In 2024, the Buccaneers' interior duo of Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey became one of the most formidable tandems in the league. The pair became the key cog in the Bucs' nearly impenetrable run defense and a disruptive force in the pass rush. The Bucs held opponents to under 100 yards rushing in each of the team's final seven games after returning from the Week 11 Bye, including holding opponents under 40 yards rushing in three consecutive games from Weeks 15-17 – the longest-such streak since the 2006 Baltimore Ravens (Weeks 1-3). Kancey missed the first five weeks of the 2024 docket but had 6.5 sacks over the final nine games. The Pittsburgh product led the team with 7.5 sacks in 2024, while nose tackle Vita Vea (7.0) came in second place. Kancey and Vea were one-of-three interior tackle duos in the NFL with 5.0-plus sacks each (Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams). In the Wild Card Round, the Bucs held the Commanders to 2.5 yards per carry, spearheaded by Kancey and Vea.
"They were so multiple in the run game," said Defensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator Kacy Rodgers. "They had so many different aspects of their running game to try and neutralize and I thought the guys really bought into the gameplan. They could identify, 'Ok, If I see this, we are going to try to take this away,' to try and increase our chances of winning…Washington was the third-ranked rushing offense in the league and we knew going in that we could not let them get the running game [going]. That is the thing I really like about the way we play defense is that everyone is involved in trying to stop the run."
Kancey provides a mismatch for slower offensive linemen with his elite first step. He became a nightmare as a pass rusher with twitchy feet and overwhelmed with leverage and a high-motor. Kancey's forward charge and explosion became draws during the draft process but due to his size, questions were raised regarding how he would hold up in the run game at the pro level. Not only has Kancey make an impact against the run in his first two seasons in the league, but he has recorded at least one tackle for loss in each of his three career playoff games, tied with Derrick Brooks and Greg Spires for the third-longest streak by a Buccaneer in franchise history, trailing only Devin White (four) and Shelton Quarles (four). He is physical at the point of attack and varies the tempo and speed of his pass rush moves to test the opposition. Kancey's cerebral approach to the game has led to production in the trenches.
"He is a talented, talented player," said Rodgers. "He is very passionate about being a rusher and in certain aspects of our defense, we can create some one-on-one matchups for him and he really excels. He wins more than he loses - That is a good quality to have as a pass rusher and the guy is just so explosive … When we start our individual prep for teams, each one is assigned an assignment and a personnel group in the run game. Calijah's assignment is the O-Line. So, he tells us, 'This is their O-Line, this guy struggles with this move' and he is so passionate about it. You know that he put the time in and that works for that group."
Kancey provides the perfect speed combination to Vea's power. Vea, a menacing nose tackle, strikes fear in every center and offensive coordinator around the NFL. He consistently demands double teams for his ability to press blockers off his frame. It is rare in the league to see a 350-plus pound man dropping in coverage but due to his athleticism, Vea does it all – including lining up as a fullback on offense to spur short-yardage runs. With a lethal bull rush, range down the line of scrimmage and the ability to pummel grown men into submission, Vea is a defensive catalyst for Todd Bowles. Typically, in a 3-4 scheme, the nose tackle is a two-gapper, responsible for eating blocks and holding the line of scrimmage to create opportunities for the ends. The nose traditionally comes off the field on third down in passing situations, however, Vea is the anomaly in Tampa Bay.
"Usually in 3-4 defenses, the nose runs off the field on third down," described Rodgers. "Our guy [Vita Vea], if he is off the field, he runs onto the field [on third down]. So, that is impressive in itself and if you go through the history of the NFL and who plays on third down at his size when it is passing situations – you can go through all the great ones, and you cannot find somebody that is as big as he is that plays on third down and is as involved as he is on third down. We ask him to rush the passer and we ask him to drop in coverage too. We ask a lot of him, and he is just a generational talent … what we demand of him to give us in the run game to help us out and then to have that much stamina left to rush the quarterback is a credit to him and his training."
