OAKLAND — Khalil Mack made his veterans proud.

His performance Sunday, aggravating the Buffalo Bills’ offense in the Raiders 26-24 victory, wasn’t just his best game as a pro but a moment of fulfillment for the elders of the defense.

That’s why Justin Tuck had a twinkle in his eye when asked about Mack. Antonio Smith flashed a beaming smile. Charles Woodson rolled his eyes in amazement.

They have been pouring wisdom and experience into the willing ears of Mack all season. Seeing it pay off is special.

“That’s my guy,” Tuck said. “I can remember being the youngster and guys like (Hall of Famer Michael) Strahan looking at me the same way. … Watching some of the things he’s able to do, it’s exciting. Because I know what kind of player he can turn into.”

Mack registered his best game since leaving the University of Buffalo. And it came against the pro squad that passed him up even though he was a local stud.

He had a sack, a tackle for a loss and three quarterback hits. And that doesn’t tell the whole story.

He spent much of the game in the face of Bills quarterback Kyle Orton. Three times on third down, Orton made an errant throw because of pressure from Mack. His quickness and brute strength was too much for Buffalo right tackle Seantrel Henderson, who spent most of the game failing at slowing down the Raiders rookie.

Mack looked every bit like the stud-in-the-making. He was so aggressive, so all over the place, he played himself into exhaustion and missed the final defensive series.

“Just cramping,” Mack explained.

Mack, a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, no longer looks lost out there. That’s allowing his impressive physical ability to shine even more.

One the first defensive play of the game, Mack exploded through the line and devoured Bills running back Fred Jackson. He did it again on a three-yard stop of C.J. Spiller in the second quarter.

But most of his damage was done rushing the quarterback. He had a move working where he’d jab to the outside then explode inside, giving him unimpeded access to the quarterback a few times.

Smith said Mack used to face paralysis by analysis. Trying to decided between stopping the run or rushing the passer left him a step slow a lot — especially against teams good at mixing it up.

“I’ve been telling him,” Smith said, “‘You’ve got the natural ability — just rush and the game will come to you.’ When he rushes off instinct it destroys everything, the run and the pass. He doesn’t have to think about whether it is a run or a pass. Just go.”

What happened Sunday had been in the works, if you ask the vets. They’ve seen things in film room and in practice that made them certain it was a matter of time and patience with Mack.

They each said Mack has received every morsel of advice they give. They love his work ethic and his willingness to learn. That on top of his physical prowess has them convinced he’ll be a big-time player.

“Dude’s going to be special,” Woodson said. “The biggest jump any player makes is from his first year to his second year. You’ll see a big jump out of him.”

Mack and Sio Moore, the Raiders other young linebacker, have a special way they encourage each other, especially through hard times. They remind each other of their ultimate goal — getting a yellow Hall of Fame jacket.

Smith loves it. Sunday, Mack made it look like more than just a dream.

“You’ve got to be confident. You’ve got to be hungry,” Smith said. “That boy is a young animal. He does some things out there on the field that looks almost impossible.”