Calijah Kancey: Yes, I Did Miss A Tackle
April 21st, 2025
Says NextGen Stats is wrong.
A couple of months ago, Joe ran across a stat that just seemed too difficult to believe.
NextGen Stats, which uses sensors in players’ equipment to produce their data, claimed Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey didn’t miss one tackle in the regular season — the only NFL starting defender in that category.
When Joe asked Kancey about this today at One Buc Palace, Kancey right away said those numbers are messed up — even though he was flattered by the stat.
“I don’t believe that’s accurate,” Kancey said of the NextGen Stats result. I have a play right now that I can think of that I missed a tackle. But thank you, NextGen Stats.”
The play that stuck out for Kancey came in a 28-13 Bucs win over the Raiders.
“I was lined up in the A-gap, I was the off-ball linebacker,” Kancey remembered. “I was going to drop into coverage. But it ended up being a draw.
“I took the easy way out going against the offensive lineman and I went under instead of over and then the guy ran by [Kancey] and I just dove for him. And he outran me. Missed tackle.”
Now in reading the NextGen Stats description of a missed tackle, it determines (again, by using sensors) if a player was in position to make a tackle, does he or does he not make a play. Perhaps on this particular snap that Kancey described, the sensors placed Kancey where the software did not believe he had a chance to make a play on the ball.
Kancey, obviously, believed otherwise.
April 21st, 2025 at 1:23 pm
Love this guy
April 21st, 2025 at 1:27 pm
I love the player too but the bigger one missed was in the Washington playoff game against Jayden Daniels on 4th down. Just saying.
April 21st, 2025 at 1:31 pm
Bowles needs to find ways to get this guy in as many one on ones as possible. This D line is so close to becoming dominant.
April 21st, 2025 at 1:37 pm
Kancey is saying he missed a tackle because he chose to go under rather than over his blocker. If he had made the apparently more difficult but correct choice of looping over the top to have more space and an angle on the RB – he would have made the tackle……
So in a perfectionist’s mind – that’s a “missed tackle”.
Love the mindset – and good on ya Joe for asking the question from the man himself….
BIG year for this player if we can keep him on the field for 17 games.
Baldy loves the young man – and I trust Baldy’s judgement regarding interior play more than most….
April 21st, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Geno is right.
Kancey was left with Daniels towel.
After they had been jawing back and forth all game.
Jayden got the last laugh against Kancey.
But I think the “towel tackle” will be a defining moment for Kancey.
Kancey is our new Sapp. He’s feisty as hell. Hates losing. Borderline insane.
He’s Sapp 2.0.
Kancey is the fastest DT I’ve ever seen.
When he explodes in unblocked, I really think he could kill a QB.
Vea too.
We have scary MF defensive tackles.
Next to “pretty boy Hall.”
Hall is hurting our whole line. He’s the softest link.
We stuck with JTS too long.
We’re making the same mistake with Hall.
I hope we draft a new DE in the first to replace Hall.
And a huge DT/NT to rotate with Vea in the 2nd.
Corners in the 3rd and 4th.
Maybe trade away the 4th and the 7th to get back into the 3rd so we can grab TWO corners in the 3rd.
April 21st, 2025 at 1:51 pm
I’d love to see the Bucs add a big DT in the first or 2nd rounds to play with Kancey and Vea.
Overall Player College Position Pos Rank
4 Mason Graham Michigan DL3T 1
20 Walter Nolen Mississippi DL3T 2
25 Kenneth Grant Michigan DL1T 1
26 Derrick Harmon Oregon DL3T 3
42 Tyleik Williams Ohio State DL1T 2
54 T.J. Sanders South Carolina DL3T 4
56 Darius Alexander Toledo DL3T 5
67 Alfred Collins Texas DL1T 3
81 Omarr Norman-Lott Tennessee DL3T 6
87 Shemar Turner Texas A&M DL5T 1
88 Joshua Farmer Florida State DL3T 7
94 Deone Walker Kentucky DL1T 4
105 CJ West Indiana DL1T 5
111 Jordan Phillips Maryland DL3T 8
118 Ty Robinson Nebraska DL5T 2
132 Jamaree Caldwell Oregon DL1T 6
133 Aeneas Peebles Virginia Tech DL3T 9
139 Vernon Broughton Texas DL3T 10
157 JJ Pegues Mississippi DL3T 11
170 Ty Hamilton Ohio State DL1T 7
177 Cam Jackson Florida DL1T 8
April 21st, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Goodell wants to micro manage everything and he’s a control freak.
At some point this becomes a real problem.
April 21st, 2025 at 2:24 pm
Well, maybe, if he had made the correct move, taken the proper angle, (&/or) etc…. Then, he would’ve been in the proper position to have ‘shown-up’ as having a chance of making the tackle, according to NextGen. Sounds like, it is definitely, not an exact science and doesn’t account for mistakes. Kind of like a lot of the ‘non errors’ in baseball, just because it didn’t HIT their glove. When, in reality, if they hadn’t gotten such a bad jump, or taken the wrong angle from the get-go, then they could’ve made-it look-like, just your run of the mill, average routine play! But, no error given. Since, he was never even close to making the play, in the first-place. When, he really should’ve been, and it really should’ve been an error. So, it goes down as being a (lazy) mistake, that will not show-up on your scorecard.
April 21st, 2025 at 2:40 pm
Let’s stay away from Kancey playing the off ball linebacker position. Definitely need another MLB.
April 21st, 2025 at 2:48 pm
I love this guy! I have a bold prediction that he leads the league in sacks this year!
April 21st, 2025 at 2:53 pm
How much does NextGen pay the NFL to be able to place these sensors?
April 21st, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Allen Lofton Says:
April 21st, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Goodell wants to micro manage everything and he’s a control freak.
At some point this becomes a real problem.
You think Goodell is a control freak? Well, let’s talk about the cultural significance of goalposts as metaphorical symbols of life’s ever-moving challenges. Did you know goalposts were originally inspired by ancient stone monoliths used in ritualistic ceremonies? Probably not, because I just made that up.
What does that have to do with this article? About as much as your Goodell hot take.
That is to say, nothing…
April 21st, 2025 at 3:11 pm
I just want to hear Hank Jr.-Kawliga play when he gets a sack in the Licht house
April 21st, 2025 at 3:25 pm
NFL owns NextGen Stats. It is proprietary property.
AWS (which is an Amazon offshoot) pays the NFL to use the software, collect the data, etc.
April 21st, 2025 at 3:37 pm
Kancey was left with Daniels towel.
We could also add ( ) was left with Daniels towel or less. JD was the real deal!
Sometimes you get the bear sometimes the bear gets you.
April 21st, 2025 at 3:55 pm
Jody, if they put Kancy on the edges more often then I Do Believe we might Just Be looking at NFL’s leader in sacks….
Just my opinion but that’s how good I believe he really is….
April 21st, 2025 at 7:14 pm
This is why stats are for lovers. He missed at least 3 I can think of that should have been sacks. When he figures those out other teams are in trouble.
April 21st, 2025 at 7:58 pm
Ding, ding. And that my friends is how you get another IDL (by letting current players play there position) and a competent ILB with one pick, Campbell (if available)
April 21st, 2025 at 8:18 pm
Krewe put down the Frank Zappa cd,LOL
April 21st, 2025 at 8:25 pm
TM, I think Hall is becoming a solid NFL player, way more than JTS. His production has been on a steady incline in this his what 3rd year? Not everyone can be bonafide stars but he is trending upwards. What happens if we get a bunch of stars on this line? Hopefully humility will allow them to stay for rings instead of the dollars.
April 21st, 2025 at 9:27 pm
To whomever said Kancey is Sapp: let’s see it.
April 21st, 2025 at 9:55 pm
Krewe—
Good one!
April 21st, 2025 at 9:56 pm
So glad Kancey was dropping into coverage. Sheer genius. The defensive breakthrough will be to have the whole DL drop into coverage and blitz the popcorn vendors from Section 113.