Khalil Mack has already gone about his usual business of ruining offensive gameplans this season. Through four games he already has 4.5 sacks along with four forced fumbles. He’d have five of each if not for an unfortunate penalty in Washington. While he may not be the early favorite, the man is well on his way to challenging for his second career Defensive Player of the Year award. Not that such a thing matters to him. His focus remains on getting the Chicago Bears a championship, and that means winning games.
At 3-1, they’ve been doing that quite a bit lately. Next on the slate is the Oakland Raiders in London. Mack has tried to be all business this week, but anybody with a lick of common sense knows this is a big game for him. It’s the first opportunity to face the team that drafted him, only to trade him away when the time arrived to receive the contract extension he’d rightfully earned. He told Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times and other media that his focus remains on the game, but he’d be lying if he wasn’t extra motivated for this one.
“Vindictiveness? I like that word,” Mack said. “You can’t play this game with too much emotion. Ultimately, I try to stay focused on the task at hand, understanding the situation.
“Absolutely there’s feelings that you suppress, but it’s also no big deal to me. I’m here. I love the Bears. We’re gonna go out and try to get this win.”
Suppress? But wouldn’t his feelings about the Raiders fuel him?
“Yeah, man. You can’t tell?” he said. “You could say I’m suppressing the emotional side, but the other side is to go out and make them pay for it.”
Khalil Mack anxious to reunite with Derek Carr
Those are the words of a man who is clearly intending great misery and destruction to Derek Carr. While Mack insists he has nothing but love for the Raiders quarterback, that will be set aside when the game starts in London on Sunday. Carr has been sacked seven times in the past three games. Oakland has tried to shore up their offensive line but the results have been mixed thus far. The hope is tackles Trent Brown and Kolton Miller will be able to handle the job.
Not that Mack cares. It doesn’t matter to him who’ he lines up against. He will do anything and everything in his power to beat them. Those two best be prepared because they’re not just getting Mack in his prime. They’re getting him at his most mentally focused and emotionally motivated. This wouldn’t be the first time they’ve faced off against a superstar they prematurely let go and regretted it. In 2011, they encountered Charles Woodson for the first time after letting him go back in 2006.
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He made sure they remembered him, collecting six tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception. Mack will undoubtedly move to top that.
