vita vea – Syndication Server

Bucs HC Todd Bowles likes the improvements he has seen on defense

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have found a way to play winning football in recent weeks. One major reason is the defense. From the starters to the rotational players, everyone has been making plays, allowing the Bucs’ offense to remain on the field and …

Everyone is doing their part and on Wednesday, Todd Bowles was asked about the improvements that the group has made during the win streak.

In the eyes of Bowles, nothing crazy is happening, the team is just doing their jobs. He said it comes down to, “Just the understanding of the game. There [weren’t] that many big plays going down the field. I don’t like the one tackle we missed on the third-and-2-or-3 that we had right there, but for the most part, they followed the gameplan. They finished [the] two-minute [situation], which was important for us on defense. The offense did a good job two weeks ago; the defense did a good job this week.”

Going against the Chargers on Sunday is going to be a tough task for this group. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has only thrown one interception this year and he is playing at an elite level. This team doing the basics is nice but someone will have to make some extraordinary plays on Sunday.

5 key takeaways from the Bucs 28-13 win over the Raiders

The Bucs are 7-6, there are some things that fans should keep their eyes on as we are closing in on the home stretch of the regular season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers walked into Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders needing a huge win. This is not because the Raiders are in the midst of a mid-season rebuild but because a win would put this Buccaneers team over .500 for the first time since they fell to 4-4 following their second loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

While the boxscore displays what appears to be a lopsided 28-13 victory, pushing the Bucs to 7-6, there are some things that fans should keep their eyes on as we are closing in on the home stretch of the regular season. Here are five key takeaways from the Buccaneers Week 14 win.

Live and Die by Baker Mayfield

For all of the great things that Bucs QB Baker Mayfield brings to the table, there is also an erratic counterpart, ala a modern-day Brett Favre. Mayfield’s 3329 passing yards and 28 TDs are each, respectively, the third-most in the NFL. His 13 interceptions put him right behind the leader in interceptions, the Falcons’ Kirk Cousin- who has 15. You can argue that a lot of this has to do with Chris Godwin not being available, as Mayfield and Godwin had a top-tier connection.

To put into context just how good that connection was, Godwin had only played in seven games this season and was the team’s leader in receiving yards until Week 14. Godwin’s 50 receptions are currently still the second-most on the team behind TE Cade Otton’s 57. Both sides of the coin, mixed in with his personality, make Mayfield one of the most polarizing players in the league. He is both fun and frustrating to watch, oftentimes within the same game.

With a defense that is still trying to find its way and navigating injuries, the Buccaneers are a lot more reliant on its quarterback play than some other teams in the NFL.

Increased defensive-line snaps

It’s been observed week in and week out that Todd Bowles plays his defensive line with some odd rotations, namely keeping Yaya Diaby, Vita Vea, and Calijah Kancey on what appears to be snap count restrictions. Sunday’s contest saw upticks to 79% for Diaby and 70% for Vea, and a 66% snap count for Kancey. The Bucs are now a Top 10 team in total sacks with 35 on the year, and Diaby’s 52 pressures have him with the eighth-most in the NFL.

As the Buccaneers’ defense battles injuries in its secondary, it’s imperative for Bowles to continue to increase the snap counts for his best defensive linemen into pressuring quarterbacks to make quicker decisions to help his younger and less experienced set of defensive backs.

Liam Coen’s unconventional passing offensive success

Piggy-backing off of Mayfield, the carousel in the backfield, and one true, reliable target at wide receiver, the Buccaneers offense is Among the top three in yards per game at 379.2 and fifth in points per game, averaging 27.9. For all of the questions surrounding this Bucs offense, offensive coordinator Liam Coen has displayed an innate ability to generate a lot of yards and a lot of points on a regular basis. Against the Raiders, Mayfield had seven different targets, with five of those seven having more than three targets each.

Evans is always going to draw attention from opposing defenses, and Otton is toeing the line between a mid-tier and top-tier tight end. Outside of that, which receivers are stepping up? This is where Coen’s playcalling is standing out. With such a youthful and unproven wide receiver room outside of Evans, no single player needs to play with the weight on their shoulders of needing to step up and have a huge game. Jalen McMillian saw seven targets for the second time this season and logged two touchdowns against the Raiders, however he had just five total targets in the previous two games combined.

Playing in rotational roles is clearly proving successful as the Buccaneers offense continues rolling.

The defense is tightening up

Yes, they played the 25th-ranked offense, but you play who you are scheduled to play. Bowles’s defense held the Raiders to under 100 rushing yards and under 200 passing yards with a depleted linebacking group, losing Antoine Winfield without Jordan Whitehead and Mike Edwards, just to name a few.

Just a week prior, they gave up a lot more to the Carolina Panthers, but divisional games are meant to be closer and more difficult; that should not be a tell-tale sign- unless you’re allowing a quarterback to have a career day in his 13th year. Despite having three turnovers on offense, holding the Raiders offense to under 300 total yards and only 13 points is noteworthy.

Anyone can get an “A”; it’s keeping it that’s the hard part

“It’s one thing getting to first place. It’s a whole other thing staying there,” coach Bowles said after Sunday’s game, as the Buccaneers took over first place in the NFC South. It was a tale of two halves for the Buccaneers offense, but the defense, which has been a liability at times this season, remained grounded and held up their end of the deal.

With four tough games remaining on their schedule, including two division games, the Buccaneers are eyeing their fourth-straight division title, but it won’t be easy, especially not having a tiebreaker over the Falcons. The Bucs’ remaining opponents have a combined record over 21-30, while the Falcons are 15-37, with only the Washington Commanders, the only team remaining that has more than four wins through Week 14 of the season.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles praises Vita Vea’s performance in 2024

This week, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles spoke about the dominance he has displayed this season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have loved the growth of defensive lineman Vita Vea over the years. Through 11 games of the 2024 season, Vea is looking like one of the best interior defensive lineman in the league today.

This week, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles spoke about the dominance he has displayed this season.

“I mean, he has a good season every year for me. It’s not about the Pro Bowl, it’s about helping us win and the accolades will come as they come. . .In my opinion, he’s playing good football, he’s got the sacks to show it – that’s not the whole story that it tells because he’s destroying the middle and he’s keeping us in ballgames.”

Pro Bowl voting opened this week and Bowles also discussed how Vea has been deserving of a spot In past years but recognizes that a team’s record plays a role. If the Bucs can win a couple more games and Vea plays a part then perhaps we can see him being apart of Eli or Peyton Manning’s team.

Pro Bowl Voting is now open, vote for your favorite Bucs players

On Monday, the NFL announced that Pro Bowl voting is now open which means you can vote for your favorite Bucs players.

The Pro Bowl has had its ups and downs over the years, but it has never ceased to give us memorable moments. From Sean Taylor derailing a punter on a trick play to Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson toying with defenders in flag football, we get memories out of these events, and you, the fans, get to decide who makes those for you.

On Monday, the NFL announced that Pro Bowl voting is now open, which means you can vote for your favorite Bucs players.

Most positions allow you to vote for up to six players in each of them. On offense, you have so many options from Baker Mayfield to Tristan Wirfs to Cade Otton. This offense has so many pieces that Bucs fans can vote for and should so make sure you don’t forget anyone.

On defense, we haven’t had much success, but a player like Vita Vea is emerging as one of the best interior pass-rushers in the NFL. Lavonte David has been a monster this year as his Hall of Fame career enters it’s last chapter.

It is also worth mentioning Chase McLaughlin is 17 for 18 kicking this year and is a whopping 7 for 8 from 50+ yards. He has been pivotal to this team’s success this year on special teams, so don’t forget him.

5 key takeaways from the Bucs lopsided 30-7 win over the Giants

The Bucs came to East Rutherford, New Jersey, desperate for a win, as they had lost their previous four games before last week’s bye.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to East Rutherford, New Jersey, desperate for a win, as they had lost their previous four games before last week’s bye.

Not only did the Todd Bowles team come out of the bye week looking refreshed, they made a statement on all sides of the ball, improving to 5-6 on the year and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Here are five key takeaways from today’s 30-7 win over the Giants.

Bucky Irving is RB1

The Buccaneers are known around the league as a team that struggles to run the football. Part of the issue is the running back by committee approach that Liam Coen runs. It’s impossible for any of the Bucs RBs to become “the hot hand” and get something going on the ground when they are constantly being rotated out (this is also covered later on the defensive side). Bucky Irving has been the clear-cut RB1 for the Buccaneers for the last handful of games, and it seems like the only ones that cannot see that are on the Bucs sideline. Totaling only 12 of the team’s 28 designed carries, Irving led the backfield with 87 yards- an average of 7.3 yards per carry. Irving tied Mike Evans with six receptions for the team lead, not only effective on the ground, netting 64 receiving yards. It was understood how dangerous Rachaad White was catching passes out the back. However, Irving has proven to be just as, if not better, at being a pass-catching back than White.

Keep your best players on the field

Throughout the season, namely the four-game losing streak, Bowles was rarely keeping his best defensive line players on the field at the same time. All too often, Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, and Yaya Diaby were around the mid-60 % of defensive snaps played, which is unacceptable for your star players, who are healthy, to see snap counts that low. This game proved to be different, and while the official snap counts are not out, it was a noticeable effort to keep their best players on the field, and it made a distinct difference, registering four sacks of Tommy DeVito.

Mike Evans opens up the offense

Needless to say, one of the best Buccaneers players in the history of the franchise is a good player. However, it was extremely apparent as Mayfield was able to effectively spread the ball around. Mayfield connected with 11 different players, completing 24 of 30 for 294 yards on the day. The Giants have the best-passing defense that they have faced in the last five games in terms of yards allowed, which begs the question, was it a mistake not to try and trade for another well-established wide receiver when Evans went down?

Playing with urgency

The Buccaneers never let up off the gas throughout the game, no matter what the score was, which is proving to be the recipe for success. Against the Falcons in their Week 5 OT loss, it was a winnable game had the playcalling been more urgent rather than designed screen passes. The controversy of not going for two and not attempting to win against the Kansas City Chiefs in regulation. Not having anyone to catch passes that were not a running back or Cade Otton over that four-game stretch showed that this team has the talent to play with and beat the best that the NFL has to offer. However, they just seem to go on cruise control at the wrong time. Today was not the case and should be the blueprint for the Bucs for the remainder of the season, as they are on the bubble of making the playoffs.

Outcoaching bad coaches

Bowles is not a bad coach. He may be too conservative and make calls that those of us who are not on the sidelines question, but he is not a bad coach. Brian Daboll is not a good coach, and Bowles stepped up and outcoached the Giants. Mistakes are going to happen, as no team, player, or coach is perfect, but continuing to play with urgency and Bowles stepping up and outcoaching the remaining six coaches that the team plays against to close out the regular season is something that needs to happen.

Gimme Him: One player Giants would steal from Buccaneers

The New York Giants are often exposed when Dexter Lawrence is off the field, so stealing this Buccaneers nose tackle would certainly help.

The New York Giants (2-8) will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday afternoon.

That, of course, provides those of us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Buccaneers’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue for the second time this season.

In going over Tampa Bay’s roster, there doesn’t appear to be an abundance to choose from. Most of the Bucs’ top stars play positions the Giants aren’t in desperate need to improve.

Options include offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, quarterback Baker Mayfield, edge rusher Yaya Diaby, and cornerback Zyon McCollum.

McCollum was very nearly the choice but it’s hard to tell if his 2024 success is an anomaly or if he’s truly turned a corner and will be a viable long-term starter. The Giants certainly have a need at cornerback but he feels too risky.

Ultimately, we opted to go with nose tackle Vita Vea, who is still on the right side of 30 and would help the Giants in a variety of ways.

Although Vea is not an elite run defender, he is above-average in that department and provides a solid pass rush from the interior. And you might be thinking, “Why would the Giants need that when they have Dexter Lawrence?”

The answer is simple: They have nothing other than that and are routinely exposed when Lawrence is off the field.

Vea would not only serve as a sub option for Lawrence, but he could also line up alongside him and help strengthen the unit as a whole.

In nine games this season, Vea has recorded 31 tackles (20 solo, eight for a loss), one pass defensed, seven QB hits, and 5.0 sacks. And those 5.0 sacks are more than all Giants defensive tackles outside of Lawrence have combined (4.0).

What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Would you pick Vita Vea or would you steal an entirely different player from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

[lawrence-related id=736162,736155,736151]

Vita Vea’s pass rush ability ranks among the best in the NFL in 2024

Vita Vea has stepped up and become a bonafide game-wrecker for the Bucs’ defense, especially in the pass rush game.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are having some inconsistent play out of their edge rushers this year. Joe Tyron-Shoyika and Yaya Diaby have flashed in moments, but they haven’t had a chance to find much consistent success.

In their absence, Vita Vea has stepped up and become a bonafide game-wrecker for the Bucs’ defense, especially in the pass rush game.

Vea is tied for second among interior defensive linemen with five sacks on the year. His career high is 6.5, and he is on pace for 7.5 with seven games left to play.

The pass rush has been tremendous for the defensive front seven of the Bucs. They have not been able to generate consistent pass-rush ability, but Vea has remained a constant.

Outside of his work rushing the passer, he has also been getting the backfield to defend the run with 31 tackles, seven quarterback hits, and a career-high eight tackles for loss.

5 key takeways from the Bucs 23-20 loss to the 49ers

In a game that was not nearly as close as the scoreboard would indicate, here are 5 key takeaways as the Bucs continue to look for answers.

In what was sort of a midseason battle of attrition of under-performing teams between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers, the Buccaneers once again fell short, this time in regulation as Jake Moody hit a game-winning FG as the clock expired.

In a game that was not nearly as close as the scoreboard would indicate, here are 5 key takeaways as the Buccaneers continue to look for answers following their fourth-straight loss.

The Buccaneers are not built for close games

Close games are traditionally won by out-coaching your opposition. Todd Bowles is unable to do that and has proven it time and time again. Whether it is poor clock management or just simply playing without a killer instinct and playing to win, Bowles is overstaying his welcome among fans. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who would be the front-runner to take over the team should the Buccaneers make the unlikely midseason move at head coach, has continued to show flashes of great calling, followed by headscratchers. On the season, the Buccaneers

Bucky Irvin should be RB1 from now on

Of that headscratcher, as mentioned above, decisions would be why the Buccaneers have not named rookie RB Bucky Irving the clear-cut RB1 after routinely out-gaining Rachaad White on running plays. White is dynamic in the passing game; however, splitting nearly 50% of carries every week is less than ideal as Irving is not only the team leader in rushing yards but out-gains White by over a yard per carry, which is a lot considering how close the Buccaneers games have been as of late.

Defense is poorly indescribable

Injuries be damned. Players get hurt weekly, and there is no excuse for how poor this Buccaneers defense is, especially with the number of self-inflicted wounds we see weekly. That falls back on coaching. Bowles continued odd-man substitutions rarely allow for his best players to be on the field at the same time, namely on the defensive line. In last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Yaya Diaby, Vita Vea, and Calijah Kancey all saw more than 55% of defensive snaps, which was the highest for all three players all season. Antoine Winfield Jr. has to put 120% effort into every play, not to account for a lack of talent but for a lack of effort from his teammates, which is a recipe for disaster as the season progresses.

The lack of depth at WR should’ve been addressed

The NFL trade deadline came and went, and all the while, the Buccaneers were missing superstar WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. This left Mayfield solely to rely on a young and unproven wide receiver corps, as Jason Licht and the Bucs front office chose to stand pat and not make a move. TE Cade Otton has emerged as Mayfield’s favorite–and most reliable– target over the last several weeks; outside of Otton and the Bucs running backs being utilized in the passing game, it’s become a total crapshoot if and when someone else will step up. Luckily for the Buccaneers, Mayfield continues to toe the line as an outlier in the MVP conversation. Evans will likely return following the bye, which should help open up the offense more.

Bucs playoff hopes dwindling

Per The Athletic, the Buccaneers entered Week 10 with only a 21% chance of making the playoffs, and with another NFC loss to a team in the Wild Card picture, that only makes things harder. Five of the remaining seven games are against fellow NFC teams, making each a must-win bout. As the Bucs enter the bye week, they will look to address some of the problems in hopes of shoring up the defense. In Week 12, the Buccaneers will play against the New York Giants, who have been a mess all season, with the caveat that Bowles has never won a game following a Bye Week.

Chiefs OC Matt Nagy comments on Buccaneers defensive lineman’s impact in the run game

Kansas City #Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy comments on Tampa Bay #Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea’s impact in the run game | @EdEastonJr

On Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs face a familiar foe in the Tampa Buccaneers. The Chiefs are looking to extend their undefeated winning streak, and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has thoughts on an impactful player from Tampa Bay’s defense.

During Friday’s press conference, Nagy addressed potential offensive issues in the run game against former All-Pro defensive tackle Vita Vea.

“Well, he’s (Vita Vea) a heck of a football player, man. (He) just can play the a-gap and b-gap at the same time, (he’s) physically strong.” said Nagy. “(In the) pass game when he’s there and he gets his hands on you, it’s going to be tough to get away. You just have a lot of – he puts stress on you as an offensive line – we have a lot of faith in our guys, but he’s a hell of a player.”

Vea was a key member of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV-winning team, which defeated the Chiefs during the 2020 season. Kansas City has relied heavily on the run game this season, with Kareem Hunt serving as the primary ball carrier.

The pass rush needs to be better to help the Bucs secondary

Todd Bowles recognizes that the pass rush has not been of much help to the secondary and discusses the changes they need to make.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary has been struggling all year but in recent weeks they have been exposed in ways that hadn’t been yet. The worst of it is Kirk Cousins who passed for over 800 yards in two matchups combined in Week 5 and Week 8.

They now deal with the Chiefs led by Pat Mahomes and an offense that hasn’t played like an undefeated one. That may change if Mahomes can demonstrate dominance against them.

Todd Bowles recognizes that the pass rush has not been of much help to the secondary and discusses the changes they need to make to help each group out.

“I think our edge guys have to be better at getting chipped and still understanding how to pressure the quarterback other than letting the chips knock them off their game a little bit and getting a little frustrated trying to force things. We have to do a better job of gaining it, we have to better job of learning when to get off the chip blocks.”

Yaya Diaby, Logan Hall, and Vita Vea have had some mild success rushing the passer but they need more. C.J. Brewer had two sacks on Sunday against the Falcons but that isn’t a reliable source. Brewer getting two sacks should be accompanied by 3-4 from others on defense instead.