Most offensive players might dread going up against a talented pass rusher like Micah Parsons. Not George Kittle. He's looking forward to the opportunity.
While San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the clear front-runner for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Parsons might be the favorite for the runner-up spot.
Parsons finished the regular season with 13.5 sacks, earning one more during the Cowboy's Wild Card playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was Pro Football Focus' fourth-ranked pass rusher, tying Bosa for the most pressures in the NFL with 90. Parsons leads all players in the postseason with eight pressures.
Parsons isn't someone with whom one would look forward to tussling. No one told that to Kittle, though. So will there be some Kittle-Parsons matchups on Sunday?
"I hope so," Kittle responded, speaking to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. "I mean, the best part about the playoffs is you're playing against the best players in the league. I know there's a lot of great players that aren't in the playoffs, but to get to the playoffs, you have to be great."
Kittle has admitted that he relishes being involved in the run-blocking plan. Pass blocking a two-time first-team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher is a different story. Kittle isn't shying away from the challenge, though.
"So I hope there's an opportunity to block him," Kittle continued. "I got a couple last year. I had a lot of fun doing that. He's going to blitz. Hopefully, I have some pass [protection] against him, just to show what I can do. And I can't wait to compete against someone that is first-team All-Pro, in the talks for Defensive MVP. I still think it will be Bosa, but he's a fantastic football player, and I can't wait to compete against him."
The 49ers know that Sunday will be a challenging task. The Cowboys defense is playing well. Nothing this weekend will come easy. Of course, the tight end knows his offense will also be a handful for Dallas.
"I think Dallas is definitely one of the most athletic defenses we've gone against, from their entire D-line, their linebackers, all their safeties and corners," Kittle shared. "They're all freak athletes. So that's definitely something that you have to prepare for. But at the end of the day, we've been playing our game all season, and I think we've only gotten better.
"... If you check the tape from Week 3 and compare it to now, I think it's two different teams entirely. Just, our skill sets have gotten so much better. We've just gotten used to playing together. I think the more football we play, the better we're going to get."
