There has been plenty of fingerpointing about who the real reason was for the biggest blockbuster trade in recent memory. The Oakland Raiders blame Khalil Mack for not trying hard enough to work with them on a new deal. Others blame the organization for being too cheap and being foolish enough to think they could replace a surefire Hall of Famer with ease. Either way, one thing is clear. Mack hasn’t forgotten that decision.
While there’s no question that the 28-year old is happy with the Chicago Bears, it’s hard for him to just forget the four years he poured into his Raiders career. One that included Defensive Player of the Year honors and helping the organization to end its longest-ever playoff drought. For them to simply discard him because they didn’t like his negotiating tactics over money he felt he’d earned? It would be hard not to take that personal.
It’s for this reason that Mack hasn’t hidden from the notion that this game might mean a little bit more to him than others. As much as he loves Raiders QB Derek Carr, it sounds like he fully intends to ruin his evening in London. Plenty on the Oakland side can sense this, including members of the Raider media. Here are some of the reactions by Paul Gutierrez of ESPN when discussing Mack with former teammates.
Running back DeAndré Washington echoed the “funny” line and said he was, ahem, looking forward to a blitz pickup with Mack bearing down on Carr.
“I’m going to make sure I eat a little bit more that week so I get my weight up,” Washington laughed. “Nah, it’s going to be fun, though. He’s a hard competitor, and I know, for me, he’ll bring out the best in me, for sure.”
Good luck with that.
Mack is currently second in ESPN’s pass rush win rate, beating blockers 38% of the time…
…”I know he’s excited,” safety Karl Joseph said. “Probably have a little extra chip on his shoulder, you know?”
We know.
Khalil Mack already seems in the heads of the entire organization
Mack has controlled the storyline of this game from the outset. Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has consistently had to dodge questions about the trade and struggled to hide his irritation. Oakland fans also haven’t been able to hide their concerns behind their typical bravado. Look at some of the reactions to his tweet by Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur when Mack stated this game was a “big one” for him.
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It’s clear they expect the Raiders to win, but they also expect Mack to make life for their offense a living hell. That is as close to genuine fear as anyone is going to find in professional football. It is not hard to see Oakland had this game circled on the calendar since the schedules were announced. They knew revenge would be on Mack’s mind. Few things motivate people more in this world. At this point, it seems they’re just praying it’s not as humiliating and they envision.
