Bring Back Vita Vea For Short Yardage
October 19th, 2022
You know it. Joe knows it. Todd Bowles knows it. And certainly Mike Alstott knows it, if he’s not already checked into a mental facility after watching the Bucs fail repeatedly on short yardage the past two weeks.
Short-yardage situations are a significant problem this season overall and radical change is in order.
First, Joe thinks Bucs running backs coach Todd McNair needs to coach up Leonard Fournette on going over the top of the line of scrimmage, as was popular decades ago. Fournette has the power and he’s one of the NFL all-time greats when it comes to not fumbling.
Second, Joe wants to see Vita Vea return to the backfield, at times, in short yardage situations. He hasn’t been there since Week 2 of the 2021 season.
If it was good enough for the Bucs to have Vea in for three offense snaps during the Super Bowl, and at other key moments, then it’s worth trying again. Joe loves the distraction element for the defense, and Vea did catch a touchdown pass in 2019.
Status quo in short yardage isn’t cutting it. Heck, Joe’s up for trying Ke’Shawn Vaughn, too. He runs low and hard.
October 19th, 2022 at 12:04 am
Vita seems like he’s being too much of a nice guy on the field and passive
October 19th, 2022 at 12:05 am
I’d forgotten about that
Great idea!
October 19th, 2022 at 12:28 am
Bring in some interior offensive linemen who can block. Vita can’t move a 250 pound center off a blade of grass — he’s become a softie.
October 19th, 2022 at 12:33 am
Nothing will change, people. This is the Bowelswich show. We’re gonn be stuck sucking with it.
October 19th, 2022 at 12:51 am
Short yardage fail says a lot more about the oline than it does about whatever back or QB is holding the ball.
Howard mourns the loss of Jensen and Marpet and he’s tempted to quote Rob Schneider in The Waterboy
October 19th, 2022 at 12:55 am
Great story, all it does is highlight the fact the Bucs O Line is the “Not Ready yet for prime time”
Sure would be nice to have the O line and D line of the past couple of years.
It is clear that is was taken for granted by most.
When Marpet retired and Cappa went for “Greener” pastures, it was like the Bucs will be okay becuase hey, they signed Shaq from NE.
Then Jensen goes down at the beginning of training camp, still people were not overly concerned as a whole.
But the current O Line is a work in progress and overall still in an infant stage.
Bad news when you have a 45 year old GOAT most likely playing his last season.
Hopefully this exercise in frustration changes, but that is a big maybe. O lines take time, and well the Bucs got 12 games to work it out.
On a positive note, hey Joe here is a blast from lost decade past, it is october and might as well look at the draft in 2023. lol😂
Humor is definitely needed for the current train wreck called the Bucs 2022 season
“The rambling wreck from Buccaneer Tech” keeps chuggin on in 2022
GO BUCS!!!!!!
October 19th, 2022 at 1:00 am
He should not be rewarded for being way overweight
October 19th, 2022 at 1:35 am
Why no Ko?
October 19th, 2022 at 1:36 am
O-Line problem is ALL on LICHT ; he knew last spring that he had to replace 2 probowl level players–but chose NOT to trade for proven guys .
Again when Jensen got hurt in early august; LICHT did NOT trade for a proven center.
Now ,he has 2 wks left to trade for proven guys–but he will not beacause he’s stubborn and because that would be seen as admission of the mistakes he made .!
October 19th, 2022 at 1:52 am
vita vea with a running start, oline opens up and here is vita vea at a significant clip ball tucked head down and legs churning
October 19th, 2022 at 2:05 am
Team needs Vea for short yardage alright. To stop the opposing team’s short yardage attempts.
Vea needs to do his own job, not just Refrigerator Perry work.
October 19th, 2022 at 2:50 am
I’m shocked more NFL teams don’t utilize big steam-rolling 350-pound guys to burst through lines for short yardage. Just like I’m shocked they don’t have a 7’6” ex-basketball player on their squads to run a few yards into end zones and grabs lobs that only they can reach.
But NFL teams are generally the polar opposite of creative, so I guess I shouldn’t be too shocked.
October 19th, 2022 at 2:55 am
@captivajim
Right with you. After Jensen went down, I must have posted GET TRETTER!! about 40 or 50 times on here all thru preseason. It was go glaringly obvious we needed that level of experience and skill. But all Licht and Bowles kept saying was we’re fine, we’re fine.
Guess what? We’re not!
October 19th, 2022 at 3:19 am
Vea has enough on his hands at present. Some guys got paid on this team and got lazy. It’s right in front of you.
October 19th, 2022 at 6:12 am
Kentucky Buc … I don’t disagree with you that ‘Vea has enough on his hands at present’ but I don’t think his problem is that ‘he’s gotten lazy’. As big as he is and as good as he CAN be, he’s not an Alpha dog like Sapp or Suh were. I think he’s just one of those players who NEEDS a Suh-type next to him to drive him, to keep him energized.
Only 1 way to find out. Jason – quit screwing around & bring back Suh. HOPING that Hicks will get back in the lineup and STAY in the lineup is not a strategy.
October 19th, 2022 at 7:15 am
Not if he plays like he is on D. Soft and cuddly.
October 19th, 2022 at 7:40 am
One of the problems is that we have to eliminate the RPO….can’t have Tom bootleg or roll out…….only option is to run or short pass…..
It seems to me that Rachaad White has been more effective with short yardage situations.
And, where is Keyshawn…..has he even taken a snap on offense this year.
Are we shopping him? Trying to keep him healthy?
October 19th, 2022 at 7:59 am
Vea has been mostly a no show on defense, let him get better at what he’s supposed to do. How about a direct snap to a back instead of a hand off? You take Tom out for 3rd, and one bring in an extra blocker, and direct snap the ball to the back. How about bringing in Gabbert for a yard? He’s 6’5″ 230 let him QB sneak it, or run an RPO something Brady can’t do. Think Tayson Hill. No imagination. To much pull the guard, and run Lenny left into a brick wall. What a joke we are.
October 19th, 2022 at 9:16 am
Vea is barely pushing people on defense. What makes us think he could push anyone this season on offense?
October 19th, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Listnfrmafar Says:
October 19th, 2022 at 7:15 am
Not if he plays like he is on D. Soft and cuddly.
Lol exactly
October 19th, 2022 at 12:43 pm
Isn’t the problem of lack of short yardage conversion is the offense line is stagnant and usually somebody is getting beat by the time the RB gets the ball he has to break a tackle.
October 19th, 2022 at 1:08 pm
He’s not doing his job on the D line. Probably should get it going there before we put him in the back field.
October 19th, 2022 at 8:14 pm
Yes.