In two games against the Green Bay Packers last season, Bears linebacker Khalil Mack had 3.5 sacks, an interception and a recovered fumble. He was everywhere and looked like the dominant defensive player who justified his massive contract.
Then, in Thursday’s game against the Packers, it was a far quieter showing for Mack. He had five tackles (one for a loss) and no sacks or turnovers.
The Packers staff obviously zeroed in on Mack in their preparation — as any coach would — but a friendly whistle (or lack thereof) absolutely played a role in slowing down the Bears star.
In a Twitter thread, Bears blogger Jack Soble broke down seven uncalled holding penalties that prevented Mack from impacting plays. Holding penalties go uncalled all the time, but for that many obvious holds against a star player to go unnoticed — it certainly stood out as odd.
Here’s the thread:
Yeah, that’s not a great look for the officiating crew. The Bears ended up losing, 10-3, and those kinds of missed no-calls can add up and make a huge difference.
