For a moment, let’s imagine that the teams in the Super Bowl each get to choose one player off the opposing squad to add to their teams for the game. One player to shore up a weakness — or to make a strength even stronger. (For the sake of allowing us to stretch our brains, both quarterbacks are off limits here.)
Picking a player to put on the Chiefs team was a bit difficult. They don’t really need anymore firepower on offense, but picking just one player to take from the Buccaneers defense is tough because there are so many options. Considering the state of the Chiefs linebackers, Devin White or Lavonte David would be reasonable choices.
However, the Chiefs could create a defensive tackle group that would detonate the line of scrimmage and make life hell for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers’ offensive line by poaching defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Vea missed a good chunk of the season with a fractured ankle, but when he’s been on the field he’s been an extreme force to be reckoned with for the Buccaneers. The dude is pushing 350 pounds and he almost ran a sub-five second 40-yard dash — just insane for a man of that size. That athleticism and explosiveness is littered all over film from the Buccaneers.
Vea can ruin single blocks in the run game because NFL offensive linemen simply struggle to match his strength.
His bull rush is impossible to stop once he gets going, making him a rare pass rusher for a nose tackle.
Even though Vea is explosive and can create plays all by himself, he excels at creating plays for White, David, and the other Buccaneers defenders because of how he eats up blocks at the line of scrimmage.
Vea would be a clear upgrade next to Chris Jones on the interior of the Chiefs defensive line. Derrick Nnadi and Mike Pennel are solid run defenders that deserve a spot in the rotation, but neither of them possess the raw, unique level of talent that Vea does.
The Chiefs really struggled against the run during the regular season. According to Ben Baldwin of The Athletic, the Chiefs defense ranked 27th in expected points per rush (0.011) and 25th in rushing success rate (44.3%). The Chiefs were one of seven teams to give up positive numbers in terms of expected points added per rush.
So yeah, this is an area that could be a dangerous spot for the Chiefs during the Super Bowl. Over the course of a season, teams can generally get away with porous run defense, but in a one-game sample that sort of weakness can really come back to bite you. Vea would make stopping the Buccaneers running game much easier for the Chiefs.
The Buccaneers ranked 10th in terms of expected points added per rush on offense (-0.031), but just 21st in rushing success rate (39.9%). Tampa Bay’s running game has the capability to rip off chunks on the ground, but wasn’t all that consistent on a down-to-down basis.
You know what would help with that? A behemoth nose tackle that can shut down any running play you throw at him. That’s what makes this an enticing add to the Chiefs defense. This isn’t an impossible run game to slow down like the Ravens or the Titans. Adding Vea would make slowing down the Buccaneers running game a rather feasible task and one that would make the Buccaneers’ offense one-dimensional.
In this scenario, there is the risk that the Buccaneers would just quit on the run game and air it out with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski, but at least it would make defensive playcalling a bit easier for the Chiefs.
The finesse and speed Jones can bring as a pass rusher paired with the dynamite punches that Vea packs would be insane to watch — and make winning Super Bowl 55 a little bit easier for the Chiefs.
But who would the Chiefs be losing in this imaginary scenario? The answer might be different than you expect.