Have the Buccaneers Gotten Enough from Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey?

In some ways, the duo is having a good season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but coach Todd Bowles says there's more that can be done.

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) reacts after a play against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half of a 2024 NFC wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense sacked quarterback Tommy DeVito four times in a 30-7 win over the New York Giants this past weekend.

Two of those sacks came from the duo of Buccaneers defensive linemen Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey while linebackers Antoine Winfield Jr. and Anthony Nelson collected the other two.

His one made six on the year for Vea and five for Kancey, the top two sack leaders for Tampa Bay so far. While most would look at that 11-sack total between the two men in 12 NFL weeks (minus a bye) and think they'd done plenty, head coach Todd Bowles actually says there's a little left to be desired there.

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“We haven’t had it on the inside from a sack-total production, but I think all those guys are getting after it right now," Bowles said when asked about the benefit of having the two inside on his defensive line. "Again, the more time they’re playing together and spending together and learning each other, they can set up each other as far as making plays, and that’s good.”

The quote might sound like a weird thing to say about your two sack leaders, but to Bowles' point, Vea's sack was the third in two games, yet also his third in the least five. He also had three in the first five, and muli-game stretches without getting one.

So saying there's some room to improve is equal parts true and terrifying for opponents.

"He has a good season every year for me," Bowles said of Vea when asked if he believed the defensive tackle was having a Pro Bowl year. "It’s not about the Pro Bowl, it’s about helping us win and the accolades will come as they come. Whoever has the best record – it usually ends up like that and it kind of goes according to that, but I think he had a Pro Bowl year the last couple seasons for us. In my opinion, he’s playing good football, he’s got the sacks to show it – that’s not the whole story that it tells because he’s destroying the middle and he’s keeping us in ballgames.”

For Kancey, who has played in six games this season, he had just one in his first three games but has come alive with four in his last three. And the terrifying thing for future Bucs opponents with Kancey is the same as it is with Vea; that he can get better.

“It’s always fundamentals for me down there with his technique," Bowles said when asked how Kancey can get better. "We know he’s fast, we know he’s strong but when he uses his hands he’s unstoppable. When he doesn’t use his hands, he gets stuck a little bit. He’s using his hands quite a bit right now getting in the backfield and he’s really just unlocking his potential. We look for more things to happen for him every week.”

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