Mack Has Chance to Tie or Break Raiders' Sack Record

He's one behind team season mark of 16 sacks as Oakland prepares for season finale against Chiefs on Sunday

In the Raiders’ 23-20 overtime victory over the Chargers on Christmas Eve, Oakland only got to quarterback Philip Rivers once, a sack for a safety by Denico Autry.

NFL sack leader Khalil Mack was in on five tackles and had an outstanding game, getting penetration, playing the run well and grading out to a plus-6.5, as judged by the analytics website Pro Football Focus – but didn’t get a sack.

So, as the Raiders prepare for their season finale against the Chiefs in Kansas City this Sunday – in a game that will now start at 1:25 p.m. instead of the original listed time of 10 a.m. – Mack sits at 15 sacks, just one sack from tying the Raiders franchise record for sacks in a season. That record is held by Derrick Burgess, who had a league-leading 16 sacks in 2005.

Mack is a half-sack ahead of Houston’s J.J. Watt as the NFL leader in sacks after 15 games, and has come on strong in the second half of the season. Through eight games he had four sacks. Over his past seven, he’s had 11. He’d had 10 sacks in his previous four games before being shut out against the Chargers.

Mack was selected to the Pro Bowl last week and has had an outstanding season in all areas, working as both a defensive end and outside linebacker. He’s been in on 67 tackles, has two forced fumbles and two passes defensed in starting all 15 games. His five-sack game against the Broncos this month put his name in the national spotlight.

Raiders teammate Charles Woodson, who will retire after this Sunday’s game in Kansas City, says Mack could eventually be one of the NFL’s all-time best pass rushers.

“The way he can get around the corner and get low to the ground reminds you of (Hall of Famer) Derrick Thomas,” Woodson told longtime Bay Area columnist Tim Kawakami after the five-sack day. “We played against Derrick Thomas in my first game in the NFL, against the Chiefs, and he had six sacks against us. Today, Khalil kind of reminded me of that.”

Mack’s chances of tying – or surpassing – the Raiders’ single-season sack record Sunday appear to be good. Kansas City has allowed 45 quarterback sacks, tied for the fourth most in the NFL this season.

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