Khalil Mack Will Make the Raiders Great Again
Khalil Mack was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after his great game in Denver.
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Early on, it seemed like it was going to be the usual poor performance for the Silver and Black against the Broncos. However, Khalil Mack reminded everybody why the Raiders are a team on the rise. And according to Raiders.com, after Mack’s impressive performance against Denver, this makes the 31st time a member of the Oakland Raiders has won the Defensive Player of the Week award.
Derek Carr and the rest of the offense couldn’t get anything going in the first half and as a result, were outscored 12-0 at halftime after a dismal showing. Oakland likely would have lost this game if it wasn’t for Khalil Mack. His brilliant play, athletic sacks, and dominating pass rush finally earned the Raiders a much needed win against the Broncos.
Because of one half of brilliant football, Mack suddenly found himself as the NFL’s sacks leader with 14. The five sacks he registered tied Howie Long for the most by a Raiders player in one game.
By this point in the season, it’s certain that Jack Del Rio is the right person to lead the Raiders. Del Rio already doubled Oakland’s win total from a season ago. Plus, he has the team in good position to finish this season with an 8-8 record.
Considering how bad this team has been in recent history, a .500 record would be a huge accomplishment. If the Raiders reach eight wins, it would show the rest of the NFL that the Silver and Black refuse to be considered one of the worst teams in the league any longer.
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The Raiders had some bad games this season, but they’ve been able to win a lot of close ones. That is the direct result of the ability and leadership of Khalil Mack. He’s a defensive playmaker who should be in consideration to win this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
It’s only Mack’s second season, but he’s the league’s current sack leader who absolutely dominates opposing linemen. Del Rio’s decision to switch Mack to defensive end was ingenious. For each of Mack’s five sacks against Denver, he exploded across the line of scrimmage upon ball movement. Mack was clearly too quick and powerful for the Bronco’s lineman to even have a chance at stopping him.
Khalil Mack definitely has great talent as a pass rusher, but his strong leadership sets the tone for this entire team. Essentially, a lack of leadership was a main reason the Raiders have been terrible in recent seasons. All of the sudden though, Oakland has a great group of hard working stars with Mack leading the way.
Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Michael Crabtree are certainly making the Raiders good again. However, Khalil Mack is the one who will help Oakland return to greatness. He simply has that classic NFL star presence.
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The Oakland Raiders will be a scary team to face once Carr improves his consistency. This new era of Raiders football will continue to develop, and the team will likely play better than their rivals across the Bay for years to come.
The 49ers previously had leadership, but that left the team along with Jim Harbaugh. Khalil Mack and the other leaders of the Raiders are asserting themselves as the Bay’s team.