Did y’all see the most athletic thing anyone has done on an NFL field this year in Sunday night’s game between the Bucs and the Cowboys?
In a game that finished with a flurry of just the most incredible moments, this moment by Vea stands out. The Bucs are down two and it’s 3rd and 6 with two minutes left in the game. Because Tampa has one timeout, if Dallas gets this first down the game is essentially over. Tampa brings a simulated pressure, but Dallas beats it (a trend from Sunday night) with a quick throw to TE Jake Ferguson in the flat. Most times, this play ends in a first down and the game is over.
BUT NOT ON VITA VEA’S WATCH.
This is the most incredible play you’ll see in the NFL this year. Vea is listed at 347 pounds, and he’s coming from the other side of the field to make this play.
I repeat.
347 POUNDS.
FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD.
The play is even crazier in the All-22! The Bucs have seven potential blitzers lined up at or near the line of scrimmage, but with Dallas in a 3×1 formation to the left, if the Bucs are blitzing, someone is going to have to come from the other side of the field. Tampa drops both Vea and EDGE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, but JTS has to get under a potential CeeDee Lamb route from the single receiver side. This leaves Vea in the middle of the field, and this is a great call by Dallas. The quick throw to the flat gets the ball out of the QBs hands vs the pressure, and Ferguson makes the first man miss! But Vea has other plans, and decides to end this play by doing something that not even Isaac Newton believed was possible.
Vea reached 14.91 miles per hour on this tackle, which is an ungodly amount considering he’s at least 100 pounds heavier than 95% of the people on the field. He hits Ferguson like a tsunami on this play, which could’ve been the play that the Bucs used to win the game.
It’s another reminder that the greatest athletes in the world are the defensive and offensive linemen, because they do things that no other human should be able to do on a down to down basis.
This isn’t even the first time Vea has dropped into coverage in his career! Because of all the wonky pressures Bowles will send, Vea will drop into underneath areas and do shit like this:
Cherish these moments from Vita Vea, one of the most unique athletes we’ll see in the NFL.
