5 Oakland Raiders to watch vs. Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17
By John Buhler
Khalil Mack
If there is any positive takeaway from the last few weeks for the Raiders, it has been the emergence of a multi-faceted pass rush. No player is more dominant on the Raiders defense than Pro Bowl defensive end Khalil Mack. Look for him to go off on Sunday in a favorable matchup versus the Chargers.
Los Angeles has one of the worst offensive lines in football. Mack will be playing opposite of right tackle Joe Barksdale and right guard Kenny Wiggins. The Chargers will obviously need to try to chip block Mack, but the onslaught of pressure could be too much for a bewildered Los Angeles front-five to overcome.
Mack has already eclipsed 10 sacks for the third straight season. He has punched his third straight ticket to the Pro Bowl as one of the best edge players in the game today. Though he doesn’t have to have a monster game for the Raiders to prove his worth to the team, Mack will be key in helping set up his fellow pass-rushing teammates.
The mere presence of Mack coming off the edge should startle the Chargers offensive line. They know that they will have to contain him if the Chargers want any shot at making the AFC playoffs as a wild card team. Mack is the one player that the Chargers need to know where he’s on the gridiron at all times.