Oakland Raiders Film Room: Week 7 (ARI)

Khalil Mack on Run Defense

Khalil Mack has been the most impressive defensive rookie in the league this year. Though he was highly touted out of college for his pass rush ability he’s yet to come up with a sack in six games. However, Mack has been huge in run defense, manhandling tight ends and linemen routinely to get into the backfield and stop running plays before they really get started. With his impressive ability to shed blockers and make the play in the run game it’s just a matter of time before that athletic play translates in to sacks.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Oakland bring out their nickel sub-package (2 DLs, 4 LBs, 5 DBs) in Cover 3 Buzz look (1 safety and two corners split deep field into 3 zones with the other safety filling in underneath middle hook area) against Arizona’s 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs) motioning TE John Carlson into a Doubles Slot formation for the jet sweep to WR John Brown. LB Khalil Mack wisely stays home and keeps his containment as the run comes back toward him. Here we see Mack play perfect technique. First he fights against the block from Carlson to maintain the edge and force Brown to cut back to the middle where he has help, then he sheds the block entirely and makes the tackle. Add in a little bit of love from The Godfather himself, S Charles Woodson, and Oakland makes a big stop. A coach simply couldn’t ask for more perfect play from their star outside linebacker.