Tag: vita vea touchdown

OC Byron Leftwich said Vita Vea’s TD play was a ‘reward’

See why Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich called Vita Vea’s touchdown play against the Atlanta Falcons a ‘reward.’

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be just 4-7, but they are perhaps one of the more entertaining teams to watch in the NFL.

Sure, they may not have a Lamar Jackson-esque speedster at quarterback, or a running back that rolls through defenders like the Juggernaut, but they can put up points with the best of them and have plenty of stars on offense to make each snap an exciting one to watch.

And, of course, one of the biggest offensive stars on the roster is big man Vita Vea!

The nose tackle and former high school running back had his first career touchdown reception in the Bucs’ Week 12 win over the Atlanta Falcons. But, it wasn’t the first time he’s lined up on offense this season, and it turns out, his offensive performance against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10 earned him the chance to catch that touchdown against Atlanta.

Take a look.

Vea became the heaviest player in NFL history to score an offensive touchdown, and here’s hoping it won’t be his last.

For those wondering what it would look like to see Vea run through an NFL O-line, here’s a sneak peek.

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via GIPHY

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Bucs NT Vita Vea was a beast as a high school running back

Take a look back at some highlights from Vita Vea’s time at Milpitas High School, when he was utilized as a running back.

The biggest highlight from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 35-22 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday was arguably the touchdown reception by nose tackle Vita Vea.

Vea, the Bucs 2018 first-round pick out of Washington, has been a force on defense this season for the Bucs’ stellar rush defense, but he’s also shown his versatility by lining up on a few offensive plays.

Don’t be fooled, Vea is no stranger to scoring on offense. Despite the fact that his touchdown reception against the Falcons made him the heaviest player to score an offensive touchdown in NFL history, Vea was actually used as a running back in high school.

(No joke.)

Take a look back now at some highlights from Vea’s time at Milpitas High School in California, when he used his size and strength to roll through defenses.

Ronald Jones and Peyton Barber have plenty to worry about now that Vea’s gotten a taste for the end zone. It’d be a travesty if Byron Leftwich didn’t call another goal-line play for Vea again this season. Handing the ball off to the big man and letting him punch it in seems like a no-brainer.

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ESPN’s Bill Barnwell names Vita Vea to his 2019 All-Underrated team

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell named Tampa Bay Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea to his 2019 All-Underrated team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took down the Atlanta Falcons yesterday 35-22 for their fourth win of the season (their third on the road).

The star of the game was no doubt Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin, who finished the day with seven receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season total to 1,071 yards. It’s the first 1,000-yard season of Godwin’s young career.

But, let’s not forget about the stellar day from nose tackle Vita Vea, who finished with a sack and touchdown reception in the win.

Today, Bill Barnwell of ESPN named Vea to his 2019 All-Underrated team, and in part of his assessment of the big man, Barnwell points out how one old school coach would’ve loved the nose tackle.

Take a look.

“Vea made headlines Sunday for catching a touchdown pass during Tampa’s 35-22 win in Atlanta, but there’s more to the former first-round pick than a soft set of hands… The former Washington standout added a sack and two passes defensed to his totals against the Falcons, although he’s admittedly still a work in progress as a pass-rusher, where his limited wingspan may play against him. Vea is more realistically an example of the old George Young/Bill Parcells “Planet Theory” approach to the draft, where you recognize that there are only so many 300-plus pound human beings with truly elite athleticism on the planet and draft them when you see them. Vea, who was a change-of-pace running back in high school, is the sort of player Parcells would have loved. He’s quickly growing into a rare difference-maker for the Bucs’ defense.”

Vea has been a beast for the Bucs this season, and his pairing with Ndamukong Suh has made the Bucs’ rush defense one of the best in the NFL.

Tampa Bay will take to the road again in Week 13, this time staying in-state as they travel to Jacksonville to face the 4-7 Jaguars. Despite their big win against the Falcons, the Buccaneers currently find themselves as underdogs against the Jags.

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A few of the big milestones reached in the Bucs’ win over the Falcons

See some of the big milestones reached during the Buccaneers’ road win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers proved once again to be warriors of the road today, as they downed the red-hot Atlanta Falcons 35-22.

Despite two first-quarter interceptions, Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston settled down, finishing the day with 313 passing yards, three touchdowns and those two picks. Perhaps the best number on his stat line was the big fat zero next to sacks taken.

The win pulled the Bucs to 4-7 and sent the 3-8 Falcons to the bottom of the NFC South standings. The game not only helped the Buccaneers avoid remaining in the doldrums of the division, but it also allowed a few players to set some pretty big milestones.

Take a look.

Vita Vea for the score

Nose tackle Vita Vea has lined up on offense before, but today, the big man got his first career touchdown reception. You’ve got to love the way Byron Leftwich and Bruce Arians are utilizing Vea. The guy is an athletic beast, so why not design some offensive packages just for him? Now, if only we can get Ndamukong Suh lined up in the slot…

Godwin’s career year continues

Third-year receiver Chris Godwin continued his breakout season today, with his first reception going for 71 yards and a touchdown. For the game, Godwin had seven receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns. He now has nine receiving touchdowns on the season (career high), amd, those 184 yards put him at 1,071 on the season, giving him his first season over 1,000 yards. Congrats to Godwin. It’s a well-earned milestone and only a sign of things to come.

What about Mike?

Of course, let’s not forget about Mike Evans, who needed just seven more receiving yards to get his sixth-straight 1,000-yard season, which would tie him with Randy Moss for most in NFL history to begin a career. Evans finished the day with four receptions for 50 yards, giving him 1,043 on the year. Evans is just entering his prime, so sky’s the limit for what he can do. He may even make a run at Jerry Rice’s seemingly unbreakable record.

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Vita Vea hauls in his first career touchdown reception and social media ignites

See how Twitter reacted to the first career touchdown reception of Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea against the Atlanta Falcons.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea caught his first touchdown reception today against the Atlanta Falcons.

The big man, who has lined up on offensive plays before during the season, was lined up in the backfield as a fullback, but broke through the defensive line and found himself open for a touchdown pass from Jameis Winston.

Watch the clip above to see the big man celebrate — as he should!

Twitter, as you can imagine, went crazy over Vea’s touchdown. Oh, yeah, and he also recorded a sack today. See how everyone reacted to his big day.

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