Jets’ O-line faces challenge of trying to slow Raiders’ Mack
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The film confirmed everything the New York Jets already knew about Khalil Mack.
Now, they’ve got to figure out how to stop Oakland’s sack-happy pass rusher.
“There’s a lot of challenges with him,” Jets offensive coordinator John Morton acknowledged Thursday. “He’s probably one of the best (pass) rushers in football. We have a plan for him. Definitely, he can wreck a game, so we’ve got to make sure we account for him wherever he’s at.”
Mack will line up mostly on the left side of the Raiders’ defense, but sometimes on the right — and often end up in opponents’ backfields.
“He’s the ideal pass rusher,” Jets right tackle Brandon Shell said. “He’s a good all-around player. He can rush the passer, stop the run. He’s that guy you hear everything about. That’s him.”
Shell will likely see lots of Mack on Sunday in Oakland, which should be quite the test for the young right tackle who’s expected to make his fifth NFL start.
Even though Mack had no sacks last week against Tennessee, he knocked down a pass, had four quarterback pressures and had two tackles for losses.
The great-nephew of Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Shell was a fifth-round draft pick last year from the University of South Carolina. He started his rookie season as a game-day inactive for the first several weeks, but injuries and his own improvement got him into the starting lineup for the last three games.
Shell won the competition at right tackle this summer in training camp and had a mostly solid opener against the Bills, taking on the likes of Shaq Lawson and Kyle Williams.
This week, Shell will get an even better barometer of how much he has progressed — or how much better he needs to become.
“I like challenges and I don’t back down from a challenge,” Shell said. “I just go out there and do my job as best I can. That’s all I…