The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fought their way back from a 24-3 deficit in Sunday's six-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, largely due to the defense's prowess in the second half. The Bucs' defense did not allow the Eagles to complete a single pass in the second half and collectively, Tampa Bay limited Saquon Barkley to 43 yards on 19 carries (2.3 avg.). The 2.3 yards per carry mark represented the fifth-lowest mark in any game in which he had 15-or-more carries in his career, and the lowest such performance since he joined the Eagles. Nose tackle Vita Vea set the tone in the trenches.
He recorded three tackles (two for loss), 2.0 sacks and two quarterback hits in Week Four. It marked Vea's fifth career game with at least 2.0 sacks, and his first since Week Nine of the 2024 season at Kansas City. With his two sacks on the day, he increased his career total to 32.5, with 29.5 coming since the start of the 2019 season – most among all nose tackles in the NFL over that span.
Both sacks came in the third quarter, and on the first one Vea shed Landon Dickerson to bring Jalen Hurts down. Logan Hall brought the initial pressure and once Hurts evaded, Vea corralled the signal-caller, which set up third-and-22 and an eventual punt. On the second, tight coverage helped out the Bucs' pass rush. Zyon McCollum swarmed A.J. Brown and Benjamin Morrison blanketed DeVonta Smith, forcing Hurts to hold onto the ball longer. Vea took advantage and brought him down again for a nine-yard loss.
Vea made his presence felt at the line of scrimmage and disrupted the Eagles' offensive rhythm. He intimated at the point of attack and overpowered the opposition. Vea quickly dislodged blockers and showcased his range down the line of scrimmage. With violent hands and a bully mentality, Vea spearheaded the defensive effort on Sunday in Week Four.
