Cowboys Ex Hitchens Super Bowl Plan For Chiefs Vs. 49ers: 'Kill The Engine'

Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens, now a standout for a Kansas City Chiefs team that plays the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday's Super Bowl LIV at Miami, has a plan to negate what the Niners offense can do, just as he had a plan that propelled the Chiefs over the Titans and running back Derrick Henry in the AFC Championship Game,

“We call it ‘kill it the engine,'' Hitchens said, via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. "Most people can’t run without their legs.”

The Chiefs' pinpointed guy here is tight end George Kittle - and what Hitchens is trying to say is that like the powerful Henry in Tennessee, the powerful Kittle is the Niners' "engine.''

Kansas City is not known for its defense yet it managed to keep Henry from ever going downhill by holding him to just 3.6 yards per carry in the conference title game. Like Henry, Kittle is more than just a one-trick pony; it's not just about power, but also about skill and will.

.@SuperBowl LIV: The #Cowboys Fan's Connections With the #ChiefsKingdom and the #Niners https://t.co/lSRuBLsp1q via @SI pic.twitter.com/LJMyPPffpE
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Hitchens, who was a fourth-round pick in Dallas in 2014 and was a starter here before getting a 2018 payday to move to Kansas City, isn't trying to be "controversial'' or "colorful'' here. He's actually complimenting Kittle as the sort of "head of the snake'' of the San Francisco offense.

In Travis Kelce, the Chiefs employ the guy many NFL watchers think is the NFL's best tight end. The Niners make an argument in favor of the 6-4, 250-pound Kittle, who also often seems to be an emotional rallying point for the NFC champs.

Which tight end is better? The 6-5, 260-pound Kelce caught 97 passes to Kittle's 85 during the regular season. Each guy topped 1,000 yards. Each guy caught five TD passes.

Sunday will serve as a measuring stick, with the Chiefs hoping to ride Kelce and their multi-faceted offense ... and the Chiefs defense planning to quiet the Niners by "killing the engine'' that is George Kittle.