Fresh off a return from injury, Bucs defensive tackle Vita Vea suffered another ‘minor’ malady in the first half against Indianapolis. After Vea’s helmet was nearly knocked off by an uncalled illegal hands to the face, Colts guard Mark Glowinski dislodged one of his front teeth. Glowinski’s helmet erupted into Vea’s mouth, causing the tooth to go flying. The hulking defensive tackle exited briefly, bleeding from his grinning mouth.
Vita Vea LOST A TOOTH 🦷 pic.twitter.com/Dfc1AxPTSJ
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 28, 2021
After the game, head coach Bruce Arians didn’t seem concerned.
“I don’t care,” Arians said. “He’s got 30 other ones. Yeah, he can play without a tooth. That ain’t nothin’.”
Vea didn’t come out of the game for long. The Bucs star defensive tackle finished the game with one tackle. Vea was instrumental in the Bucs run defense, especially early in the game. The fourth-year defender was coming off a knee sprain and bone bruise that kept him off the field in Week 11.
Tampa Bay improved to 8-3 with the win over the Colts. The Bucs will return to action on Sunday against the Falcons at 1pm EST.