Last season ended with a 31-23 playoff loss for these Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Detroit Lions, and Sunday afternoon, the Bucs had their shot at revenge.
It was a close game, as anyone would have predicted, and in the end, Tampa Bay was able to get it done by a score of 20-16.
The Bucs' defense was a huge reason why they were able to come out with a win. Lions quarterback Jared Goff dropped back and attempted a whopping 55 passes in this one, and although he did go for 307 yards through the air, Goff also threw two costly interceptions. He also failed to throw a touchdown in this one and ended with a tough rating of just 61.7.
Part of the reason why Goff and the Lions struggled (no, it wasn't the refs) was due to the fact that the Bucs were able to get in Goff's face just enough to make it uncomfortable. While Goff was not sacked at all in this one, he was hit 10 times. The Lions also ended the game with an impressive nine pass breakups.
The defensive effort was impressive, but it came at a huge price. In the third quarter, defensive tackle Vita Vea went down with an apparent knee injury and did not return to action. The play in which he was hit saw Vea get rolled up on by teammate Yaya Diaby, and the video does not look pretty.
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After the game, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport took to social media to give fans the latest update.
#Bucs standout DT Vita Vea, who left the game with a knee injury, received an initial diagnosis of MCL sprain, source says. MRI tomorrow, but the hope is that it’s not an extended absence.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 15, 2024
Vea was diagnosed with the injury that seemingly every injured player is getting hit with, lately. It's an MCL sprain, which means Vea will likely miss anywhere from 3-to-6 weeks. Of course, there are some rare instances where some players have come back sooner. But, in all likelihood, Vea is going to be out a little while.
The Vita Vea injury wasn't as bad as it could have been
There is a positive from all of this.
Again, if you look at the video of the injury itself, it wouldn't have been surprising to have heard an update such as an ACL tear. Based on the play, things could have turned out a whole lot worse than a mere MCL sprain.
The Bucs are in a good spot at 2-0 and atop the NFC South. Plus, they get to take on Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix in Week 3. Of all games for Vea to miss, first, that one isn't going to sting all that bad. Tampa should be able to take care of Nix, no problem.
But, from there, it does get a little tougher. In Weeks four and six, the Bucs take on the always-dangerous Philadelphia Eagles and the surprise New Orleans Saints.
What happens Week 5?
It's the Atlanta Falcons ... no need to worry about that one, either.
For now, we simply await further testing in hopes that Vea can come back sooner rather than later.