Khalil Mack had his way in win over former team

Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack couldn’t comment on his performance Sunday after a 20-9 victory over the Raiders, according to a team spokesperson.

Rest assured, though. His play said plenty.

Mack helped anchor Chicago’s best defensive performance of the season by punishing his former team with eight tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss. He also sacked Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr during a two-point conversion attempt and engaged in playful banter throughout the game with his friend turned foe.

With Mack’s help, the Bears held the Raiders to 259 yards of total offense — nearly 150 fewer than the 406.5 they averaged during the first four games of the season.

“It was amazing,” Chicago safety Eddie Jackson said, referencing Mack’s performance against Las Vegas. “He made them regret everything. … Regret not wanting to keep him. Mack is our leader. (When he has) games like this, we fuel off that. Just to see him come back here and dominate, it’s a great feeling.”

Mack certainly didn’t dominate the first time he played the Raiders. He finished with three tackles on Oct. 6, 2019, during a forgettable 24-21 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

The loss preceded a lengthy flight back to Chicago, and Bears coach Matt Nagy said “it was tough for all of us” while referring to that particular game.

“(Mack) was a part of that. And he understands that,” Nagy said. “This was going to be a fight, and he knew that. Khalil is in a leadership role to make sure that other guys see how you play in this moment. And he did that today.”

Mack was a force on the edge all afternoon and helped set the tone for his team early in the second quarter by stuffing Raiders running back Josh Jacobs on a fourth-down run to force a turnover on downs. He sacked Carr on the Raiders’ ensuing drive and formed an “O” with his hands — perhaps a nod to Oakland.

He was active in run support, helping to limit the Raiders to an average of 3.2 yards per rush. And he flattened Carr again after the Raiders’ only touchdown drive of the day.

“We beat him once, now he’s beaten me once. Hopefully there will be a rubber match in there somewhere,” Carr said. “Hopefully, one day we’ll be able to sit somewhere with our families hanging out and be able to talk about it. But right now, he got us today. He got me today a couple times, but he didn’t get that ball from me.”

Mack left that to safety DeAndre Houston-Carson instead.

Mack and teammate Angelo Blackson pressured Carr up the middle and prevented him from stepping into a throw in the third quarter. It sailed over the intended receiver, Zay Jones, and Houston-Carson sprinted toward the errant pass to secure an interception.

The Bears believe they’re developing a defensive identity, and Mack is at the epicenter.

“That’s been a Bears thing. That’s the Chicago Bears,” Jackson said. “Defense goes out there and plays. Try to hold them to no points. The biggest thing for us is finishing. … We just wanted to come out and dominate today and play a full four-quarter game.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.