Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears defense got throttled by Aaron Rodgers and the rival Green Bay Packers Sunday night, giving up 41 points, including three straight TD drives to start the contest.
The Bears allowed Rodgers to do whatever he wanted. Chicago's vaunted defense didn't record a single QB hit on the Packers' signal-caller. It marked the third straight game that Mack failed to record a QB hit or sack during the Bears' five-game losing streak. Sunday night, he didn't earn a single pressure, per Next Gen Stats.
"Very frustrating from my standpoint," Mack said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. "That's something that I take personally."
For the season, Mack has generated 6.5 sacks, which places him tied for 15th in the NFL, behind the likes of former Chicago edge rusher Leonard Floyd (7).
"I'm not worried about my stats," Mack said after the loss,. "My game speaks for itself. It's not really about me. I want to win. I know they're going to come when they come and that's always going to be my mindset -- to do everything I can to help this team win games. Obviously getting to the quarterback is what I'm here for, and I definitely have to do that."
While the counting stats might not pop off the page, Mack still influences games, generating 43 total pressures on the season, seventh-most in the NFL, and disrupting plays even if he doesn't get credit in the box score.
The Bears' five-game losing streak, however, has Chicago reeling, falling from division contender to out of wild card position.
It's difficult to fault the Bears defense for the recent slide. Matt Nagy's impotent offense puts the D in a position of needing to be perfect to get a win. In 2020, that's not a viable strategy to succeed consistently. Against good teams like Green Bay, blowouts ensue.
"You gotta understand this situation, get ready for next week," he said. "Throw this one in the trash. Get ready."
Luckily for the Bears, they face the hapless Detroit Lions on Sunday, who just fired their coach. It should be a get-right game for Chicago. A loss to the Lions, however, might have the sky falling in the Windy City.
