Calijah Kancey Already Has Put It Together
June 1st, 2025
He’s figured it out.
A former high priest of the PFF tribe seems to have split opinions on Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.
One seems to be a regurgitated cliché.
Ex-PFF high priest Sam Monson, now talking for “The 33rd Team,” claims Calijah Kancey sucks out loud as a run defender. But on the other hand, Monson thinks Kancey will break out this season as a top-shelf pass rusher.
“He’s been reasonably productive as a pass rushing tackle,” Monson said. “He’s been pretty abysmal against the run.”
Well, Joe thinks the opposite. Joe thinks Kancey has arrived as a pass rusher and is very underrated against the run. This nonsense that Kancey can’t stop the run is just some trope started when he was at Pitt. That’s not the case, if it ever was at all.
For example, NextGen Stats claimed Kancey did not miss one regular-season tackle last year. Not one! For a starting defensive tackle? That’s unheard of.
When Joe first tipped off Bucs coach Todd Bowles to this at the combine, Bowles didn’t exactly argue with Joe (he didn’t say, “No, that’s horsesh!t.”) The only thing Bowles pushed back on (just a little) was zero missed tackles. Bowles told Joe he would have to go back to the tape to double-check.
In fact, Bowles raved about Kancey’s run defense.
So how the hell can one be “abysmal” against the run when you don’t miss one tackle for an entire regular season?
(Since that NextGen Stats article came out, Kancey is on record saying he missed a tackle last year in the regular season. And no, NextGen Stats is not factoring in Kancey’s tackle of Jayden Daniels’ towel in the playoffs. These numbers are just regular season.)
But as a pass rusher, Monson says, look out for Kancey.
“I think this is the year Calijah Kancey is going to put it together as a pass rusher,” Monson said.
Well, Kancey led the Bucs with 7.5 sacks last season, almost doubling his sack total as a rookie (four). And Kancey once again started the season injured and missed the first five games.
If Kancey can be on the field for 17 games, look the eff out.
Yes, *if* Kancey can stay on the field for 17 games. Joe thinks that qualifier is being used way too often for Bucs starting defenders the team is banking on to have a good season.
Yes, Joe is looking right at you, Jamel Dean and SirVocea Dennis.
As Steve Smith once said to Aqib Talib, “Ice up, son.”
June 1st, 2025 at 11:14 am
Joseph, that’s the difference between local media who actually watch the games and the tape afterwards and some pretty boy who reads one story and watches one play and has a slot of crap to fill with “insight”
June 1st, 2025 at 11:38 am
Well asking “Peanut Brittle” Dean to have a better season is asking too much when he can’t stay on the field and he plays scared. The defense was definitely better with Sir Vocea playing. Hopefully Reddick shows up wanting to get a bigger pay day with us because Cancey and Vea will feed
June 1st, 2025 at 11:40 am
I have to agree with mod hair ken up above. Those guys are watching porn on their phones while they have game film idling on their computer. It doesn’t affect their paycheck one way or the other if they actually get it right. In fact I dare say getting it wrong might draw even more eyeballs as angry fans look to see what these idiots are babbling about. It has nothing to do with the sport.
June 1st, 2025 at 11:45 am
Funny thing about Kanceys injuries over these two years: he seems to be plenty durable by the middle of October. I doubt I’m alone.
June 1st, 2025 at 11:49 am
How can you suck against the run and miss no tackles? Easy – not be in position to make more tackles. I didn’t miss any tackles last year either. Neither did you.
June 1st, 2025 at 11:58 am
It is great against the run. I’ve seen him solo tackle incredible players.
June 1st, 2025 at 12:01 pm
Kancey will be double digits easily with health and if reddick provides some juice, ‘watch out’ is right.
June 1st, 2025 at 12:06 pm
Fred
Often wondered if his calf was heat sensitive..🔥😃
June 1st, 2025 at 12:48 pm
Against the run he will make some splash plays for sure.
But u do see him getting moved out on some plays.
If he and 50 ever had an outside pass rusher to take the heat off….
Wow it would be football poetry.
June 1st, 2025 at 1:03 pm
Kancey fan here. Guys like him, who could start for any team, are hard to dislike. Who cares what the critics say. When you watch the games you know Kancey is a disruptive force. Embracing a word I usually loathe, “if” he could play a full season, watch out!
As for Teddy R, Mr. StPete, his cousin was far more quotable, a better prez, and a far better war tactician. Teddy quotes are all ‘bully’ to me. Overhyped, Teddy and his men were actually slaughtered in Cuba, but still took Kettle Hill, not San Juan like many believe. He lost far more men than the Spanish—far, far more! I’ll give him parks and recreation though. Where would we be without our National Parks?
Pave paradise, put up a parking lot?
June 1st, 2025 at 1:31 pm
Another awful take from someone who has probably never watched a Bucs game. He is not abysmal at the run, if you watch the tape he is pretty darn good! I’m getting tired of folks talking about the Bucs that have not paid a lick of attention to them. I do agree, however; that Kancey is gonna blow up this season. Double digit sacks I hope. With adequate edge pressure forcing the qb to step up in the pocket I’m hoping he crushes them.
June 1st, 2025 at 2:20 pm
@View from 132
You need to get better seats since you’re view is either obstructed or you’re just a hater or perhaps one of our trolls.
“I didn’t miss any tackles last year either. Neither did you.
You certainly did miss the action though! According to PFF Kancey had 28 combo tackles with another player, 22 solo tackles with 11 tackles for a loss.
So lets see that’s 50 tackles he made that YOU didn’t. Why so freaking negative?
June 1st, 2025 at 2:25 pm
Kancey is scary!
He is a psycho like Sapp!
When he goes untouched, he could kill a QB!
He’s the new QB Killa!
But we still need another DT/NT!
I don’t like our depth!!!
June 1st, 2025 at 2:29 pm
I believe that interior pressure is the most disruptive pressure.
I also believe in synergy. Kancey + Reddick > Kancey + JTS. And, the draft picks may extend the synergy deeper into the rotation.
So, yes, I believe that Kancey will break 10 sacks this season.
June 1st, 2025 at 2:33 pm
Here’s a wild idea.
Bring JPP back as a DE/DT instead of as an OLB.
I would love to see JPP push Hall for the starting 3-4 DE position.
And…
I think JPP is good at rushing from the inside.
He could provide depth for Kancey and Vea at DT.
June 1st, 2025 at 2:33 pm
toopanca
Agree with your post. And if Kancey gets double digit sacks, Reddick will feast!
YaYa and even Braswell have a shot at some impressive numbers as well.
June 1st, 2025 at 3:51 pm
Kancey will be covering the pass deep middle with options and variants to shade right or left about 62% of the time, to surprise the opposition as genius schemes are developed. This way when he does rush the passer it will also be unexpected.
Brilliant.
June 1st, 2025 at 3:57 pm
I’ll be sold when he doesn’t miss a third of the season with injury and makes a game saving tackle in the playoffs. So far he’s a JAG with upside.
June 1st, 2025 at 4:44 pm
I also look for good health and double digit sack numbers from Kancey. I think a certain Joseph will be tickled pink if this occurs.
September can’t come soon enough! Go Bucs!!
June 1st, 2025 at 4:53 pm
PFF hates Kancey for some reason. They consistently grade him as one of our worst defensive players week in and week out. I just don’t get it. Kancey has been one of our better defensive players since he got drafted imo
June 1st, 2025 at 5:04 pm
StPete—
“And if Kancey gets double digit sacks, Reddick will feast!“
Feast on what, burgers?
We all hope Reddick shines this year, but facts don’t lie.
Let’s not promote a guy to sack leader based on what he did two years ago on a team loaded with defensive lineman.
More recent history shows a guy who held out last year and produced a mere one sack playing in his team’s final 10 games. He also boosted his “team guy demeanor” by skipping the voluntary workouts going on as we sit on our Sunday butts.
Yeah, Brady and JPP didn’t show for these workouts as well, but both were legends coming off decent years.
One sack Reddick has a lot to prove, and his no show should be at least viewed questionably.
Even Baker showed. Like him or not it can never be denied he is a dedicated team player.
June 1st, 2025 at 5:29 pm
I don’t have a DVR and I’ve never tried all 22, but I’ve seen Kancey make a lot of plays in the run game. I suppose that on the occasions he gets washed away I might not be able to see him.
June 1st, 2025 at 5:33 pm
calijah is sorta like the little fish swimming next to the big whale…
but the little fish doesn’t just nibble…he bites 🙂
June 1st, 2025 at 5:33 pm
JA, I’m a little leery of Reddick too. Let’s face it though. The Jets are a joke.
June 1st, 2025 at 5:47 pm
Another Stoopid take by some “reporter”.
Still not as bad as some of our regular commenters 🤡
June 1st, 2025 at 5:57 pm
JA, you’re dealing with a nice guy who is confused into thinking you must be blindly loyal to a fault in order to be a loyal fan. There’s another who is similar but more angry and somewhat large intestinish in his blind loyalty. When he gets mad he turns into an internet bully. You won’t succeed in converting anyone to objective reasoning but glad to see some balance can be brought forward . Thank you.
June 1st, 2025 at 7:52 pm
Thanks again for your balanced, objective, and completely accurate comments. Over and over Kancey dropped into coverage and we were burned because of it….. Oh wait, that never happened?!! 🤡
June 1st, 2025 at 8:38 pm
JA
At last we’re 100% in agreement! Yes Franklin was the better of the two although as you point out Teddy did give us the National Park system.
And I love the oldies so your reference to Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” was spot on. “Pave paradise, put up a parking lot?”
Last year I had the occasion to take a drive to Sarasota and instead of Interstate I got off and took 41 just to see what it looked like through Bradenton and Sarasota. That song was screaming in my ears. Non stop pavement and identical looking franchises and stores the entire way. And now we have a state Governor who wants to sell/lease our parks and a Prez who also wants to sell park land and lease it for profit.
One other accomplishment for Teddy was breaking up the monopolies. Where is he now? Elon Musk owns our space program, the satellites that enable our communications, AI , the major internet communication system X which is the bastardized version of Twitter where truth and honestly no longer matter.
BTW none of this should be political. Teddy was an R, Franklin a D and they both had great ideas. If only the R party still existed so we could have reasonable debates on things like Science.
June 1st, 2025 at 9:35 pm
The PFF ratings on Kancey are truly moronic and claim he’s one of the worst players on the team. It’s one of the dumbest takes you’ll hear from anyone outside of a Baker Boi.
June 2nd, 2025 at 5:52 am
LOL Joe I don’t think I saw Kancey dive at a running backs legs one time last year. If he grabbed at a runner he tackled him. I wish I could say the same for our DBs. My big issue with Bowles the coach is despite knowing these dudes do not tackle well he has yet do coach it out of them. The exception of AWJ of course. Our DL did well against the run I think. Third or fourth overall depending on who you look at. Pass defense was the proverbial turd in the punch bowl.
I will take 7.5 sacks from a Kancey all day long Joe. Vea’s 7 sacks? You bet! Hall’s 5 Yup! Everyone else? Not so much. Step it up dudes! If I were in the OLB room I would be embarrassed!
Go Bucs!
June 2nd, 2025 at 6:03 am
Fat dumb and humorless is no way to go through life, son.
June 2nd, 2025 at 8:13 am
SUPERBOWL