Film Room: Raiders' Khalil Mack developing into face of franchise
The raw numbers don’t tell the whole story. The four sacks and 73 tackles may imply a one-dimensional player; perhaps a run defender who doesn’t know how to rush the passer, other than to flash and loop around blockers for a few sacks. There are more than flashes, however, from Khalil Mack.
He’s one of the most dangerous pass rushers - a healthy mix of speed and power. He demolishes schemes, transforms plays and destroys blockers. Offensive coordinators put tight ends on him and they’re quickly exposed. They aren’t physical enough, and they don't have Mack's will. Neither do slow, cumbersome, sloppy offensive tackles who try to use their length and strength to push the 6-foot-3, 252-pounder wide of the pocket. This same thought process led to college coaches getting axed and college linemen embarrassed.
Before the 2014 NFL Draft, before Mack was selected in the first round by the Oakland Raiders, teams went to University at Buffalo to talk to defensive coordinator Lou Tepper. Tepper had coached NFL greats Bruce Smith and Simeon Rice, and they wanted to know how Mack compared. After all, he was coming from a relatively small college that had played a few big colleges during Mack’s senior season, including Ohio State University.
Before that game, an Ohio State player said Mack would be "just a guy" had he played in the daunted Big Ten, and Tepper reminded the young linebacker every day in practice leading up to the game. When the game began Mack became the guy, racking up 2.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and nine tackles. He mixed rushes and wreaked havoc with speed, power and instincts off the corner.
Those same traits have proven troublesome in the NFL.
In Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, Mack lined up at outside linebacker in the ghost-nine technique, meaning he was wider than usual from the offensive tackle, as if a tight end was lined up at the end of the trenches. The Cardinals did have a tight end, except he was at the opposite side, lined up at the wing.
Mack took two steps and stopped. He read the run, but the running back wasn’t taking the handoff - a receiver looped around the backfield and took it. Mack was far inside and the tight end was a few feet from crashing into him.
To hold the edge, Mack slid his feet outside and gave his inside shoulder to the tight end. He kept his eyes up and helmet inside. The receiver was half-circling in the backfield, trying to blow by Mack into the open field.
Mack, still in a battle with the tight end, stayed ahead of the receiver to force him inside. When the receiver shifted right and turned up the near hash, the free safety and Mack jumped back inside to tackle him for a loss of five.
Mack is sixth best among 4-3 outside linebackers with 47 stops this season. He also has a 10.5 run stop percentage, according to Pro Football Focus (also sixth best).
Blockers have struggled with Mack because they are unsure of how to fend him off. If they sit back and allow him to charge downhill, he sinks his hands into their chests with a bull rush. If they attack him, he's quick to bend inside. And once Mack bends inside, it’s over.
Three weeks later, against the Denver Broncos, Mack hung off the edge at outside linebacker. At the snap, the Broncos ran a zone stretch left, toward Mack.
He read the left tackle’s helmet, a "low-hat," which meant he was run blocking. When the tackle tried to shuffle his feet outside to reach and seal Mack, Mack lowered his hips and hammered the blocker’s chest. He stood him up, then widened his feet as he kept his eyes on the backfield.
The running back took two steps outside the left tackle and turned back inside to edge just past the tackle’s right hip. Mack spotted the ball carrier, sunk his hips to shed the block and clotheslined the running back to the ground for a 2-yard gain.
Mack has this same explosiveness when pressuring passers. He only has four sacks this season, but many hurries, because he recognizes the tendencies of offensive tackles he goes up against.
When Mack faced Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher in Week 12, he bull rushed, speed rushed, push-and-pulled and speed-rushed again in the few snaps they squared off. Toward the end of the first half, Fisher started to expect it again and again.
With 55 seconds left in the second quarter, Mack was in a three-point stance at defensive end. His eyes were on Fisher, who kick-slid well wide and left a hole to the inside.
Mack burst diagonally into the vacant B-gap, then dipped his shoulder and raised his right arm. That knocked away Fisher’s right arm, which he tried to squeeze Mack into the left guard with at the last second. Mack stepped through the gap, squared his hips and threw both arms into the air as he ran after the quarterback.
The quarterback had a millisecond to throw the ball, flinging it incomplete to the left flat as he was planted.
Mack is second only to the Broncos’ Von Miller at his position in quarterback hurries with 40. He’s also second to Miller in quarterback hits with 10, according to Pro Football Focus.
Three of the No. 5 pick's four sacks have come in the last three weeks. Two reasons why are his improved hands and development of an inside move to complement his speed and power on the edge.
In Week 12 against the Buffalo Bills, Mack was outside the right tackle and outside the point-man of a Trips Right set.
All three pass-catchers took off and the right tackle was left with the rookie linebacker. Mack took three long strides outside. The tackle pumped his fists up and slid outside, too, expecting a bull-rush. Then Mack stutter stepped and dipped his hips. The tackle was in no man’s land, leaving the inside gap open.
Once Mack saw it, he slapped the tackle’s hands away and accelerated forward, spun the quarterback and sacked him.
Although the sacks have only come recently, Mack’s turned the pressure up all season. He’s played more than 900 snaps, rushing the passer and edging the run.
Once deemed "just a guy," Mack’s become the cornerstone of the Raiders’ franchise, and a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.