TAMPA — KaVontae Turpin took a handoff and disappeared into the body of Vita Vea until the Cowboys receiver was tossed like a rag doll into the air, his arms and legs splaying wildly.
And that was just the appetizer for the Bucs defensive tackle. Clinging to a two-point lead, the Cowboys faced third and 6 at their own 34-yard line. Quarterback Cooper Rush threw a pass in the left flat to tight end Jake Ferguson, who broke the tackle of defensive back Christian Izien.
It appeared Ferguson would make it to the first-down marker easily. But the 348-pound Vea had dropped into pass coverage on the other side of the field.
Vea used his speed to cross the field and hit Ferguson like a truck. The ball came loose, and safety Mike Edwards recovered, but officials ruled Ferguson down by contact.
The play forced a punt, and the Bucs took over at their own 26-yard line with 1:40 remaining needing only a field goal to win. Unfortunately, Rachaad White’s fumble ended the game one play later.
Had the Bucs beaten the Cowboys, Vea dropping like a defensive back into coverage and showing the power and speed to stop Ferguson in his tracks is all anyone would’ve talked about this past week.
It may become just a forgotten footnote in a career that probably hasn’t received the attention it deserves.
Soon, Vea will be named to his second Pro Bowl. He leads all players in votes at defensive tackle for the NFC all-star team.
In a season in which the Bucs defense has slipped to 26th overall, Vea is its biggest bright spot.
He is 29 now, having already fulfilled his promise as the Bucs’ controversial first-round pick out of Washington in 2018. With two games to play, his six sacks are only a half sack from his career high. He needs five tackles to reach a personal best, and his nine tackles for loss are his most in seven years.
A year ago, it was safety Antoine Winfield Jr. who manifested becoming an All-Pro and the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL, both goals he listed in an offseason practice video.
Vea’s commitment wasn’t as public. But heading out of Ford Field following the Bucs’ 31-23 loss to the Lions in an NFC division playoff game, Vea told general manager Jason Licht that he planned to recommit himself to getting into the best shape of his career for 2024.
Vea spent two weeks in the offseason working out with former Bucs defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in Portland. Although Vea never said how much weight he had lost, his body was noticeably trimmer.
“I think it’s just taking to good coaching and having good guys around me helping me out and being able to execute the gameplan and having the game slow down for me more and being able to execute everything more,” Vea said.
Vea broke his leg in 2020 but his return to the Bucs for the NFC Championship Game at Green Bay may be responsible for their Super Bowl title. Although he didn’t record a statistic that day, he played 33 snaps and pushed the pocket so much that quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times.
His combination of strength and athleticism enables Bowles to put Vea at multiple positions, even dropping him into coverage.
It’s hard to quantify how Vea’s offseason work has translated into his production. But the knee and ankle injuries that plagued him in the past haven’t been an issue.
“He’s having a heck of a year.”
Up next
vs. Panthers, 1 Sunday, Raymond James Stadium TV/radio: CBS; 97.9-FM
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