The Oakland Raiders have been a curious story so far in 2016. They’re 2-1, but they didn’t get there the way that people expected them to. Instead of playing a revolutionary defense featuring players like Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack, they’ve had to rely heavily on the offense. The defense has been dreadful, and the second best pass rusher from last year has yet to register a single sack. So what’s wrong with Khalil Mack?
Why Khalil Mack Is Struggling
In order to see why Khalil Mack is struggling, you have to look back to when he was successful. Last season, Mack registered 15 sacks, second only to J.J. Watt. What has changed? What did Mack and the Raiders have last year that they don’t have now?
Linebacker
Khalil Mack has exclusively played defensive end so far in 2016 after playing all over the place last season. With the addition of pass rusher Bruce Irvin, everyone assumed that Mack would only see an increase in sacks this year.
Maybe it’s because Mario Edwards Jr. is hurt, or because the Raiders signed Irvin, but Mack hasn’t been allowed to stand up and play linebacker at all. As a linebacker, Mack can move around, picking and choosing his match-ups. Additionally as a linebacker, he can get a running start and be unpredictable for quarterbacks. Mack could even fall back into coverage occasionally, just to confuse passers.
As a defensive end, there’s really only two places that he can line up, and neither is hard to find for quarterbacks.
Match-Ups
Khalil Mack is still the best player on the Raiders defense. Just because he hasn’t been producing statistically, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been making an impact. Mack has seen double and triple teams as a defensive end. Even for an outstanding player like Mack, beating two or three NFL grade athletes is no small order.
Of course, if Mack wants to be an elite player, these are the odds he’ll have to overcome. If he wants to lay claim to the title of best pass rusher in the NFL, he’ll have to do things that seem impossible to mortal men.
However, this raises a more troubling question. If Mack is facing several offensive linemen at once, where are the rest of the pass rushers? There are only five offensive linemen, and if two are committed to Mack, where are the other three defensive linemen?
Where is Bruce Irvin? Where is Dan Williams? When will rookies Jihad Ward and Shilique Calhoun make an impact? All four of those men have combined for one sack, and that was Irvin, on the first defensive drive of the season.
Returning Raiders
It’s true that the Oakland Raiders haven’t been at full strength on defense. Aldon Smith is suspended, and Mario Edwards Jr. hasn’t made his 2016 debut yet. Perhaps when Edwards returns, he can play some defensive end, allowing Mack to return to his natural position. With Irvin, Mack, Smith, and Edwards all proving they can play at a high level in the NFL, Ken Norton Jr. and the defensive coaches will be free to do what they want.
In summation, Khalil Mack is still just as good as we think he is. If you remember, Mack has never been a fast starter. Over his career, Mack only has two sacks in the first three games of the season. Ten of Mack’s 15 sacks last year came in the final six weeks of the season. Give the defense time to gel, and hopefully Mack will find his groove again.
