by Cian Fahey

Sunday was Khalil Mack's day.

The fifth overall pick of the 2014 NFL draft has had a quiet career so far. Despite being selected so high, Mack has spent the majority of his career being overlooked in favor of others who debuted last season. Mack himself hasn't really been the reason for that. His sack numbers were low as a rookie, but he was still consistently playing at a very high level. Sacks are very important for pass rushers, but they shouldn't be used alone to measure a player's quality. Mack was consistently close to bringing quarterbacks down, but the combination of the lack of pass rush around him and the lack of coverage behind him meant that the edge rusher's numbers stayed low. His disruption in the pocket was still very valuable, even if his defense as a whole couldn't capitalize on that value. Mack was also a dominant player against the run, so there was nothing about his skill set or performances that suggested he should have been left in the shadows.

Still, Mack was overlooked because of how he entered the NFL and by whom he was selected. Even though he was a top-five pick, he was widely seen as the boring pick, the small school player who was extremely well rounded but not a physical freak like Jadeveon Clowney. The Raiders themselves didn't prop him up because they had been a losing franchise for so long, and the defense in particular was lacking any kind of star power.

So it came down to Sunday. Even with the Raiders contending for a playoff spot and Mack notching nine sacks in 12 games, the defender still wasn't receiving much national recognition. He had two sacks against the Titans in Week 12 and two sacks against the Chiefs in Week 13, but those displays weren't enough to stand out. Ultimately, to get the recognition he deserved, Mack would need to do something few before him ever have. Before Sunday, only 14 players in the history of the NFL . had five or more sacks in a game, The only player still in the league to do it, Aldon Smith, also plays for the Raiders, though he is currently suspended.

Mack joined this exclusive club by harassing Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler. He finished the game with seven tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble that led to a safety. Considering how tight the game was, (the Raiders won 15-12), those plays were not only timely but also hugely valuable.

Whenever one player gets five sacks, something has to have gone wrong on the offensive side. The Broncos clearly didn't pay enough attention to Mack in pass protection, but they were also hampered by their lack of talent on the offensive line. The Broncos are particularly weak at both tackle spots, having lost Ryan Clady before the year and Ty Sambrailo during the season. The line as a whole wasn't great entering the season, so those injuries really hurt.

Mack's success on Sunday was a great example of how it's not just about players being good or bad, but also about how they match up. The Raiders defensive end was able to exploit the Broncos tackles because his greatest strengths intersected with their greatest weaknesses. Whenever you are comparing two players who are about to match up to each other, it's not just about the success that they've had all season long. Some tackles are better against speed rushers than bull rushers, so if they had faced 10 speed rushers before coming up against Mack they would look like a tougher matchup for him than they actually are. That is a hypothetical and a line of thinking that should be applied to every position.

For this specific matchup, Mack was exploiting the weakest spot of a player who hasn't played well all season.

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It was clear early on the game that Michael Schofield was going to struggle against Mack. In the above GIF, Mack doesn't get to the quarterback because the ball is released too quickly, but the disparity between the two players' level of talent can be seen. Mack effortlessly advances downfield past the tackle's outside shoulder. Schofield can't drop far enough to establish a comfortable position between him and his quarterback, so he timidly reaches his hands out in the hopes of engaging the defender. The speed and power of Mack's hands can be seen as he easily swats away the tackle's hands and knocks him out of his way in one motion. From there, he has a clean route to the quarterback as Schofield spins around and falls to the floor.

That play came in the second quarter. Mack had a relatively quiet first half, with all five of his sacks coming in the second half. For four of those sacks, he beat Schofield. Three of those four were very similar.

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Dating back to his days in college playing for Buffalo, Mack has always been at his best when he is using his power to overwhelm opponents. A lot of power rushers in the NFL have been rigid movers, players who don't possess great bursts of speed or fluidity to adjust their body positions while advancing downfield. Mack is one of the more fluid pass rushers in the league and his burst is impressive for the type of player he is. More often than not, he uses his fluidity and his burst to set up his power rather than bend around the edge. Schofield struggled to match Mack's initial speed in his drop throughout this game, but when Mack engaged him his greatest weakness was shown off.

Mack has quick, violent, and powerful hands. He uses them to consistently concentrate his power and punch his way through pass protection. Because Schofield couldn't match his speed with his hands, he was constantly in a losing position. With Mack being a hugely powerful bull rusher when he is aggressive and Schofield proving to be extremely weak against bull rushes, it was easy to see how he managed to get to the quarterback so often from this side of the field.

There aren't many edge rushers in the NFL today who can run through offensive tackles so easily. Defenses are becoming more and more about speed and complexity, so edge rushers are asked to play in space more than ever. Mack is so well-rounded that he can play in space and dominate in tight. He showed off his power against the Broncos left tackle also.

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On Sunday, the Broncos left tackle was Ryan Harris. Harris has been in the NFL for a long time, bouncing around the league while filling various roles. The journeyman tackle has endured a litany of significant injuries over the course of his career. He was once a third-round draft pick who showed promise early in his career, but his play tailored off over the years. Harris doesn't have any standout traits, and Mack was able to take advantage of his lesser athleticism for his fourth sack. He widened the tackle's stance by aggressively advancing downfield before planting his foot to cut back across his face. Mack didn't look to continue through to Harris' inside shoulder, instead squaring off against the off-balance lineman to drive his hands through his chest.

Harris had no chance. His feet weren't perfectly set and Mack exploded with greater power, having already built up speed with which to attack him. Harris was so badly beaten that he toppled over backwards as Mack wrenched him to the ground with his left arm.

Mack wasn't celebrated for his versatility as a pass rusher when he came out in last year's draft. He's still not so versatile that he can whip around offensive tackles like Robert Quinn, but he doesn't need to be at that level to be so productive. He is extremely difficult to stop because of how he uses his hands, feet, and fluidity to set up his power. Most tackles will struggle to contain Mack because of those traits, but they also can't completely ignore his ability to come off the edge with his speed. For good measure, Mack showed off his speed for his final sack against the Broncos.

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It's true that Mack feasted on inadequate starters and an offense that was too stubborn to give them help in this game, but his career as a whole to this point hasn't been engulfed in enough fanfare that overcompensating now shouldn't be considered unfair, even if the reasons for the praise are somewhat misguided.



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Blake Bortles

Blake Bortles appears to be on the Matthew Stafford path.

The second-year quarterback has been extremely productive over the past two weeks, throwing for eight touchdowns and zero interceptions while averaging more than 8 yards per attempt. Bortles' most recent game against the Indianapolis Colts is dividing opinion though. He completed 16-of-30 passes for 250 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions with one rushing touchdown and three fumbles. Neil Paine of FiveThirtyEight.com stoked the flames of the fire by writing that Bortles' performance had little to do with the Jaguars scoring 50-plus points against the Colts. Paine based his analysis on the quarterback's awful QBR, a 3.8 out of a possible 100. Pro Football Focus added to the criticism, giving Bortles a minus-5.4 grade as the Jaguars' worst performer on offense. Our own Vincent Verhei noted in Quick Reads that according to FO stats, Bortles was just average overall, dreadful in the first half but tremendous in the second.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, a noted film watcher, contended that the analytical measurements were way off on Bortles' display. Football Outsiders alumnus and current Sports Illustrated writer Doug Farrar reluctantly agreed with Prisco.

One of the main points of conflict comes from Bortles' 80-yard touchdown pass to Allen Hurns. Some believe the quarterback was lucky to complete the pass and that it could have easily been intercepted, and at least should have been broken up. Others suggest that Bortles' aggressiveness and arm strength allowed him to fit the ball in to the talented receiver.

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Analysis of individuals in football is often grey rather than black or white. This play is a perfect example. Both sides can make strong arguments to support their points. From the negative side, Bortles took his eyes away from a wide-open out route to force the ball in to double-coverage. The deep safety played the ball terribly, as did the safety running with Hurns underneath. Bortles was fortunate that the ball found its way to the receiver. From the positive side, Bortles put the ball in a spot where his receiver could catch it, and the first open receiver wasn't past the first down line. Obviously, the positive side can also point to the result of this play. Hurns was able to catch the ball and bounce off the deep safety to run downfield for a huge touchdown, a critical score at that stage of the game.

Statistical analysis and film study are often divided into the objective and the subjective. The subjective is presented as a negative because it creates these scenarios where people disagree. Each analyst can only offer his opinion, but it highlights the nature of football where the result doesn't always reflect the quality of play on either side.

In terms of evaluating Bortles' play for this game specifically, this isn't the play to do it. Before making this throw, Bortles had endured one of the worst halves of football you're likely to see. He was better in the second half as he executed the offense more efficiently even if not spectacularly. There are two ways to look at this game. You can value the production of the offense as a whole and Bortles' steadier play in the second half, or you can focus on the more extreme plays in the first half. Considering just how bad those plays in the first half were, it's tough to look past them completely.

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Bortles' first throw of the game gained 17 yards, but it should have been intercepted. The Jaguars used play-action that sent Bortles into the right flat with three receivers running routes to that side of the field. He correctly held onto the ball as all his options were covered, but didn't look to throw the ball away. Instead he held the ball to buy his receivers more time. He had the space to do it, so it wasn't a bad decision. It was a bad decision, though, when he attempted to fit the ball into a tight window downfield. His pass was way off target, which may have actually worked in his favor because a better throw would have been an easier catch for D'Qwell Jackson. Jackson dove beneath the ball and should have caught it, but instead batted it into the air for Clay Harbor to make the catch. This is a play where it's very difficult to praise the quarterback despite the result. He was extremely fortunate to get way with a bad decision and a terrible throw.

Despite Bortles' overall production this season, his accuracy and decision-making have been problematic throughout the year. He is an inconsistent player who flashes outlandishly good plays but also does the complete opposite. This is where the Matthew Stafford comparison comes into play. Stafford is a very talented quarterback, but his accuracy and decision-making have remained inconsistent throughout his career. Playing with Calvin Johnson and other standout receivers has helped him stay somewhat productive, but his overall contributions to his team's successes have been lower than they could have and should have been.

For Bortles to avoid becoming the next Stafford, he has to flip the ratio of positive and negative plays. In this game, the negative plays were too prominent.

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At the end of the first drive, the Colts don't mask their intentions to blitz Bortles on third down. The blitz is successful, but it uses a stunt so Bortles has enough time to cleanly get to the top of his drop. From there, he stares down his slot receiver, Rashad Greene, to the left. That receiver is running an out route just past the first down marker. Bortles has predetermined that this is where the ball is going as a hot route, even though it's a route that needs some time to develop. The cornerback covering Greene is sitting on this route from the beginning. Bortles releases the ball with anticipation to get it out cleanly before the rush arrives, but his pass isn't accurate.

Bortles was fortunate that his pass wasn't accurate, because if it had been, the defensive back would have had a relatively simple interception. Instead, the defender can only reach one hand up to try and snag the ball out of the air while Greene has no chance of getting near the ball.

One of the main concerns with Bortles is his accuracy. He is completing just 57.5 percent of his passes, one of only six current starters in the league under 60 percent, despite playing with two outstanding starting receivers who have excellent ball skills. Of those five current starters, three entered the season as backups. Bortles' ball placement is a constant issue because of his inconsistent footwork and elongated throwing motion. That motion creates more problems than just accuracy though. To begin his second drive of this game, Bortles had two consecutive plays where his motion created turnover potential. The first was a fumble that one of the Jaguars offensive linemen recovered. Bortles had the ball knocked out from behind as he dropped the ball to bring it around his shoulder like a windmill. A quicker, more compact release would have allowed him to avoid that fumble. Bortles had three fumbles in the game, but one was't actually his fault.

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The other came when he stared down a receiver who was never open against a blitz in the second quarter. The second play at the start of the second drive was the most concerning though. On this occasion, Bortles had a completely clean pocket as he looked to make a quick throw. He had predetermined his throw before he ever touched the ball.

D'Qwell Jackson was sitting in zone coverage, reading Bortles' eyes from the beginning of the play. Bortles' eyes led Jackson to the football, and his elongated motion gave Jackson more time to get in position. On a quick throw like this, even the slightest unnecessary movement can make a huge difference. Jackson once again showed off poor hands. He should have caught a pass that arrived quickly, but just above his shoulder. A linebacker with better ball skills would not have even had to leave his feet to make the reception.



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If Jackson had made that play, he would have had an easy touchdown going the other way.

This was Bortles' worst play of the day, but his first half was littered with similarly reckless, inaccurate actions that were largely left unpunished by a defense that lacks talent. The Colts are an average defense by DVOA and a below-average pass defense, but they have had a tendency of not taking advantage of opportunities during the Chuck Pagano era. This game was another great example of that. For Bortles, these plays didn't have a significant impact on his statistical output or the Jaguars' production, but to ignore them completely wouldn't be rational in evaluating the young quarterback.

Bortles has a lot of physical talent and he could develop into a good starting quarterback one day, but at this point his touchdown-to-interception ratio is flattering him. Even if you just look at his statistical output, he is still completing passes at a lower rate than the majority of the league (seven of his 13 starts have seen him complete 56 percent or fewer of his passes). His yards per attempt is 7.0, lower than 25 quarterbacks who have thrown at least 100 passes, and he is tied for the third-most interceptions in the league, 13, with Matthew Stafford. Whether it's raw numbers, analytics, or his film, there are as many reasons to be concerned about Blake Bortles as there are to be optimistic.