Buccaneers defensive juggernaut draws some clear comparisons to works of fiction with his dominant performances.
Really and truly, there is no other cartoon character other than the Hulk who could come close. But The Thing had that extra je ne sais quoi that no other defensive back has ever possessed.
The Thing is cool, calm, collected as he wipes out nearly the entire left side of the opponent’s offensive line. And, like The Thing, when stuff starts getting out of hand, a fan can almost hear Vea bellowing: “It’s Clobbering Time”, as he dives into the O-line like an errant bowling ball. That was on full display the past two weeks as he seemed to single-handedly destroyed any semblance of a pocket. Crush! Crush! And here comes Vita and suddenly the QB is vulnerable and it’s “Clobbering Time” yet again. And just as suddenly, here come some other Buccaneers to sweep up the mess that Vita made.
Against the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday night, he repeatedly ripped open the chances for a sac of Jalen Hurts. He even got his first full sack of the year, as well as another he split with JPP. He took on a double team, spun to his right, and knocked out the guard and the tackle. Meanwhile, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka completes a stunt and has a one-on-one with the QB. Somehow, Vea cleans out a pocket faster than Oliver Twist.
What can you do with a defensive lineman like Vea? He absolutely devours double teams, and if you don’t double team him, he will be eating your lunch in short order. It’s not just that Vea is a monster of a man at 6-foot-4, 346-pound. He also has good speed for his size and is more than capable of taking out linemen or bowling over quarterbacks. In a few words, Vita is an irresistible force.
It’s fun to watch him play after play, knocking his opponents around like skittles. In truth, any fan who loves to watch interior line play could feast on Vea every week. This season, Vea has stepped up his game. Sure, he was doing ok last season till the broken foot, but that didn’t keep him from getting back in time to finish out the season. Who here is surprised how much the pass rush improved when Vea stepped on the field?
In years past, the Bucs’ best players were often overlooked for those coveted post season awards. Only Jason Pierre-Paul was named to the Pro Bowl last season, but an even bet is they will see several of their players getting noticed. Sure, the snobby folk who choose who makes All-Pro will now have to look at these stars with a less disconcerting eye when they get to the Buccaneers.
We could tell them right now who all they have been shortchanging over the past decade. And, really, we should expect at least six pro-bowlers when it comes time to make those choices. And, doubtless, one Vita Vea will be leading the way. Next up, Chicago. We owe them for last season. No doubt, “It’s Clobbering Time.”
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