Tag: vita vea

Ravens vs. Buccaneers: Top photos from Baltimore’s 41-31 win on Monday Night Football

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night in Week 7

The Ravens started the game down 10-0, then scored 41 unanswered points, jumping out to a massive lead before allowing 21 late points to the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter. Even with the defensive letdown, Baltimore’s performance won’t overshadow Lamar Jackson’s five-touchdown pass performance, as the Ravens moved to 5-2 on the season with a 41-31 win over Tampa at Raymond James Stadium.

Baltimore amassed 508 yards of total offense but had a dominant performance ruined as the defense allowed over 430 yards of offense for Tampa.

With preparation for the Browns in Week 8 set to begin, here’s an instant analysis of the big win on Monday Night Football.

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Is Vita Vea playing against the Ravens? Injury updates for Bucs DL

Vita Vea missed some time earlier in the season, and since he returned to the lineup, the entire defense has had a facelift.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been dealing with some injuries, most notably with Mike Evans. However, there is also a major injury on the defensive side that is worth monitoring: Vita Vea.

Vita Vea missed some time earlier in the season, and since he returned to the lineup, the entire defense has had a facelift. The run defense he offers as well as his ability to get pressure on the quarterback.

We got an update on his status for the game against the Ravens in primetime early on Monday.

Vita Vea injury update

Vita Vea popped up on the injury report late at the end of last week with a hamstring injury. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that Vea will be available and start for the Bucs on Monday night despite the issue.

Vea has a sack in three straight games for the Bucs since returning to the lineup. He will have a tall task to do som against reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. His presence alone will help the defense, but it is yet to be seen how impactful he will be with his injury or if he will be on a snap count.

Bucs defensive lineman depth chart

  • Vita Vea
  • Calijah Kancey
  • Logan Hall
  • Greg Gaines
  • C.J. Brewer
  • William Gholston

Buccaneers star DT Vita Vea dealing with hamstring injury ahead of game vs. Ravens

Buccaneers star DT Vita Vea dealing with hamstring injury ahead of game vs. Ravens

The Buccaneers are about 48 hours from hosting the Ravens in an intriguing Monday night matchup, and the team could be without their most intimidating interior defender.

Vita Vea was placed on the injury report and is questionable for Week 7 with a hamstring injury.

Vea tallied four tackles (three solo), including 1.0 sacks, in last Sunday’s 51-27 win over the Saints.

Vea logged a sack in his third straight game Sunday, getting to Spencer Rattler midway through the second quarter. Vea is up to 3.0 sacks on the year, and he’s looking to extend his sack streak to four games in Week 7 against the elusive Lamar Jackson.

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Vita Vea of Bucs storms through Bijan Robinson en route to sack

Vita Vea took care of Bijan Robinson before sacking Kirk Cousins

Vita Vea is one of the bigger players in the NFL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman checks in at a tidy 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds. Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson isn’t small at 5-foot-11 and 215.

However, when Vea charges at the quarterback with only Robinson in front of him it is no contest.

Vea stopped an Atlanta drive in its tracks on Thursday by blowing through Robinson and sacking Kirk Cousins.

5 key takeaways from the Bucs 33-16 route of the Eagles

This Buccaneers team did just that, stifling Jalen Hurts and the Eagles on defense and easily moving the ball down the field on offense.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered an embarrassing loss last week to the Denver Broncos and needed a bounce-back win in an important game against a conference opponent and playoff powerhouse as the Philadelphia Eagles came to town. This Buccaneers team did just that, stifling Jalen Hurts and the Eagles on defense and easily moving the ball down the field on offense.

Here are five key takeaways from the Buccaneers’ 33-16 route over the Eagles.

1. All gas, no brakes

Beating the Detroit Lions and then losing to the Broncos was a head-scratcher for most if not all, Bucs fans. From the opening snap in Week 3, the Buccaneers looked sluggish and could not get anything going on either side of the ball. After a week-long cry for more energy and effort, the Buccaneers came out in Week 4, firing on all cylinders and never letting up. We often see a team go up big and then play prevent defense to close out the game. This was not the case for the Bucs today, and it showed that this team can dominate games.

2. Buccaneers are capable of dominating games

One thing of note, while the Buccaneers are 3-1 on the season now, they were outplayed by both the Lions and Broncos, as the play-calling (for both offense and defense) was more conservative. The Buccaneers defense gave up 0 net yards in the first quarter for the first time since 2002 in Carolina. In every level of this game, the Buccaneers were able to dominate the Eagles. Putting up 445 yards of offense and allowing just 227 yards while tallying nearly 13 more minutes of possession, there was nothing that the Bucs couldn’t do as they had their way all afternoon.

3. Vita Vea is the engine for the Bucs defense

The Buccaneers defense has so many great players, but it’s extremely noticeable when Vita Vea misses time. Coming into the game, the Eagles were the holders of the NFL’s third-best rushing offense, and while the box score may show that the Buccaneers allowed 113 yards on the ground- 59 of those yards came on one, Saquon Barkley run. Led by Lavonte David’s two sacks, the Buccaneers got to Hurts in the backfield six times on the day, six more times than the defense got to Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix just a week prior.

4. Rushing attack was attacking

Exploiting matchups is always a key to success. While the Bucs ground game has struggled in the beginning of the season, we saw what it was capable of on the legs of Rachaad White in 2023. The Eagles’ defense was ranked 24th in the league, and Liam Coen was able to exploit a defense that had largely been unable to stop the run in its first three games. Against the Broncos, it was predictable what the Bucs offense was going to run based on the personnel on the field. It was a different tune when this team took the field against the Eagles as Coen threw in some wrinkles to his offense. Earlier in the week, Todd Bowles said that Bucky Irving had earned more touches with this play, and saw just that. Both White and Irving each had 10 carries for 49 yards. Was it a barnburner effort with 100+ yards from a running back? No. But that is not typically how this team operates, and it doesn’t appear that it will function outside of a duo-laced backfield.

5. A healthy Sterling Shepard could set this offense ablaze

Former New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard was signed to the Bucs active roster and totaled 3 receptions for 51 yards on 5 targets. If you watched Shepard with the Giants, his availability is the only knock on his game. Adding a healthy Shepard to a team that arguably has the best wide receiver duo in the NFL with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin could be the missing piece on offense, as it could truly turn into a “pick your poison” for opposing defenses. Even more when you add the element of White and Irving being solid pass-catching backs. It will certainly be worth watching how this develops as the season progresses.

Todd Bowles recognizes the danger of the Eagles run game

As the Bucs prepare to face a remarkable Eagles run game, Todd Bowles knows exactly who they’re facing in Saquon Barkley.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a tough task this weekend, as the Philadelphia Eagles come to town in Week 4.

Head coach Todd Bowles’ defense had been stout for the first two games, but unfortunately allowed 26 points to the Denver Broncos last week. The Broncos rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns as a team, on 4.9 yards per rush.

The challenge doesn’t ease up this week either, with star running back Saquon Barkley on the other sideline. Barkley’s rushed for 351 yards and four touchdowns and an astounding 5.6 yards per carry.

Bowles knows exactly what his team will be facing this week.

“I mean, they were already a good team before they got him. Once they got him – he’s one of the top two or three running backs in the league right now. You put that behind one of the top two or three offensive lines and you’re going to have nothing but success. Then, they’ve got the receivers and tight end to match, so he’s going to be a load to bring down. He’s got quick feet, he’s powerful, he’s fast, he can catch, he can block, he can do it all.”

The Bucs defense needs to contain Barkley, as well as quarterback Jalen Hurts, who can also extend plays with his legs when need be.

Bucs DL Vita Vea spotted at practice with brace, standing on sideline

The injuries to Antoine Winfield Jr. and Vita Vea have proven to be bigger hits than the team could handle.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has been highly dynamic this year, with Todd Bowles doing his best with what the team has healthy. The injuries to Antoine Winfield Jr. and Vita Vea have proven to be bigger hits than the team could handle.

Thankfully, their massive gap filler on the defensive may be nearing a return.

On Wednesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports shared a video of Vea returning to practice. He can be seen doing some drills, but what stood out was the time he spent on the sideline with a heavy brace on his injured knee.

He was on Wednesday’s injury report with a limited in-practice designation.

Vita Vea returning while Calijah Kancey remains out is better than nothing in terms of supporting the defensive line. Against the Eagles especially, having Vea back with their rushing attack looking the part will be massive in stopping them and their star running back, Saquon Barkley.

Saints’ next three games will be a challenge for the interior offensive line

The Saints will face Grady Jarrett, Chris Jones and Vita Vea over the next three weeks, and they’ll have to do it without Erik McCoy:

The New Orleans Saints will be without Erik McCoy for 6 to 8 weeks. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, the impact of his absence was overly evident.

The triumvirate of Lucas Patrick, Oli Udoh and Cesar Ruiz struggled against the Eagles. The next three games will feature repeated challenges for the group. Grady Jarrett will be on the other side this week for the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans travels to face the Kansas City Chiefs and Chris Jones in prime time after that. Vita Vea is dealing with an injury but could be available in time for the next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Former Saints offensive lineman James Hurst explained the trickle-down effect of McCoy’s injury. His role includes leading and directing the rest of the unit, not just blocking the man in front of him. The responsibility comes with a week’s worth of preparation that’s difficult to supplant mid-game.

The Saints will be down their best offensive lineman and leader of the unit just in time for the most challenging stretch of defenders for the interior offensive line. The Saints must look to find McCoy’s replacement quickly.

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5 key takeaways in the Bucs 26-7 loss to the Broncos

Following a huge win over the Lions last week, emotions were high, and suddenly, the Buccaneers had a lot of attention aimed at them.

Following a huge win over the Detroit Lions last week, emotions were high, and suddenly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a lot of attention aimed at them.

Welcoming in an 0-2 Denver Broncos team led by Bo Nix, who had yet to score a touchdown – neither passing nor rushing – in his rookie season, this had either trap game written all over it, or the Bucs would assert their dominance.

Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, it would be the former. As the Buccaneers fall to 2-1 on the season, here are five key takeaways from their 26-7  loss to the Broncos.

1. Offensive line still struggling to protect Baker Mayfield

We saw the Bucs offensive line have a difficult time protecting QB Baker Mayfield last week and it was essentially chalked up as Justin Skule drawing the extremely difficult task of blocking Aidan Hutchinson. Today was more of the same, except the difference is that the Broncos’ secondary is a bit more stingy than the Lions. With tighter coverage and an often collapsing pocket, Mayfield could not find his footing and evade pressure. Skule struggled again. However, the mistakes were all over the offensive line. Assuming there are no setbacks, Luke Goedeke should be back next week- but it’s difficult to think that he alone is the missing link to the offensive line’s protection issues.

2. Lack of depth on defensive line was on full display

For most of the game, Nix remained comfortable in the pocket. With both Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey inactive, William Gholston and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka banged up all week. It left only a healthy Yaya Diaby as the only healthy starter on the defensive line.

3. Bucky Irving needs to be utilized more

In three games this season, Bucky Irving has been primarily used as the change-of-pace back for the Bucs, with Rachaad White getting the early-down carriers. White displayed a great ability to catch the ball out of the backfield last season, but Irving also possesses that same ability while being a bit shiftier- as he displayed against the Broncos. Suppose the Bucs continue to struggle to keep Mayfield’s pocket clean. In that case, it might be time for Liam Coen to dial up some two-back sets or add some wrinkles to the playbook and get Irving involved and on the field more, and his explosive play needs to be capitalized upon while it’s still early in the season.

4. Absolutely no energy on either side of the ball

The lack of energy was apparent from the first drive. Beat a good opponent and then falling flat the following week has been the cycle over the last three seasons since Todd Bowles has been the head coach. The secondary was playing prevent defense from the first quarter, and with the defensive line unable to get after Nix, the Broncos wide receivers had plenty of real estate to allow for easy, uncontested catches on a much more frequent basis than any defensive coordinator would like to see; alas that was what we saw from the Bucs secondary today.

5. Offensive play-calling looked predictable

Perhaps a testament to the Broncos’ defense, the Bucs’ offense looked stagnant and predictable for about 75% of the game until late in the fourth quarter. Irving was clearly the hot hand in the Bucs backfield and only surpassed Rachaad White in carries until five minutes remained. Many fans were having PTSD of the Byron Leftwich “run it on first down, no matter what” play calls on social media, the Broncos defense looked a step ahead the entire day. Even though the Bucs won in Detroit in Week 2, the offense was still significantly out-gained by the Lions, by over 200 yards. As stated above, seeing Coen open up the playbook a little more would be a welcome addition.

Bucs expected to be without two key starters against Broncos

Tackle Luke Goedeke and nose tackle Vita Vea aren’t looking likely to play in the Bucs’ Week 3 matchup against the Broncos.

With three days to go until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos, they’ll likely be going in without a few starters.

Two in particular, right tackle Luke Goedeke and nose tackle Vita Vea, didn’t participate in practice at all this week. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and defensive lineman Calijah Kancey also haven’t practiced but were already expected to miss the contest heading into this week.

Vea was ruled out last week with the same knee injury limiting him today. As for Goedeke, he’s dealing with a concussion, so he’ll have to be cleared from protocol before Sunday if he wants any chance at playing, although unlikely.

The Bucs have been dealing with injuries throughout the first two weeks of the season, and the trend seems to be continuing. They’ll need to adapt the ‘next man up’ mentality to get through another week against a weak Broncos team.