Oakland Raiders to face former teammate Khalil Mack in London in 2019
The Oakland Raiders will face former teammate Khalil Mack across the pond in 2019 as Chicago takes on Oakland in London.
On Jan. 20, the NFL announced five international games as part of the league’s regular-season play. Four of the games are taking place in London and the other in Mexico. The Oakland Raiders will once again head overseas and play one of their home games on an international stage.
The dates and official schedule has yet to be released, but the matchup between the Chicago Bears and Raiders is sure to raise some eyebrows. The NFC North Champion Chicago Bears were the recipient of a controversial trade early in the season that involved the Silver and Black.
Star pass rusher Khalil Mack, after a lengthy hold-out, was traded to Chicago in a move that many consider indicative of the Raiders’ failed season.
Mack and Raiders quarterback Derek Carr still keep up the friendly Twitter banter, appearing to remain close despite the trade. The Raiders struggled all year on the pass rush while Chicago made the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
In fact, the Raiders were historically bad at getting after the quarterback, racking up only 13 sacks as a team. The Raiders were led by rookie Maurice Hurst, a defensive tackle, in sacks, as the first-year player managed four in year one.
Fans of the Silver and Black will be keeping a close eye on the matchup, as it’s the first time the Raiders will meet their former teammate in competition. This is a home game for the Raiders, who currently do not have a home, but it would have been quite the scene had this taken place inside the Oakland Coliseum.
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Overall, 31 games will have been played in the UK by the end of the 2019 season. Two games are scheduled for Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium and the other two are scheduled to take place at Wembley. It isn’t yet known which stadium the Raiders will play in.