How the Khalil Mack Trade Won the NFC North for the Chicago Bears

He might not be in the same class as Lawrence Taylor, but Khalil Mack is a bad, bad man and a difference maker on defense.

And, with him in the fold following a mammoth trade to the Bears before the start of the season, Chicago’s defense has been bad news for the rest of the NFL this season, especially within their division.

With their 25-20 win over the Vikings on Sunday Night Football, the Bears moved to 7-3 and are now far and away the class of the NFC North. Like he has all season long for Chicago’s defense, Mack led the way.

Stripping footballs, causing rushed throws, and collecting sacks in bunches, Mack has been a difference-maker and is the biggest reason the Bears lead in the NFC North ahead of the preseason-favorite Vikings (5-4-1) and Packers (4-5-1).

The trade to bring Mack to The Windy City has had huge ramifications for the rest of the team as every member of Chicago’s secondary is having the best season of his career and all of the Bears pass rushers are getting more shots at the quarterback as team’s scheme to focus on Mack.

While it remains to be seen if that defense will be strong enough to help Chicago compete with the Los Angeles Rams or New Orleans Saints in the playoffs, it has certainly been stout enough to help the team dominate their division.

“The entire defense’s energy has been ratcheted up by Mack’s addition. This group doesn’t just want to take the ball away; they feel it’s their right to have it,” according to The Ringer. “That mentality is reminiscent of the great Bears defenses of this century, when the likes of Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman, and Mike Brown felt they were entitled to the end zone.”