The Bucs are already being hyped as NFC South troublemakers, not just because of their offensive versatility, but because their young QB’s ceiling looks sky-high. But heading into this week’s showdown with Houston, the real danger for the Texans isn’t under center. It’s in the trenches. And Jarrett Patterson, stepping in for Jake Andrews, just sent CJ Stroud a message loud and clear.

Yes, the biggest weapon in the Bucs’ arsenal might be their nose tackle, Vita Vea.“Obviously, like an elite player. Obviously, he’s a large, large human, but he’s also very explosive and moves well. A lot of people know he’s pretty good with his hands. Especially with Vea, you gotta be on at all times. And just from the whole defense, very exotic,” Patterson said.

Vita Vea somehow flies under the radar every week, but ask any offensive line — he’s always the biggest problem in the room. At 6’4” and 347 pounds, he’s a mountain in the middle, but don’t let the size fool you — the tackle moves like a man half his weight. A two-time Pro Bowler, Vea has 224 tackles, 30.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles to his name, and he makes life downright miserable for anyone unlucky enough to line up across from him.

Vea’s 2024 season was probably his career high, which earned him his second Pro Bowl nod. He’s racking up tackles for loss and wreaking havoc inside, forcing QBs to climb the pocket or face crushing pressure right up the middle — basically every backup center and young quarterback’s worst nightmare. CJ Stroud’s got a big wall to go break through.

And it’s not just the nose tackle, but the Bucs‘ overall defense. Last week, the Bucs completely bottled up Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, holding him to just 24 yards on 12 carries in their win. The only solution? Effective communication, Patterson says. “Communication this week is gonna be huge for us. Just working as one, that’s the biggest thing, being cohesive out there,” he remarked.

As for Patterson himself, he’s back under center Monday night against the Buccaneers, stepping in for Jake Andrews, who’s sidelined with a high-ankle sprain. And he knows exactly what he needs to do. “Straining to finish. I’ll be taking care of the double-teams. No penetration the run game, finishing the run game. That’s where the explosive runs come from. That’s what we keep working on,” he said.

And he needs to step up. Just as much as CJ Stroud does. Because when a depth-lacking Texans team faces an injury crisis? Everything needs to be perfect.

CJ Stroud’s Houston Texans have a long injury list

The final Week 2 injury report shows WRs Braxton Berrios and Christian Kirk sidelined with hamstrings, and center Jake Andrews out with an ankle. Yes, that’s three absolutely vital players missing heading into a brutal primetime showdown.

Losing those guys thins the route tree, forces the offense to simplify its playbook, and, most importantly, makes the O-line shuffle way more critical. Jake Andrews’ ankle opened the door for Patterson to start, but without Andrews, the Texans lose continuity and that pre-snap chemistry that keeps protections tight. Sure, Patterson finished as the first-team center in the Rams game, and he and Stroud “know how to communicate,” but it’s still not the same as a settled five-man line with all the starters getting reps together.

And this isn’t just a one-off. The Texans’ injury woes keep piling up. Tight end Cade Stover is out indefinitely with a broken foot, thinning an already fragile TE room and cutting down Stroud’s quick-game options even more.

Put Patterson stepping in, Vita Vea prowling the middle, and a battered receiver/TE group together, and you’ve got the recipe for a rough night. Expect more quick, three-step passes, shorter throws, and less time for routes to develop. So, plenty of third-and-long situations where Todd Bowles can dial up those ‘exotic’ pressures.