Vita Vea The Touchdown Machine

November 24th, 2019

New offensive weapon?

Has another NFL player caught a touchdown and recorded a sack in the same game? Bucs media relations is working on this riddle but it seems Vea may have set another NFL record.

It could be that Vea is the heaviest player to catch an NFL touchdown pass. Vea is listed at 347 pounds — but he said after the game he doesn’t weigh that much.

Of course, ex-Bucs left tackle Donald Penn springs to mind as possibly the heaviest player to catch a touchdown pass, or William “The Refrigerator” Perry for the Bears in 1985. Perry was listed at 335 pounds. Penn has four TD catches and was last listed at 315 pounds with the Raiders.

As for getting a sack and a touchdown catch in the same game, former Bucs great Warren Sapp had two touchdown catches in 2003. One came at Atlanta and the other at New Orleans.

Sapp did not have a sack in either game.

Vea spoke (!) after the game and among the nuggets:

* That is the first catch of any kind by Vea since he began playing high school football. Despite being a running back in high school, Vea told Joe he never caught a pass.

* Vea did not catch any passes at Washington when in college, except for pick drills in practice.

* The play to have Vea catch a touchdown pass was not installed into the gameplan until Friday of last week. So the play was barely worked on.

* Vea said the pass was perfectly thrown by America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston. Vea added he wasn’t sure if he could haul in a pass if he had to make some acrobatic moves to get his hands on the ball.

Vea said the play was a surprise.

“I didn’t know until they had the play call,” Vea said. “I thought I was going to be blocking.”

Vea also added Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers runs drills each Friday for his players to work on catches. Vea believes it was those drills that gave Bucco Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich the idea to use him as a receiver.

27 Responses to “Vita Vea The Touchdown Machine”

  1. Buc believer Says:

    Vea is a STUD

  2. Wombat Says:

    Winners are grinners….

  3. Bucfanforever Says:

    Eagles’ Dawkins had both plus an interception

  4. JP_09 Says:

    How many receiving touchdowns does Derwin James have?!

    Get it big fella!! Vita is an exciting player to watch, his sack was a thing of beauty too.

  5. Frankinthe813 Says:

    Unlike Nelson Aguilor, who’s had his issues…😂

  6. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Former All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins becoming the first player in NFL history to record a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery and a touchdown reception in a single game.

  7. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Would love to see Vita run for short yardage…….but I suspect he would have to block for himself…..

  8. JimmyJack Says:

    Was a nice creative playcall. For all the grief given to Leftwitch there’s almost nothing to criticize about his mastery if our red zone effectiveness………Even though Jenna Laine ignorantly tried.

    I also liked the designs of both calls to Miller today. Even though one went for a loss it was a nice design but a great play by the ATL LB.

    I’ll be listening to the media attentively this week. They have all railed on Leftwitch mercifully and given very little credit where it’s due. Not much to complain about this week. I will be following to see how fair they are really being.

  9. DB55 Says:

    If VV played for a cold weather team he could be dpoy.

    When he plays in cold weather he’s an absolute beast. At home not so much

  10. REDZONE BA Fan Says:

    @Jimmy – on the Miller play resulting in loss – appears to have been a missed block somewhere, or that could have been a 1st down play…..Still liked the call! Kudos to Leftwich. Got the Birds playing safe…..vs pinning their ears back.

  11. tmaxcon Says:

    Im coming around on vea still not sold for long term. Fun play but more importantly it worked.

  12. JP_09 Says:

    The good news is that JAX is getting their ass kicked right now, so we should get a team that’s pissed off next week

  13. bojim Says:

    JP_09 Says:
    November 24th, 2019 at 6:03 pm

    How many receiving touchdowns does Derwin James have?!
    _____________________________________________________

    lol
    ___________________________________________________-__

    Bucfanforever Says:
    November 24th, 2019 at 5:57 pm

    Eagles’ Dawkins had both plus an interception
    ____________________________________________________-

    Is that a ‘neener’? pfft!

  14. Colorado Says:

    Would love to see Vea ask Campbell for tips after next game.

  15. JimmyJack Says:

    @Redzone….I watched that play several times. If it was a missed block you would probanly have to fault D.Smith which I’m not sure you could expect a Tackle to be fast enough to block that guy.

    I’m no savant but my guess after watching that play is that it was designed to get that LB to pinch to his left and over pursue just enough to give Miller the edge. The LB stayed home and made a good read. I’ll give him credit for a nice play there.

  16. BucAllNight Says:

    Good grief stop asking all these dumb A** questions: (Jaemis about his uncle etc.)

    He was obviously bothered by Rick’s unrelated to the game question…

    Its like when we win y’all don’t know what to ask.

    #CultureChangingBeforeOurEyes

  17. Red86 Says:

    Maybe Ronde Barber did it????

  18. D-Rome Says:

    That TD catch was the greatest moment for the Bucs since Fitzmagic’s poat game presser in week 2.

  19. Chris K Says:

    But but but D.James…

  20. ElBajito43 Says:

    You are such an Ass TMAXIpad wtf??
    “I’m not sold “ what an idiot. You are on here shouting from the mountaintop about WINNY-Pooh

    STFU bro!

  21. JimmyJack Says:

    Bajito……why so angry? Bucs won bro. All should be good right now.

  22. MadMax Says:

    My Man Big V!!!

    Now to see him punch it in, up the middle on 3rd at the goal line!

    Told Ya’ll
    Told Ya’ll
    Told Ya’ll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

  23. tmaxcon Says:

    ElBajito43

    Go get your labia repaired el doucey Walmart has a special…… typical no brain jameis hater butt hurt he won and will be here for years…. vea has not had 1 single complete season so fans should be encouraged but not sold….

  24. stpetebucsfan Says:

    I’ve never done this before. Never said I told you so or posted accurate posts of mine.

    Well it’s a win and so I’m going to celebrate being Nostradamus.

    Talked about White and Vea before the game.

    stpetebucsfan Says:
    November 24th, 2019 at 11:32 am

    Dang…bad memory on my part but wasn’t it White who made possible game changing strip tackles two weeks in a row?
    Again…already this season he’s made some plays that could be termed impact plays…strip tackles that force fumbles!

    stpetebucsfan Says:
    November 24th, 2019 at 11:42 am

    And the benefit of Vita is that he was an outstanding runner in high school. He’s an ATHLETE..not just a roided up giant man..he’s BIG and strong because of his genes and he’s still agile. IE…put him in the backfield and use him for real as an RB…he can catch as well…

  25. REDZONE BA Fan Says:

    @Jimmyjack – Fair enough – I need to watch again. Still like the call….

  26. REDZONE BA Fan Says:

    @Jimmyjack – Fair enough – I need to watch again. Still like the call….

    __________________________________________

    We need more “motion plays” on runs, vs Rojo and Payton up the middle runs….opens up the offense.

  27. Boombang Says:

    It finallay dawned on Arians/Leftwich to get creative in the red zone…..Don’t forget that Vea was a RB in high school….Use him as a decoy or give it to him on the one or two yrd line….With that play Sunday, you have now planted a seed in every DCs mind……Very good rpo play.