Tag: vita vea

Cardinals GM Steve Keim compares 4th-round pick Leki Fotu to Vita Vea

“I think this guy’s got a little more to him and I think there is a little more upside to develop.”

The Arizona Cardinals were able to select Utah defensive lineman Leki Fotu in the fourth round of the NFL draft last week. At 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, he has the traditional build of a two-down run-stuffing nose tackle.

General manager Steve Keim believes he could be even more than that.

“I think there’s a little more versatility there,” he said on SiriusXM NFL Radio with hosts Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan. “I thought I saw a little Vita Vea in him when I was looking at him.”

Vea was a first-round pick out of Washington in 2018, going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is a nose tackle but has had some pass-rushing productivity. In two seasons, he has had 5.5 sacks and 16 QB hits.

Keim believes Fotu is more than just a run stopper.

“I think that the one thing that takes this guy out of the conventional thinking of your traditional nose is he’s got the quickness to get on the edges,” he said. “He’s got some range to laterally close and chase the ball, so I think this guy’s got a little more to him and I think there is a little more upside to develop.”

Fotu himself said before the draft he believes he has more skill than just plugging gaps and engaging blocker. He believes he will be the most disruptive defensive lineman of the draft.

He will likely be used in the same role he had at Utah, playing gap football and keeping linebackers clean so they can make plays, at least initially.

And if that all he ends up in the NFL, it is worth a fourth-round pick. But if he can be more, he might end up being one of the big steals in the draft.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep.265

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Ep. 264

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Here’s all seven Fat Guy Touchdowns scored in the 2019 season

More than ever in NFL history, the big guys are making it into the end zone! Here are all seven Fat Guy Touchdowns in the 2019 NFL season.

Most times, when an offensive lineman reports as eligible, opposing defenses don’t take it seriously. The 2019 NFL season is when that should change, or more defensive coordinators will be caught unaware. Because there has been a rash of Fat Guy Touchdowns scored this season — there had been six through the first 16 weeks of the season, and against the Buccaneers in Week 17, Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter dialed up this bit of magic — a 35-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo.

We stand in awe.

And yes, it is fair to say that the Bucs blew this coverage in all sorts of ways.

Would you like to see every Fat Guy Touchdown scored this season? Touchdown Wire has you covered there. Because, as John Madden said in The Replacements, “I love to see a fat guy score. Because first you get a fat guy spike, then you get the fat guy dance.”

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Happy Holidays! Here are all five Fat Guy Touchdowns from the 2019 season

Outside of Santa Claus, these five large dudes catching TD passes in the 2019 season have been the biggest win for jumbo guys in uniforms.

John Madden: I love to see a fat guy score.

Pat Summerall: Why?

John Madden: Because first you get a fat guy spike, then you get the fat guy dance.

That line from The Replacements has always held true. There are few things more extemporaneously joyful than when a huge dude in a football uniform scores a touchdown and gets, for a moment, the adulation usually reserved for the smaller skill-position guys. When the Bills scored a touchdown on a Josh Allen pass to 6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive tackle with one second left in the first half of Buffalo’s Week 16 tussle with the Patriots, it set a mark that hasn’t been set in a long time.

Because we know what you need at Touchdown Wire, we’re presenting all five Fat Guy Touchdowns right here.

Week 1: Ravens FB/DL Patrick Ricard

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

With 7:54 left in their 59-10 thrashing of the Dolphins, the Ravens dialed up this one-yard pass from Lamar Jackson to the 6-foot-3, 311-pound Patrick Ricard. It was Jackson’s fifth passing touchdown on the day.

“It was my idea,” Harbaugh said. “My brother had his guy in San Francisco… I just thought that was a weapon, a dominant type guy, and he looked like a really good athlete. Then I asked him, he said he played it in high school, and the rest is history.”

Jim Harbaugh’s guy in San Francisco from 2011-2014 was Bruce Miller, a linebacker and defensive lineman at Central Florida who Harbaugh converted to a fullback after the 49ers took him in the seventh round of the 2011 draft. Ricard is no stranger to the end zone — the former Maine defensive lineman caught two touchdown passes in his rookie campaign of 2017, and he has eight receptions on 11 targets for 47 yards and that touchdown. Ricard has lined up all over the place for the Ravens in 2019 — 152 snaps in the backfield, 69 snaps inline, 47 in the slot, 20 as a wideout, and 134 on the defensive line.

So, if you see this play when the Ravens get their postseason going, don’t be surprised.

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Colts vs. Buccaneers: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 14

Key matchups in Week 14.

Despite losing four out of their last five games, the Indianapolis Colts remain optimistic about their playoff chances as they return to the road for a Sunday matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers  While both teams are only one win apart in the standings, their play has gone in different directions.

As the Colts lost all of their momentum from the first half of this season, the NFC South competitor has only gotten better in recent weeks. Following a string of tough, last-minute losses in October, the Buccaneers have won three out of their last four games and are attempting to grab the NFC’s final Wild Card spot.

Here are three, key matchups to watch in the Colts’ Week 14 bout:

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin vs. Colts’ secondary

If there’s any duo of wide receivers who are the best together, it’s quite easily Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The dynamic duo has carried the Buccaneers’ offense this entire season at the tune of 1,100 receiving yards apiece, 140 combined catches and 16 total touchdowns.

Besides their great numbers, Evans and Godwin scare opposing secondaries because of their evolving skill-sets and legitimate size. Although Evans is bigger at 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, Godwin is still fairly big himself (6-foot-1 and 209 pounds), thus allowing them to box out and outjump their defensive counterparts.

Entering Sunday’s game, the Colts already had an unproven secondary dealing with some injuries and they will be missing their most valuable slot corner/blitzer Kenny Moore II due to injuries. It’s going to be interesting to discover who, when, and how they’ll defend Evans/Godwin, as their current depth chart includes Pierre Desir, Marvell Tell, and Quincy Wilson—if made available to play.

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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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Things we learned from Sunday of Week 12 of NFL season

Touchdown Wire’s Pat Yasinskas shares 9 things we learned from Sunday’s Week 12 NFL games.

The NFL results from Week 12 were supposed to set up two huge matchups for Week 13. Umm, looks like that may not happen.

The big games were supposed to be Mason Rudolph and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns in a rematch after the Week 11 game in which Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett clobbered Rudolph over the head with a helmet in a melee that caused Garrett to be suspended indefinitely and 33 players to be fined for their roles in the incident. Cleveland fans set the stage by hitting a Rudolph pinata with a helmet. That seemed to set up a monster rematch for next week.

The other huge game that seemed to be looming was an AFC West showdown between Kansas City and Oakland. The Chiefs, 7-4, were on bye Sunday. The Raiders entered the day at 6-4 and all they had to do was beat the lowly New York Jets to enter next week’s game in a tie with the Chiefs.

But, suddenly, some of the luster was taken off both games by what happened Sunday. Let’s take a closer look at that we examine nine things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 12.

9. The Raiders aren’t as good as we thought

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders had seemed to turn the corner and had a shot at winning the division or at least making the playoffs. People were talking about Jon Gruden as Coach of the Year. Those things still could happen, but they’re not nearly as likely after a 34-3 loss to the Jets. Gruden, who seemed to have the perfect relationship with Derek Carr, benched his quarterback in the third quarter. Carr had thrown for just 127 passes and an interception. There’s no question Carr will be back as the starter against Kansas City. But things aren’t looking as rosy for the Raiders as they would have been with a victory over the Jets.

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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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