Will Seattle have an answer for tight end George Kittle?

Seattle’s defense will face a big challenge on Sunday night in tight end George Kittle, an elite offensive weapon who was dealing with injuries last time these two teams met, and did not suit up.

Kittle has 78 receptions for 967 receiving yards and five touchdowns in just 13 games this season, making him one of the best offensive players in the NFL, and an extremely tough matchup for Pete Carroll and the Seattle defense.

“He’s an amazing player, he really is,” Carroll said on Tuesday. “He’s a heart and soul guy for them, and a clutch guy, too. They go to him when times are crucial and all that. He’s a fantastic player. Not just a catcher, he’s a blocker as well. He’s a good ballplayer.”

Kittle’s contributions in the San Francisco offense are critical, and it will force Seattle to change their defensive strategies to account for him.

“We won’t be able to play them the way we did last time,” Carroll said. “We’re going to have to do things much differently because he’s in the game.”

How exactly that will play out remains to be seen, but there’s little doubt Kittle makes things much tougher on this Seattle defense.

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