Calijah Kancey Shares Love For Bucs Defensive Backs
October 29th, 2026
Calijah Kancey explains how Jacob Parrish and the Bucs secondary have unleashed a pass rush.
For a team whose coach publicly admitted he sacks are overrated and not key to winning, the Bucs have suddenly become sackmeisters.
In the last two games, the Bucs have 10 sacks. At times, that felt more like last year’s season total.
In his day-after presser on Monday, KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles mentioned the reason he believes sacks are now flowing like a river is because of the Bucs’ secondary.
Zyon McCollum is no longer bored. He is instead focused and playing like a stud. And then there’s Jacob Parrish, the NFL’s leader in passes defensed (11).
Joe mentioned Bowles’ words to Calijah Kancey yesterday and Kancey 100 percent agreed. Kancey said the Bucs’ secondary is making the front-seven look good because opposing quarterbacks are holding onto the ball longer, which is giving the Bucs pass rushers time to eat.
“They’re doing a great job, man,” Kancey said. “Thanks to Zyon [McCollum], Jacob [Parrish], Tykee [Smith] … all of them in the back. Everybody. The whole secondry, man.
“They are doing their job. They’re in the right place. Even the linebackers, they’re doing their job. Being in the right place at the right time and quarterback’s got to hold that ball.”
Kancey was a huge beneficiary of that last Sunday. He scooped up a Bryce Young fumble and rumbled for a 32-yard scoop-and-score after an Al-Quadin Muhammad sack jarred the ball loose.
If it truly is the secondary that has unleashed a too-long dormant pass rush, Joe sure hopes Parrish and McCollum can stay healthy.
October 29th, 2026 at 7:12 am
Who is coaching the DBs?
Let’s go!!!!!!
October 29th, 2026 at 7:18 am
They have amazing meds for ADHD nowadays.
October 29th, 2026 at 7:42 am
So much better than last year and to have B Mo as the backup. Bryce Young was shut down all day long. Almost like the Rhonde Barber Brian Kelly days!
October 29th, 2026 at 7:44 am
“For a team whose coach has publicly admitted he doesn’t care for sacks…..”.
Doesn’t care for? As if he prefers not to have them?
I would be curious to hear the actual quote from Todd Bowles saying he prefers to not sack the quarterback.
Would also be curious to know the difference between journalistic license vs. falsehood.
October 29th, 2026 at 7:54 am
Complementary football can win games, even within the defense itself.
October 29th, 2026 at 7:56 am
Can’t forget Keionte holding the nickel down, while also functioning as a linebacker playing in and around the box.
But yea, teams having been using the quick passing game to cut into our rush time and catch us with our pants down, but these last few weeks our CBs have been covering in a manner to where that extra few seconds allows our guys to get home.
Funny thing is, Kancey was spying Bryce Young when AQM violated the QB and separated him from the rock. Kancey being heads up and atheltic enough to catch the ball off the dribble mid-stride and motor to the house was a thing of beauty. Hard to replicate, but man ain’t nothing like a defensive score to turn the tide in the game.
Also hilarious with all the complaining about sacks and how Bowles sees them or the fake outrage out of Walker playing more, is that Walker did play more yet Yaya got 3-ish sacks playing less this past week. Which kind of shoots the inference that playing more means, more sacks for a given player out of the sky
October 29th, 2026 at 8:01 am
We’ve ALL been b*tching about the dreaded 10 yard cushion on 3td and 5, the corners seemed to be playing up close nearly the whole game
October 29th, 2026 at 8:24 am
@ CAR Fordham played only 7 snaps and Morrison only 2 – exclusively on ST – with Garnes Winfield Capehart inactive – so the defense functions perfectly well with 6 DL 3 LB 5 OLB 3 S 4 DB – all you need is McCollum Parrish Scott and Knowles for backup / ST – Melifonwu Tykee Killebrew are fine at S – I don’t think JL will make any moves at the trade deadline – the team may go with just the 3 inside LBs without Fordham too
October 29th, 2026 at 8:30 am
10 yard cushion..Sacks..Dropping etc.. Who cares the product on the field is top #3 so far..
If it ain’t broke dont fix it!
October 29th, 2026 at 8:34 am
Could JL cut Benjamin Morrison and promote Josh Williams from the practice squad ?
October 29th, 2026 at 8:54 am
LOL!
Kancey finally makes a play and now it becomes CalijahFansDotCom?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Please tell this dude to stay focused – stay healthy (for once) – and make more than one play in 3 seasons…
Come on man!
October 29th, 2026 at 9:02 am
One thing that no one’s mentioned far as I can see is that Todd changed the way he used his defensive players in the Panthers’ game. And HOPEFULLY it’s a more permanent change.
Prior to Sunday, Bowles used certain up-front players considerably more than others (guys like Vea, Diaby, Bain). But against the Panthers, each of them had a lot fewer def snaps, and my guess is that kept them fresher.
o Vea had averaged 46.5 def snaps/game, but against the Panthers he only logged 29 snaps.
o Robinson had averaged 28.3 def snaps/game, but against the Panthers he logged 24 snaps, so not a huge difference.
o Kancey had averaged 41.0 def snaps/game, but against the Panthers he only logged 29 snaps.
o Diaby had averaged 42.7 def snaps/game, but against the Panthers he only logged 22 snaps.
o Muhammad had averaged 27.8 def snaps/game, but against the Panthers he only logged 16 snaps.
o David Walker had averaged 16.5 def snaps/game, but against the Panthers he logged 30 snaps, so he was definitely used more.
o Bain had averaged 35.3 def snaps/game, and against the Panthers he logged about the same (37 snaps).
The rest of the front guys were used about the same as they had been. Overall, Diaby was used a lot less, but he performed a lot better (3 sacks, 3 QB hits, 3 TFL, 3 tackles). Vea was used a lot less, and he seemed to perform better too (1 sack, 1 QB hit, 1 TFL, 1 tackle). Kancey also got fewer snaps, and he performed better than he been (1 FR for a TD, 1 TFL, 1 tackle). And Muhammad was used less, but performed better (1 sack, 1 QB hit, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 tackle). So overall, keeping the big guys ‘fresher’ MIGHT have made a big difference.
October 29th, 2026 at 9:09 am
Oh and BTW, for those who’ve been ragging on YaYa Diaby, in my opinion he’s A BEAST … IF USED PROPERLY. Keep him ‘fresh’ and he dominates. Overuse him, and he always seems to be ‘just a fraction of a second too late’. THAT’S the difference ‘freshness’ makes IMO.
October 29th, 2026 at 9:29 am
DR…Your right on..Being gassed the 4th quarter vs Pitt maybe the change?
Anyhow it worked in Carolina with one of the hottest qb’s and it was a nice move by Bowles…
October 29th, 2026 at 9:35 am
DR I like your breakdown, but how much of the reduced snap numbers are possibly due to overall fewer plays?
It’s an honest question, I really don’t know. I just know we had the ball a loooong time on Sunday.
October 29th, 2026 at 12:33 pm
I really like the new coaches that Bowles brought in this year. Especially Rashad Johnson for the DB’s and Danny Smith for Special Teams.
October 29th, 2026 at 1:25 pm
can-we-get-rid-of-Licht-for-godsake? Says:
October 29th, 2026 at 8:34 am
The answer is no and it’s a stupid suggestion.
Morrison is healthy again and they have an investment in him. Plus he was beginning to play good ball before the quad strain. Can we get rid of you?
October 29th, 2026 at 2:26 pm
Same
October 29th, 2026 at 3:15 pm
Drunk Bucs Fan … ‘I like your breakdown, but how much of the reduced snap numbers are possibly due to overall fewer plays?’
Our defense was on the field in the Panthers game for 56 plays, but on the field for 79 plays against the Steelers (67 plays in regulation & 12 plays in OT). That’s a HUGE difference, to some players.
Vea for instance. He was in on 66 def snaps in the Steelers game (84%), versus only 29 def snaps (29 plays) in the Panthers game. I’d be willing to bet that he was dragging by the end of the Steelers game (he was way over-used). Vita was a lot ‘fresher’ I’ll be at th end of the Panthers game … and his stats showed.
Vea had 3 tackles in the Steelers game in those 66 snaps; that’s it. In the Panthers game, he had 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 1 TFL and 1 tackle, in less than half (29) of the snaps that he had in the Steelers game. Same thing with Kancey; same thing with Diaby. And they both also did better.
October 29th, 2026 at 3:35 pm
Drunk Bucs Fan … Come to think of it, the Panthers game was the FIRST one this season in which Vea was used on barely 50% of the def snaps (starting in Game 1: 69%, 62%, 81%, 77%, 65%, 84%, 52%). That was his least usage by far. Keeping the big guys ‘fresher’ has to be advantageous.
When I circle back to Todd Bowles being DUAL-HATTED as our HC & DC, I’m even more convinced that THAT’S THE PROBLEM. When the defense is on the field, Todd the DC is 100% engaged, obviously. When the offense or S/Ts is on the field, Todd the HC is 100% engaged. He’s not reflecting on what the defense needs to change, or how many snaps each guy is getting, etc. He’s TOTALLY FOCUSED on the OFFENSE or S/Ts, as the HC. You can only ‘serve one master’ at a time.
And I’d be willing to bet THAT’S counter-productive. Instead of planning ahead on what’s coming up defensively, he’s focused on what’s happening here-and-now. He’s been over-using some defensive guys as a consequence, and I think that’s hurt their defensive performance.
Some guys like Andy Reid can get away with it because he’s got a DC (Steve Spagnuolo) who’s not only an excellent DC, but who’s also been with him as his DC since 2019. And Spagnuolo was a DC & an HC in the NFL for a dozen years prior to that. Todd Bowles has surely never had that kind of relationship with his offensive coordinator counterpart because it’s always been ‘a different one every year’.
October 29th, 2026 at 5:34 pm
It’s exciting it’s Bowles coaching the DBs. Bowles himself was a DB in the nfl and since Bowles became the DC and now HC the Bucs have bin developing DBs. Davis , smb , Dean , whitehead , Edwards and Winfield known as the gravediggers that we won a SB with them add in Tykee smith , Parrish and Zion and even Morrison is improving. Lots of DBs that have bin all drafted and developed. When they aren’t bored and playing 10 yards off and getting hurt they play well lol.