Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack and Rams defensive end Aaron Donald are among the two best defensive players in the NFL.
Don’t believe that? Just look at the two separate shows each one put on during Week 11.
Against the Vikings on “Sunday Night Football,” Mack forced his fifth fumble this season (the most in the NFL), which he eventually recovered despite being pinned to the ground. He also recorded his eighth sack in just as many games.
Oh, and who could forget Mack’s one-arm shove tackle of Vikings offensive lineman Riley Reiff? (For reference, Reiff is 6-foot-6 and weighs 305 pounds.)
Khalil just tossed a 320-pound man with one arm. 😳😳😳 @52Mack_ https://t.co/tIpnktpQ7Y
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 19, 2018
Donald also had a big game. He shined on “Monday Night Football” against the Chiefs in Los Angeles, recording two sacks and forcing two fumbles.
While the debate of who is better might be settled Dec. 9 when the Bears host the Rams at Soldier Field, Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher shared his thoughts on Twitter.
“[Donald] for the rams (sic) is great, but [Mack] for the bears (sic) is the BEST in the league,” Urlacher tweeted.
#99 for the rams is great, but #52 for the bears is the BEST in the league @ESPNBooger #mack #nfl #bears
— Brian Urlacher (@BUrlacher54) November 20, 2018
Sure, Urlacher might have some bias. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection played his entire career (13 seasons) with the Bears before retiring after the 2012 season. But he’s not the only one taking notice in Mack’s dominance.
Urlacher’s tweet about Mack comes less than one week after former Bears great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Hampton praised the Bears’ new pass rusher.
“When I heard the Bears signed him, I said, ‘He’s the best player we’ve had in 30 years,’” Hampton told the Sun-Times. “No offense to Brian Urlacher, but you’ve seen how he changes the complexion of the defense.”
Luckily for Hampton, it seems like Urlacher thinks the same thing.
