Chicago Bears: 3 Big takeaways from loss vs. Packers in Week 1
Khalil Mack makes an impression in his debut
When the Chicago Bears made the blockbuster trade for Khalil Mack many felt he’d have a big impact on the defense. After missing out on the entire preseason and training camp, however, the prevailing thought was it’d take some time for that impact to take form.
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Well, maybe it wouldn’t take that long. As soon as Mack got on the field he terrorized the Packers’ backfield. He moved the tackle back like a rag doll. In the time he was there, he recorded 3 sacks, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Yes, Mack’s conditioning came into account. Late in the game, he wasn’t as effective. While he got to the quarterback in the first half, he was just a step slower later in the game. That kept him from getting to Rodgers. He was just a split second too slow to make a high-impact play, allowing Rodgers to make his customary great plays.
Mack’s appearance on the field also helped other players. Roquan Smith, the Bears’ first-round pick this season came in late in the first half and immediately got a sack. He got it when Mack put his own pressure on the quarterback, forcing him to move to where Smith was.
Smith has his own conditioning problem, also missing out the entire preseason and camp. When he and Mack get their conditioning to their optimum this defense will be scary good. Add that to a good offense and expect to see a sharp rise in victories.