Chicago Bears fans are fast falling in love with Khalil Mack. It’s not hard to see why. The 27-year old arrived with a thunderclap from Oakland. Nobody saw him coming. The Bears were a good defense that had some bright prospects. Then in the space of 24 hours three weeks ago they were presented the prospects of becoming a great one.
Everybody knew Mack’s reputation. He was widely considered one of the two or three best pass rushers in all of football. A one-man quarterback wrecking machine who carried the Oakland Raiders defense on his back for four years. This marks the first time he’s playing on a unit that is genuinely loaded with talent everywhere.
The results speak for themselves thus far. The Bears lead the league with 10 quarterback sacks and also have forced four turnovers including two pick-six touchdowns. One of the overlooked aspects of this success is the steady hand of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. After the game, Mack was asked about what it was like to play for him.
The outside linebacker delivered the line to end all lines.
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Khalil Mack sees some “Godfather” in Vic Fangio
“He challenges you, quietly. He has his own little swag about him, that Italian mafia kind of swag to him. But I love it. I love it.”
Wow. It’s not every day an NFL player compares his coach to Vito Corleone. Yet leave it to Mack to do just that. Not only is the line hilarious, but it’s also rather apropos. Fangio has always carried himself with a sort of even-keel style. He’s never too high, never too low. He’ll call players out for sucking when they suck and nod his approval when they do their job. He is a confident man who is comfortable with who he is.
The players can sense that and it’s why they love him despite his demanding coaching style. Mack already has two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pick-six through two weeks in a Bears uniform. There’s no telling how much better he’ll get under Fangio’s watch.
