Since his rookie season of 2014, Khalil Mack has watched teammates jump into the “Black Hole” at O.co Coliseum to be smothered in admiration by loyal Raiders fans.
On Sunday in a victory over the Carolina Panthers, it was his turn.
After intercepting a pass near the end of the first half, he sprinted 6 yards into the end zone and then kept on going, leaping and spinning into the mass of excited fans.
“I’ve been waiting to do that for three years,” Mack told Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. “It was great.” Mack said it was “all love” among the fans.
“I’ve got love for them,” he said. “I’m trying to do it some more.”
Based on what he’s doing this season, he’s certainly destined for more leaps.
In recent weeks, Mack has been a force. He now ranks tied for sixth in the NFL with nine sacks and is just 3½ behind league leader Von Miller. On Sunday against the Panthers, Mack was dominating. He had the interception for a touchdown, a sack and forced fumble and was in on six tackles. He also was credited with five quarterback hurries.
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The analytics website Pro Football Focus graded Mack as the No. 2 performer in the NFL this past weekend, and cited his interception and strip-sack of Cam Newton in the fourth quarter as the biggest plays in a game filled with big plays.
“Big plays can turn games, and in just two snaps, Mack accounted for the difference between winning and losing this game,” wrote Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus.
John Kosko of PFF noted, too, that Mack and outside linebacker Bruce Irvin – who is playing much better after a slow start – are a dynamic duo.
“Irvin wasn’t as flashy but was almost as productive, recording a sack, two (QB) hits, two hurries and a batted pass as the duo is really coming into form the past four games, as Mack grades as the No. 1 edge defender in that time frame and Irvin as the fifth-best,” wrote Kosko.
Irvin says Mack is in a class of his own.
“I’m just blessed to be in his presence,” Irvin told reporters. “The guy is one hell of a player. We feed off each other. On that last drive, we told each other, ‘It’s on us. It’s on us to put the team on our back and end it.’ That’s exactly what we did. I’m just blessed to be in such a great situation playing with a future Hall of Famer.”
The Raiders, at 9-2, lead the AFC West by a game over the 8-3 Chiefs. Oakland will host the 6-5 Buffalo Bills this Sunday, with kickoff set for 1:05 p.m.
