Why Khalil Mack is the Defensive Player of the Year

Dec 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack (52) on defense during the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Following another dominant season, Oakland Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack should be named the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Fresh off of a season in which he became the first player in NFL history to be named All-Pro at multiple positions, Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack put on an encore performance for the ages and has an extremely strong case to be named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2016 season.

For the purpose of defending the premise that Khalil was the “Mack-Daddy” of NFL defenders this year, we will examine some of his superlatives from this campaign and compare them to his contemporaries. This will not be an examination of each exceptional defender’s case for the award or a comparison of all players to one another, rather only an examination of Mack’s case as an exceptional defender and how he compares to his aforementioned contemporaries.

One easy way to have this discussion is to examine Mack’s performance and impact on his team in relation to other defenders that play professional football “in the box,” — that is, compare Mack to the cream of the crop defensive lineman and linebackers (both positions that Mack can occupy) as well as examine his performance and impact on his team relative to the impact of any relevant top defensive backs.

I will briefly be examining Mack in relation to four other defenders listed on ABC’s/ESPN’s candidates for DPOY in an article by Bill Barnwell; Vic Beasley, DE, Falcons; Aaron Donald, DT, Rams; Von Miller, LB, Broncos; & Landon Collins, S, Giants.

November 27, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack (52) strips the football from Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) during the fourth quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Panthers 35-32. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Mack Superlatives And Value to the Raiders Defense

Mack played in all 16 games this season and set the tone on a defense devoid of it. That is to say Mack led a very poor defense that without him would have likely ranked at the very bottom of the league.

Mack has been a slow starter through three season, and the Raiders defense got off to a similarly slow start. Oakland’s defense became the first since 1967 (according to Pro Football Reference) to allow 500 yards in two straight games, allowing the most total yards (1,035) after the first two games of a season since 1940. The team’s 354.7 yards per game from Week 3 onward, were they extrapolated across the entire season and compared to other teams 16-game totals, would have ranked 18th.

Starting in Week 3, Oakland reeled off a string of nine wins in ten games. The next week, Mack picked up his 11th sack in 10 games. In his lone game of that run without a sack, a home victory of the San Diego Chargers, Mack recorded two tackles for loss.

Khalil recorded at least one sack in eight straight games from Week 6 through Week 14. Only three players in NFL history have had a longer streak of games with at least one sack, and no player has a longer streak in at least the past 23 seasons.

Mack forced five fumbles this season, which was only topped by two other players. His bookend, Bruce Irvin, tied to lead the league with six, which only serves to enhance how apparent Mack’s impact on opponent’s offensive line protection is. Mack drew the best of an opponent’s pass and run protection, freeing up Irvin to feast on their worst. The defending two-time All-Pro also recovered three fumbles this season, a feat only surpassed by two other players.

Mack was one of only seven non-secondary players this year to record a pick-six with his Week 12 interception of Cam Newton that he returned for a touchdown.

Additionally, Mack put two consecutive Raider-victories on ice with strip-sack-recoveries very late in games against the Panthers in Week 12 and the Bills in Week 13.

Dec 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley (44) is greeted by Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (97) after he scored on a 21-yard fumble recovery in the third quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Khalil Mack vs. Vic Beasley

The Raiders (12-4) finished with a superior record to the Atlanta Falcons (11-5) this season, as will be the case when comparing to the rest of the team’s of the other candidates. Although Beasley’s squad does hold a Week 2 victory over Mack’s. In that contest, Beasley recorded the only sack between the players, although Mack had more tackles. Both defenders were up against MVP-caliber quarterbacks for this game and both signal-callers feasted.

Atlanta’s defense ranked just ahead of Oakland’s in yards allowed at 25th (371.2 to 375.1). From Week 3 and on — when Oakland’s defense started to get its act together — the Falcons ranked 23rd (365.3 YPG) compared to the Raider’s 18th ranked defense (extrapolated across the entire season and compared to other teams 16-game totals) from that point (354.7 YPG).

Beasley also played in all 16 games and set the tone for his defense. From Week 5 through Week 15, Vic recorded 13.5 sacks in 10 games (compared to Mack’s 11 in 10 games) but only had a sack in three straight games once. His stats are padded by a 3.5 sack performance against a Denver-squad that allowed the third most sacks in the NFL.

Beasley did tie to lead the league in forced fumbles with six (one more than Mack) but sprung no other in-the-box Atlanta-defender for more than one forced fumble (i.e. Bruce Irvin whom Beasley tied with).

Where Mack recovered 3 fumbles, Beasley only recovered one.

Atlanta’s best defender had no interceptions or pick-six’s this year (as Mack did) but did recover one fumble for a touchdown.

Beasley put no games on ice with a sack or turnover (see Mack in Weeks 12 & 13).

Dec 15, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is hit by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) after a pass attempt during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Khalil Mack vs. Aaron Donald

The Raiders (12-4) also finished with a superior record to the Los Angeles Rams (4-12) this season and while this shouldn’t be a greatly-weighed distinction between the two candidates, it is still a distinction that must be weighed when considering a player’s value to his team’s performance.

Los Angeles’s defense (ranked 9th, 337.0 YPG) had a much better showing than Oakland’s (26th, 375.1 YPG) this season, a point that possibly works to Donald’s advantage, and was still marginally better than Oakland’s from Week 3 onward, when the Raiders ranked 18th (extrapolated across the entire season and compared to other teams 16-game totals) at 354.7 YPG, and the Rams would have ranked 10th (340.4 YPG).

Donald also played in all 16 games and paced the Los Angeles defense. Donald recorded all eight of his sacks during a 13-week stretch between Week’s 4 and 16, but that hardly compares to Mack’s 11 in ten games. He also didn’t have a single stretch of multiple games with at least one sack. Disregarding a two-sack performance against a Carolina Panthers squad that allowed the second most sacks in the league, Donald only had 6 sacks in fifteen games.

The Rams’ best defender only forced 2 fumbles, and while he did help spring two other “in-the-box” teammates to 2 additional forced fumbles each, this hardly compares to eleven combined between Mack and Irvin.

Donald had no interceptions or pick-six’s this year (as Mack did) and recovered no fumbles.

He also put no games on ice with a sack or turnover (see Mack weeks 12 & 13).

Dec 18, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (58) lines up to pass rush in the second half against the New England Patriots at Sports Authority Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Khalil Mack vs. Von Miller

The Raiders (12-4) also finished with a better record than the Denver Broncos (9-7) this year and split the season-series with their AFC West rivals, and again, this is not an irrelevant distinction.

Denver once again had one of the top defenses in the league this year (4th, 316.1 YPG) which vastly outperformed Oakland’s (26th, 375.1 YPG) — a point that potentially works to Mack’s disadvantage, and was still better than the Raiders defense from Week 3 and on, when Oakland ranked 18th (extrapolated across the entire season and compared to other teams 16 game totals) (354.7 YPG) and Denver ranked 5th (319.3).

Miller also played in all 16 games and was the leader on one of the league’s best defenses. He recorded all 13.5 of his sacks between Weeks 1 and 13 but never had more than three straight games with at least one sack, whereas Mack had an all-time great streak of games with a sack (10). Disregarding his three-sack performance against the Indianapolis Colts, who allowed the fifth most sacks in the league, Miller only had 10.5 sacks (fewer than Mack).

Denver’s top defender only forced three fumbles, recovering none of them, compared to Mack’s 5 and 3, respectively. Two other Denver “in-the-box” defenders had 2 forced fumbles but their 7 total doesn’t compare favorably to Mack and Irvin’s 11 combined.

Miller had no interceptions or pick-six’s on the season (as Mack did).

He also put no games on ice with a sack or turnover (see Mack weeks 12 & 13).

Nov 20, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants safety Landon Collins (21) reacts after making a game-ending interception against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Khalil Mack vs. Landon Collins

It’s hard to make a comparison between and “in-the-box” defender and a defensive back, but I’ll try. And truth be told, Collins has the best case versus Mack of anybody on this list.

The Raiders (12-4) also finished with a better record than New York Giants (11-5) this year, although the difference in their team’s records is negligible, but it is still relevant in a team sport.

New York’s defense (10th, 339.7 YPG) significantly outperformed Oakland’s (26th, 375.1 YPG) this year, a fact the should be held against Mack in some capacity — if minimally — but was only marginally better than Oakland’s from Week 3 onward (extrapolated across the entire season and compared to other teams 16 game totals, the Raiders ranked 18th at 354.7 YPG, and New York ranked 14th at 344.2 YPG).

Collins to Mack is the hardest comparison to make in this discussion as the G-Men safety is the only defensive back. He too played in all 16 games to lead one of the NFL’s better defensive units. In a five game stretch from Week 6 through Week 11, the sophomore safety recorded five interceptions and two sacks. He finished the season with five interceptions (no forced fumbles), four sacks and 100 total tackles.