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Calijah Kancey's return bright in otherwise dismal day for Bucs defense Bucs rookie defensive tackle Calijah Kancey said a little rust fell off his game each time he knocked Lions quarterback Jared Goff to the ground Sunday.
The Bucs' first-round pick from Pittsburgh returned to the lineup for the first time since playing only 11 snaps in the season opener at Minnesota; he left that game after aggravating a calf injury.
Kancey made his presence felt, recording his first NFL sack, three tackles, a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits in the 20-6 loss to the Lions.
"It was great," Kancey said. "Still knocking off the rust. It's kind of preseason for me, rather than the other guys that (have) been out there going and flying around."
The Bucs sacked Goff three times, including one each by Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Lavonte David, who led the Bucs with 12 tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, a sack and a pass defensed. Goff still managed to pass for 353 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite the pressure, the Lions were able to convert 9 of 16 third-down situations (56.3%).
"I just think as a whole, we hurt ourselves," Kancey said. "There were times where we should have gotten off the field on third down and we have to get better on third down."
Kancey gave the Bucs a glimpse of a bright future.
"Calijah was amazing. We love having him here," Tryon-Shoyinka said. "He's just going to continue to get better with experience. Ceiling is high for him."
The Tampa Bay Times, published 16 October 2023
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