The Oakland Raiders (9-2) rallied back from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to ultimately bring down the Carolina Panthers (4-7), 35-32, picking up their fifth consecutive win and their first winning season in 14 years.
In what some are calling the Pinky Game, the Oakland Raiders rode a roller coaster of emotions and misfortune before finally finishing the game on top.
Now on the cusp of a postseason run, we take a look at the legitimacy of this historic Raiders team.
A statement will be given, and the answer will be given in a Buy/Sell format.
Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin are Exceeding Expectations
Buy.
After getting off to a relatively slow start, Raiders edge-rushers Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin have hit their stride just over halfway through the season, and they have yet to reach full speed.
With just under a minute left in the contest, Mack stood tall against former NFL MVP Cam Newton and Carolina’s dangerous offensive attack, putting a halt to the Panthers’ efforts with a strip-sack on 4th down with just under a minute left in the contest.
Mack offered his condolences to Newton in the only way any defender should.
Former University of Miami (Fla.) receiver and longtime Washington Redskin Santana Moss said it best.
“Big time players make big time plays in big time games.”
Prior to his game-clinching takedown, Mack had five solo tackles, three QB hits, an interception and a touchdown, propelling him even further into the DPOY conversation.
After returning his second quarter interception for his first career touchdown, Mack added to the milestone with his first career leap into the Black Hole, leaving his counterpart Irvin eager to make a big play.
Because he wasn’t able to find his way into the end zone, Irvin’s leap into the sea of silver and black is still on hold, but the first-year Raider did leave his mark.
Irvin bullied every tackle that stood in his path, accumulating four combined tackles, three QB hits, and a sack.
Outside of Mack and Irvin, the Raiders’ defense has dropped the ball on multiple accounts, but Mack, Oakland’s unparalleled leader on the defensive side of the ball, will continue to do everything in his power to perfect his defense.
"“You can tell there’s a lot of things we need to work on,” Mack said, via Raiders.com. “I’m a perfectionist. Whether it’s communication, whether it’s coverage and filling holes on run downs. It’s all those things that you think about and I can’t help but think about that even though we did get the win. There’s a lot of corrections. We have to help this team defensively a lot more.”"
Great players make their teammates look better. Mack and Irvin should continue to do just that.