Buccaneers: Vita Vea put world on notice with dominant display

The NFL world learned what Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans knew all along. That is that Vita Vea is both an irresistible force and an immovable object for the Buccaneers’ defensive line.

It’s no secret that we here at the Pewter Plank are huge fans of Vita Vea, real name Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau “Vita” Vea, this writer in particular. He’s been a very popular player amongst fans of the Buccaneers, and after last night, the entire world should be too.

Vea is the motor that makes the Buccaneers defense go. Simply put, Vea brings the juice. Vea’s numbers won’t exactly pop off the stat sheet when it comes to tackle and sack quantity, but his presence goes beyond that, which was on full display last night. His 6-foot four-inch and 347-pound frame clogged up the entire offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys and was able to create gridlock at the line of scrimmage pretty much by himself.

Vea is a physical freak. We mentioned his size, but his speed coupled with his strength is what makes him a physical marvel. The Buccaneers had Vea rushing from the outside on a couple of occasions, and he bulldozed the tackles into the backfield just as he did guards and center all evening. We’re not going as far as to compare him to Warren Sapp, but his explosiveness off the snap and ability to single-handedly create pressure at his position is very reminiscent of the late, great Jerome Brown.

When he suffered a gruesome right leg during the Buccaneers’ week five defeat against the Chicago Bears last season, it would have been enough to keep mere mortals on the sideline. Vea was able to fight his way back onto the field for the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl and made his presence felt. Now, the Bucs can expect a full season out of their bare-armed Tongan defensive disrupter.

Vita Vea is the best defensive lineman at the nose in football. At the rate he’s going, and more likely than not in front of more national audiences, he could one day be seen as the best defensive lineman in football, period.