FLOWERY BRANCH — The interior of the Falcons’ offensive line must hold up against Tampa Bay’s defensive line, which features two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Left guard Matt Bergeron, center Ryan Neuzil and right guard Chris Lindstrom will be on the hot seat when the Falcons (4-9) face the Buccaneers (7-6) at 8:15 p.m. Thursday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Vea, who’s 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds, requires a double-team block on most plays. Otherwise, he would spend most of the night in the backfield wreaking havoc. Calijah Kancey started next to Vea in the season opener, but since has been lost to a torn pectoral injury.
“They’ve had a number of guys kind of rotating through there,” Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. “They’re always going to have tough interior players.”
Logan Hall (6-6, 238) started next to Vea against the Saints on Sunday. Vea and Hall are backed up by Elijah Simmons (6-1, 334) and C.J. Brewer (6-2, 290).
“I mean, that’s kind of how they’re built,” Robinson said. “They’re built through the front. Obviously, they’re heavy inside with Vita and the other guys they’ve got in there. So, (we’re) anticipating a good rotation of guys.”
The big defensive tackles allow veteran linebacker Lavonte David to move around and pursue the football.
“He’s unbelievable,” Robinson said. “I mean, he looks the exact same as you remember him from 10 years ago. I mean, he’s still flying around.”
David ranks second on the Bucs in tackles, with 90. He also has seven tackles for losses, five quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks.
“He’s still making a ton of plays,” Robinson said. “He can still run. He’s still a huge impact player for them, so he’s had a great career. Always watching him from afar, and then being in the division, you have that much more appreciation for a guy like that.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
