Pitt's Calijah Kancey Dominates NFL Playoff Debut
PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey didn't take long to warm up to the NFL or the postseason. His first career playoff game was a resounding success as he and the reigning NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles on Wild Card Weekend.
Kancey, the Bucaneers' 2023 first-round pick out of Pitt last spring, finished the game tied for third on the team in tackles with four, sacked Jalen Hurts once and came up with a TFL in a playoff debut that saw his team suffocate one of the league's most explosive offenses. Kancey even helped contribute to a safety by bull-rushing his blocker and putting pressure on Hurts in his own endzone.
Kancey made some fine individual plays against the Eagles but the play of the front seven as a unit was what really stood out. Tampa Bay held Philadelphia to just nine points and 42 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Leading 16-9 midway through the third quarter, the Buccaneers even halted the Eagles' infamous "Brotherly Shove" on a two-point attempt from the one-yard line.
"For us, it was a statement game," Kancey said. "In the first game, we couldn't stop the run and they kind of gashed us and this game, our main goal was to stop the run so we could get after them on third down."
Kancey, whose rookie season has been stunted by a calf injury, finished the year with 26 total tackles, four sacks, 10 tackles for loss and a pass defended in just 14 games. He and the Buccaneers will now prepare for a trip to Detroit, where they'll try to take down the red-hot Lions in the Divisional Round.
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