Last Sunday was hardly the cleanest game the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played all year, and that was true in more ways than one. The offense looked abysmal after two stellar drives, with Baker Mayfield committing three gnarly turnovers that helped let the Las Vegas Raiders back into the game.
Things stalled out for almost two whole quarters before the Bucs finally kicked things into gear, but even the high points of the win had some low moments. Standout defensive end Calijah Kancey contributed to the latter, as he delivered a hit on Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell that knocked him out of the game.
Kancey came in late with a shove after pursuing O’Connell, and sent him to the turf with what was later diagnosed as a foot injury. It ended up being less gruesome than it initially seemed, as the cart came out for O’Connell and his leg was placed in an air cast.
All of that was ultimately more optics than anything else, as O’Connell was merely listed as ‘questionable’ on the Raiders injury report this week. There’s a chance he might even play on Sunday against the Falcons, but regardless of what happens Kancey’s wallet is going to be a bit lighter than it was.
Calijah Kancey gets the first fine of his career after late hit on Aidan O’Connell
According to Buccaneers beat writer JC Allen, the NFL fined Kancey $11,255 for his late hit that knocked O’Connell out of last Sunday’s game. It’s the first fine of Kancey’s career, and while it probably won’t be the last based on how the league polices defensive players, it’s one that he absolutely must learn from.
The fact that O’Connell might play is objectively hilarious given how grave the scene was after Kancey’s hit, but the real takeaway is that the young pass rusher showed a pretty stunning lack of discipline.
Getting fined is the best outcome in terms of fallout from the hit, as it was the the type of mistake we’ve seen the Bucs make before that then lets a team back into a game. At that point the Raiders were still clinging to some hope and momentum, and Kancey’s late hit could have helped grease the wheels of a comeback.
Luckily for Tampa Bay the hit wasn’t flagged, but it’s something that cannot happen again. The Bucs have a hard enough time staying out of their own way and closing out games, and making stupid mistakes — and pointless ones at that — are the type of things that hold a team back.
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