 5:50 pm
Matt Corral? Come on dude get serious. Anyway i think he would go to Denver before carolina .
January 8th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
Just remember, it was Bowles defense that helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl.
Since we are pointing fingers.
The Bucs Defense has allowed fewer points each year, since then.
January 8th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
This was well on its way to being a win until the practice squad took over. I’m ok with it, just hoping the weak Bucs psyche can handle the scrubs swallows the whole hog like that.
January 8th, 2023 at 6:51 pm
Beer Whisperer, the Super Bowl winning defense was greatly assisted by the presence of JPP, Suh, etc. The team was still hungry for a title, they were more all-in with Brady (with Gronk etc), and Bucs did benefit from favorable matchups and circumstances to get them into position.
It is more relevant to address how Bowles’ “great” defense lost vs. the Rams, are still making the same boneheaded mistakes, including the now-jaded veterans, and have been mediocre this season. All on Bowles. There are less “talented” teams that play much better than this one does, because they are better coached.
January 8th, 2023 at 7:44 pm
Defensive MVP is Winfield Jr, go look at their record when he didn’t play, or got injured in a game.
Vita is, and always will be, nothing more than a part time player. Unless he’s willing to lose about 50lbs, so he gets down to around 330lb, he’s never going to be much more than a novelty player who makes some good run stuffs in the 1st and 2nd quarter, but mostly spends his time on the sidelines trying to get his breath back. BTW I like Vita and think he’s a good player, that’s why I want him to lose weight, so he can play more than 54% of defensive snaps and actually be on the field in critical situations.
January 8th, 2023 at 8:19 pm
In my opinion, Hicks had his best game as a Buc today. He owned Lindstrom and he was letting everyone know about it. His motivation and technique is always to be debated but today he showed up. Definitely gives me hope for the playoffs cause when he wants to play he can dominate.
January 8th, 2023 at 9:29 pm
Start trask in 2023 and we’ll have #1 pk in 2024 and bucs beat cowboys 100%
January 8th, 2023 at 10:11 pm
No one should get excited. Todd Blowes and Bmoron Leftard are still in charge.
January 8th, 2023 at 11:59 pm
Tye Says
“UGH!…
Just saw a report that Jim Harbaugh interested in the Panthers job…”
Far too soon to worry about that stuff. Heck, Patriots could fire Bill tomorrow! 😉