The Bears are 3-5. The season feels lost. It's an exceptionally painful reality for a fanbase that was expecting big things. Great things. Super Bowl things.
Now, with eight games left in the regular season, it's time for fans to shift their attention to the individual players on this team. Wins and losses matter only when the quest for championship greatness remains. Sure, a winning streak that pumps life into an otherwise lifeless season would be nice, but assuming that doesn't happen, players like Khalil Mack will remain must-see TV.
In fact, Mack was recently dubbed the Bears' biggest mismatch nightmare. So, yeah, flip the game on and watch him get after the quarterback:
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There isn't another defender as versatile or impactful as Chicago Bears edge presence Khalil Mack.
The proof is in the individual awards—he's been an All-Pro in both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses. The lines between base formations continue to blur, but nobody at the NFL level can do what Mack does.
A year ago, he put up 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and an interception. The Bears might be struggling this season, but Mack is certainly doing what he can with 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and four passes defensed, already matching his total from last season.
His dominance goes deeper. Mack has only allowed four completions. He has 20 hurries, three quarterback knockdowns and 29 pressures.
Mack hasn't been as game-wrecking in 2019 as he was last year, but his month-long struggles are indicative of the entire team as a whole. Still, at just 28 years old, Mack remains one of the NFL's truly special players.
Imagine how much better his stats would look if the Bears' offense was able to open a lead and force opponents into a desperation passing game. Yet, he's still on pace for 11 sacks, which somehow seems like a disappointing year for him. He'll continue carrying this defense through the second half of the season.
Even in the darkest days of a lost year (which, by the way, it's still not TOTALLY hopeless for the Bears in 2019), Bears fans can be thankful for players like Mack, who continues to serve as a showcase for the league's truly elite talent.
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