Khalil Mack was a man possessed in Thursday night’s Bears victory over the Buccaneers. The 20-19 win improves Chicago to 4-1 on the season. Tampa Bay fell to 3-2.
“We smelled a little blood in the water,” Mack said after the game.
“It clicked tonight like I knew it would. It clicked at the right time … going up against one of the best ever.”
It certainly did. The Bears pass rush was so impressive that it left Tom Brady dazed and confused; he lost track of what down it was on the Buccaneers’ final possession of the game.
Mack and his two sacks were only part of what was an all-around strong defensive performance by the Bears. Cornerback Kyle Fuller did his part in coverage and delivered a few bone-crushing hits along the way, including one on Bucs rookie running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn that resulted in a fumble.
“He always plays hard,” Mack said of Fuller. “He had that same hit I feel like four weeks ago. It went the other way. Same play, man. This guy is an All-Pro player. You see the professionalism. It was an impactful play. Beautiful play. Beautiful football play.”
The Bears’ fast start in 2020 has come with its detractors who believe the record is more a product of good fortune than good football. Maybe that’s true. But a win is a win.
“There’s no letup from this group,” said Mack. “I’m going to do my best to make sure of that.”