YaYa Diaby Feels More Pressure With Calijah Kancey Out
September 21st, 2025
Discusses loss of Calijah Kancey.
NFL locker rooms love to throw around the cold phrase “next man up” when discussing the loss of a fallen comrade. It actually means more to them than a reserve teammate now starting.
For YaYa Diaby, it means he has more responsibility.
Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey is tight with teammates. So the entire defenses was really bummed about his injury, a torn pec. YaYa is as depressed as any Bucs defender. When Joe spoke to YaYa Diaby last week, he referred to Kancey as his “partner in crime.”
But with last year’s Bucs sacks leader gone two weeks into the season, YaYa feels has more pressure now to perform and drop quarterbacks. Someone has to.
“That was a big loss for me, that really hurt me more than just football,” Diaby said of Kancey’s injury.
Now, Kancey said, he really has to demonstrate he can get a bunch of sacks. The Bucs and his teammates need him more.
“It’s just another step for me as a player,” YaYa said. “I know that I have to step up even more now just to help this D-line go where we need to go.
“For us as a D-line, we we have to start capitalizing on sacks and get in there. We need to get there and and just” find ways to get the quarterback on the ground.
Joe thinks Greg Gaines, who is likely to replace Kancey, will be fine against the run. Joe doesn’t know if Gaines is, say, a 7.5-sack guy like Kancey was. But if YaYa and — dare Joe say? — Chris Braswell can get two more sacks than they did last year, and Haason Reddick can flirt with double-digits; the Bucs might be OK.
The Bucs struggle to get sacks from edge rusheers. To task them to get even more to pick up the slack might be asking a lot.
September 21st, 2025 at 12:37 am
The old saying is “ let the game come to you.” Yaya tries too hard. Makes his intended moves obvious.
If we had full timers at the DC and HC positions there’s a chance Yaya could do something besides regress.
September 21st, 2025 at 12:53 am
No pressure, no diamonds 💎
September 21st, 2025 at 1:26 am
Yaya is not good. In fact, he is overrated. SVD. Same.
Question is whether either will ever develop.
September 21st, 2025 at 1:48 am
Tard a hearin’ nuthin but ‘talk’ from him in year THREE.
September 21st, 2025 at 4:51 am
Has Braswell even played yet? I’m not even sure what number that stiff is. Braswell is a JAG and barely even worthy of the title.
September 21st, 2025 at 5:48 am
Gaines has one more sack than YaYa.
September 21st, 2025 at 6:02 am
Pre season talk from Bucs was Braswell will shock us this year. Well…………
September 21st, 2025 at 6:03 am
Joe … ‘The Bucs struggle to get sacks from edge rusheers. To task them to get even more to pick up the slack might be asking a lot.’
I can’t see our OLBs turning up the heat & getting a whole bunch more sacks. At least not in Bowles’ defense. Job #1 is Run Defense for them in Todd’s scheme; containment in their case. And we do that quite well. TB depends more on the interior guys to create disruption (while holding their gaps) and on the blitz to create additional pressure. We’ve all seen that act 1000 times.
YaYa is very good at creating ‘almost sacks’ but doesn’t quite get there most of the time. For example, through 2 games this season Diaby & Reddick lead the Bucs’ defense in PRESSURES. Diaby has 2 (both QB knockdowns) & Reddick has 2 (1 sack & 1 QB knockdown).
If you look at last season, Diaby led the Bucs in Pressures with 32 (4.5 sacks, 15 QB knockdowns & 12 hurries), while Nelson came in second with 20 pressures (4 sacks, 10 QB knockdowns & 6 hurries). But YaYa’s 4.5 sacks in 17 games only amounts to about 1 sack every 4 games.
It seems to me that Diaby is doing exactly what he’s been asked to do; he’s playing the position like Todd wants him to play it. And my guess is that we’ll see the same thing in Reddick’s case. All of us would love to see 10+ sacks from both of them, but I’m not holding my breath on that one, because of the way they’re used.
September 21st, 2025 at 7:21 am
0 is a good number for NoNo Disapeary.
September 21st, 2025 at 7:59 am
Regardless of scheme, why is 10+ sacks not on the table for any of the OLB’s. Over a 17 game season, that’s not quite 1 sack every other game. While I think all of the other stats are interesting, the one that stops drives is sacks. If the guys are getting close – all the other stats that aren’t sacks – they need to figure out how to finish. When the guys aren’t dropping into coverage, their job is to sack the QB. Just do it.
September 21st, 2025 at 8:45 am
With mobile QBs, pressure is subjective. They didn’t mind being moved off their spot. That’s one reason for the lack of sacks. I do dislike when the guys are dropping into coverage so much. Let them rush the QB.
Go Bucs
September 21st, 2025 at 9:16 am
Pressure ought to create turnovers,in Todd’s scheme or any other. Hasn’t for two straight seasons.
Why not? Defense Rules, please weigh in here.
September 21st, 2025 at 9:21 am
In hind sight , we should have traded Cancey and 2 first rounders for Parsons…that dude is on a mission, and would free up everyone
September 21st, 2025 at 9:25 am
It was completely obvious the Bucs were going to have zero pass rush. I’m tired of being right and it’s even more embarrassing when you have Vita Vea and Kancey on the inside.
September 21st, 2025 at 10:01 am
Yaya did get a sack against the Falcons
But Jamel Dean dumb penalty wiped it out
September 21st, 2025 at 10:26 am
We need turnovers.
September 21st, 2025 at 10:29 am
Yeah, yeah… quit talking and start playing
September 21st, 2025 at 10:36 am
This team can’t evaluate edge rush talent in the draft. Add diaby to the list. Braswell is next . This is why they should have went after parsons
September 21st, 2025 at 10:45 am
Just once, this fan would like to see a banged up Bucs team pull off a perfect game. I don’t care WHO the opposition is (including refs)! That would certainly shock the gas out of the Jets.
September 21st, 2025 at 10:56 am
He’s just not the guy they want him to be. He plays hard, but he’s not a natural edge rusher and never will be. He’d be a good back behind a true edge. Or can he play ILB??
September 21st, 2025 at 11:04 am
Oh, and by the way, the Jets have two 1st round draft picks at the tackle positions. So, don’t look for a sack-fest starting today…
September 21st, 2025 at 11:33 am
He’s getting pressure but just like last year he needs to finish
I would like to see roberts play both edge and inside
GO BUCS
September 21st, 2025 at 11:51 am
Someone asked DR to weigh in on “why” we get pressures and not sacks….
He Already Explained it to you and the rest who just don’t get it.. Right up top. Go back and check it out. Or I’ll just save you the time.
Todd Bowles style of defense IS DESIGNED FOR PRESSURE AND “IS NOT” DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE SACKS…..!
I hope that was simple enough to understand. This defensive line under Todd Bowles dictatorship HAS NEVER EVER been designed for the front line to get consistent sacks. NEVER HAS BEEN, NEVER WILL BE!
If you’re a guy (on the front line) looking to make a name as a pass rusher VIA “multiple sacks”, YOU CAME TO THE WRONG HEAD COACH /DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND YOU WILL NOT BENEFIT A “PASS RUSHER” EVER under Todd Bowles thumb… WRONG GUY TO WORK FOR!
September 21st, 2025 at 12:04 pm
You Will NEVER make a name for yourself as a pass rusher in Bowles system. This IS the ABSOLUTE WORST TEAM to get drafted to as a “pass rusher”. It’s the “death to your career” under Bowles.
Just ask ANY one drafted as a pass rusher on ANY TEAM that Bowles has his slippery fingers in. Poor JTS NEVER had a chance. And the DAMAGE that, that man Bowles did to his career and I’m sure others, SHOULD BE LABELED AS A CRIME AND SUE HIM FOR DAMAGES AS WELL AS THE LOSS OF INCOME!
Think about it…. Why can’t Jason Licht draft a “decent” much less, GREAT pass rusher? EVEN BY ACCIDENT BY NOW??!! Well, maybe he Has! You’ll NEVER KNOW in a Bowles taught and designed defense…. Not Only PATHETIC, IT’S SAD!
ESPECIALLY “As a Pass Rusher” that is….
Joe will NEVER EVER see his dreams of pass rushing GLORY come true as long as Todd Bowles has something to say about it!
September 21st, 2025 at 12:27 pm
Lou … ‘Pressure ought to create turnovers, in Todd’s scheme or any other. Hasn’t for two straight seasons.’
I agree with you Lou, pressure SHOULD result in turnovers. Look at the number of turnovers our defense has created since TB became our DC:
o 2019: 28 turnovers … 186 Pressures … #29 Defense
o 2020: 25 turnovers … 193 Pressures … #8 Defense
o 2021: 29 turnovers … 224 Pressures … #5 Defense
o 2022: 20 turnovers … 144 Pressures … #13 Defense
o 2023: 26 turnovers … 136 Pressures … #7 Defense
o 2024: 18 turnovers … 175 Pressures … #16 Defense
Doesn’t take long to analyze numbers like that Lou. In 2019-2021 Bowles was our DC, with names like Vea, Suh, JPP, Shaq & yes Devin White playing for him. Bucs got 82 turnovers in those 3 seasons (and only 49 games), with 603 pressures. And oh ya, we also won 5 out of 6 playoff games & a Super Bowl.
But then in 2022 Todd also became the HC, and lost Suh, JPP & a few others. Several key performers (from previous years) stopped being key performers, and have since departed also. Bucs got 64 turnovers in those 2022-2024 years, and in 2 more (51) games, and with fewer pressures (455). So we had 22% FEWER turnovers in these last 3 years, and 26% fewer pressures. Maybe there is a correlation huh.
In any event, I’m of the opinion that TB had more talented horses back in 2019-2021 than he’s had in 2022-2024. Players like Suh & JPP & yes Shaq who BTW had 11 Forced Fumbles in 2019-2021 but only 4 in 2022-2024 (missed a LOT of games in those last 3 years with us).
September 21st, 2025 at 12:51 pm
I was going to say the same thing DR much less eloquently. Well said!
September 21st, 2025 at 12:52 pm
Don’t sleep on Yaya he will get at least one sack today!
September 21st, 2025 at 1:00 pm
Yaya is a great depth piece. He’s no starter.