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Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens says tackling a key factor in Week 17 loss to Bengals

Their Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals cast some doubt over Kansas City’s hopes for a third straight Super Bowl berth, as they’ll likely need to battle through the playoffs without a first-round bye or guaranteed home-field advantage.

It would be an understatement to call Sunday’s game a disappointment, and while the Chiefs look to pick up the pieces of their shattered eight-game winning streak, linebacker Anthony Hitchens has some bright ideas about how to solve the issues on their defense. For the eight-year veteran, Kansas City’s chances of winning rely on the ability of the defense to make tackles when needed.

Hitchens told reporters after Tuesday’s practice that the difference between a win and loss against the Bengals came down to his unit allowing too many opportunities on plays that should’ve ended when the first defender made contact with the ball carrier.

When asked if the loss to the Bengals was a one-off or an indication of brewing dysfunction, Hitchens pointed to tackling as the primary culprit in the defense’s ability to keep points off the board or get off the field.

“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things,” He said about the tough loss.
“Obviously, we’ve got to give our credit to Cincinnati. They have great players over there that made some good plays, but for us as a defense, we need to tackle better and then eliminate the self-wounded penalties and things like that. Penalties are a part of the game. We just couldn’t overcome them last week, but for us, we’re really focused on our tackling. I don’t know how many hidden yards they had after missed tackles, and I know that led to field goals and touchdowns. For us, we need to tackle better.”

It seems asinine that a fundamental aspect of gridiron football (ie: tackling) could be in any way overlooked, but the tale of the tape confirms Hitchens’ belief. Faced with a full playoff schedule packed with elite talent, Kansas City will need to find a way to get back in a rhythm defensively to keep from getting eaten alive by opposing offenses that know just how to push their buttons.

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