Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR The crazy part of Calijah Kancey’s outstanding playoff debut is the fact that, if his previously stated timeline is anything to go by, he’s only just getting started. After missing most of training camp, the entire preseason and a few games early on in the regular season with a calf injury, Kancey has only gotten better and better as the weeks go on. If the middle of October was still the rookie’s “preseason,” it makes sense that his performances would be peaking right about now. Kancey started pretty strong once he fully returned from that troublesome calf injury, registering six pressures in Week 6. That was his first full NFL game, and it also saw him pick up his first career sack. He went on to tally a pressure in every game he played in this season except for one (the Week 16 win over Jacksonville). Kancey officially finished with four sacks, though PFF credited him with five on the year. The steady week-to-week growth eventually netted Kancey NFC Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for November. He became the first interior defensive lineman in franchise history to win the award and as it turned out, that big month and the final five weeks of his first NFL regular season set the stage for him to make an impact once the lights turned on in the NFL playoffs. It’s hard to argue against the idea that Calijah Kancey has had a meteoric rise during his rookie season. He missed so much time early on and missed out on valuable training camp and preseason reps. But despite that, he has been a force during his debut season. The No. 19 pick in the 2023 Draft out of Pitt, Kancey has quickly made an impact not only in terms of sacks and pressures, but with what he means to the Tampa Bay defensive line. Paired with Vita Vea, Kancey is set up to be a cornerstone for this Buccaneer defense for years to come. Calijah Kancey Reflects On His Dazzling Playoff Debut 
Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby and DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR Following his first career playoff sack against the Eagles and ahead of his second career postseason game this Sunday in Detroit, Calijah Kancey appeared on Friday’s edition of Good Morning Football. He was asked about getting to experience playoff football in his very first season in the NFL, and for him, it was all about bringing energy. “That experience was crazy,” Kancey said. “Leading up into this week, everyone was like ‘Hey man, the intensity is crazy in the playoffs so we’ve got to bring it. We’ve got to match energy and we’ve got to go out there and make plays. “And for me, I knew, alright, I didn’t play against these guys the first time so I definitely gotta show them who I am. We just went out there and matched energy and had fun.” Rookies like Calijah Kancey and Yaya Diaby have made significant impacts for the Bucs defense so far this season, but what has helped them is the fact that they’re in an environment where they can thrive. Led by Todd Bowles and surrounded by veterans who have been there and done that, these rookies have been brought along by some of the best. And that has paid dividends down the stretch. Kancey was asked by GMFB’s Peter Schrager about what it’s been like to play next to and share a room with Vita Vea this season, and the rookie credited both Vea and some of the other veterans on defense for aiding his development. “Vita’s a great veteran, a veteran player on our defense. Also, players like Lavonte David, Antoine Winfield and I could just keep naming and keep going on,” Kancey said. “A lot of those guys kind of gave me the ropes, teaching me everything. As for Vita being in the same room as me, he just kind of always gives me a heads up on what’s coming next, what I can expect from offensive linemen, what to do if they give me this or that. So he’s just always helping me out, making me sharpen my game.” The exciting thing is that, yes, Calijah Kancey is still sharpening his game. But as the season has gone on, he’s played better and better ball. And this is just the beginning. . @Buccaneers DL @Ckancey8 wakes up with GMFB to describe his first ever NFL playoff experience and what he’s learned from veteran Vita Vea #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/OFhySt6qRB — Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 19, 2024 The post Calijah Kancey Is Starting To Dominate For The Bucs appeared first on Pewter Report. https://www.pewterreport.com/calijah-ka ... nate-bucs/
