The Bears’ beat the Packers 24-17 in Week 15, making Chicago 10-4 on the season. However, the game was yet another one dominated by Khalil Mack and his ferocious play.
Khalil Mack dominated the Packers, but we’re used to him owning games by now
The Raiders changed the outlook of the Bears’ season with a single trade.
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Mack had 2.5 sacks in the game, but the most notable one was his Back Sack of Aaron Rodgers, where Mack channeled his inner Fat Joe, and leaned back:
In the fourth quarter, Mack came up with another sack of Rodgers with the Bears up 21-14:
Mack finished the game with 2.5 sacks, six total tackles, and three quarterback hits.
The Raiders traded Mack to the Bears on September 1, and the Bears immediately signed him for $141 million for six years. So far, the Bears are getting their money’s worth.
It wasn’t just Week 15 either — Mack has been doing this quite regularly this season. He’s helped make the Bears a legit NFC contender, when they otherwise might not have been without him coming into the 2018 season.
It seems every Sunday that Mack is making us ask “how on Earth is he doing these things?”
In his first game with the Bears, he immediately validated the trade with an outrageous first half.
After Aaron Rodgers left the game early due to injury, Mack swallowed up DeShone Kizer with this strip sack. It happened so smoothly, you could have easily missed it:
Later in the first half, he intercepted Kizer and took it into the end zone for a pick-six:
The Bears ultimately weren’t able to pull out the win in this game. Aaron Rodgers came back in and brought the Packers back 24-23 in a heroic effort. But it didn’t come easy because of Mack’s first half.
Mack’s also been such a task for opposing defenses, it’s turned into sacks for his teammates.
On Monday Night Football against the Seahawks in Week 2, Mack and Eddie Goldman converged into a combined sack of Russell Wilson.
There’s just nothing that can be done in this spot if you’re Wilson:
Of course, it wouldn’t have been a complete game without Mack getting his own strip sack.
He got this one by sticking out a big ol’ bear paw and just knocking the ball loose on what was already a third-and-long situation for Seattle:
That... doesn’t seem like it should be possible. Here’s another look:
The Bears defense held their own, giving them a 24-17 victory.
Against Arizona, he somehow got to Sam Bradford before he hit the ground.
With the Cardinals on the Bears’ 21-yard line and moving, Mack locked in on Bradford when Bradford though he saw daylight in front of him. While Bradford did, and thought he could dive safely for a few yards, Mack had other ideas:
Another sack in that same game prevented what would have been a 45-yard field goal attempt without the sack:
With two field goals avoided thanks to Mack, both plays ended up being the difference in the Bears’ 16-14 win. This is one of those instances where your defense is the best offense.
He set the tone early against the Vikings too, with Minnesota in the red zone.
With the Bears up 3-0, and the Vikings in the red zone early, Mack forced a fumble on Dalvin Cook seemingly out of nowhere to stop Minnesota’s momentum:
In the third quarter with the Vikings trying to get back into the game in Bears territory, Mack was there again with another sack:
It’s one thing for players to make big plays, but Mack seems to always be able to get his in the most timely manner. The Bears let the Vikings back into the game, but came away with the big 25-20 win against a divisional foe.
Khalil Mack is going to continue to impress in 2018. We already knew he was a dominant player, but the effect he seems to have in moments when the Bears need him most is phenomenal.
It’s to a point where we expect greatness in the biggest moments, and that doesn’t happen with too many players.
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