The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a roller coaster ride of a matchup on Sunday. They travelled to New Orleans to play the Saints, their division rivals. After a back and forth first half in which New Orleans took a 27-24 lead before the break, the Bucs roared back in the second half. The scored 27 unanswered points en route to a 51-27 win, as numerous players helped the team lock in the victory. Defensive tackle Vita Vea talked about the team’s fans after the game, as the Tampa Bay area was rocked on Wednesday and Thursday by Hurricane Milton.
“Bucs defensive tackle Vita Vea said of today’s victory: ‘We did it for everybody back home,'” reported ESPN’s Jenna Laine on X, formerly Twitter, after the game “‘We put 50 up for everybody back home that was suffering through this hurricane, this win for you guys. Shout out to Tampa. Tampa Strong.'”
The Bucs are now in second place, tied with the Atlanta Falcons with a 4-2 record. The Falcons, however, currently own the tiebreaker because of their Week 5 win over Tampa Bay in Atlanta. The Bucs will have a chance to redeem that loss in two weeks when the Falcons visit Raymond James Stadium. Before that tilt though, the Baltimore Ravens will head down to Tampa to play the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football next week. Can the Bucs maintain their position in the division, or improve it, with a win over Baltimore? The Ravens might be their toughest matchup yet this season, so they’ll need to lock in so they can get the job done.
Vita Vea, Buccaneers improve to 4-2
Vea certainly pulled his weight in the win, notching a sack and four total tackles. One of the team’s captains, Vea has become one of the most pivotal players on the team. As his role grew, so did his profile around the league. Now, the former Washington Husky has become one of the best overall talents at his position in the game. The Bucs defense is built by his contributions in the heart of it. If Vea is successful, then the Bucs usually are as well.
The stud defender wasn’t the only player to express his support for their current home. Quarterback Baker Mayfield also spoke to the media, including Laine, after the win.
“I think today was just a team embodying and embracing everything that everybody’s going through,” Mayfield stated postgame. “Ups and downs, trying to handle it the best way you can, fight through it and find a way to make it work. That’s life. Obviously a natural disaster’s not easy to deal with — you find a way to make it work, you overcome and you come together. That’s what this group did today.”
Once again, the Buccaneers showed resiliency. All championship teams need to have that ability. They have to be able to bounce back. Tampa Bay yet again proved that they can do just that on Sunday.
