The Oakland Raiders knew when they traveled to Mexico City, they'd face a difficult test in the New England Patriots, considering they were the No. 1 offense entering Week 11, averaging 409.4 yards per game. Plain and simple, the Pats have one of the best to ever play the quarterback position in Tom Brady, and for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack, sacking the future Hall of Famer has certainly been an item on his bucket list.
With 1:11 left in the first quarter, the All- Everything defensive end was able to cross taking down No. 12 off his list. On 1st and 10, with New England up seven, and with the ball on the 28-yard line, Brady dropped back to pass, but was unable to get the ball out of his hands. Originally blocked by tight end Rob Gronkowski, Mack was primarily defended by right tackle Cameron Fleming, but pushed through, and found his way to the five-time Super Bowl champ. As Brady tried to step up in the pocket, No. 52 extended his arm just enough to grab the Patriots signal-caller, and bury him in the grass.
By the end of the day, Mack had totaled one sack, four tackles, three quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. The former University of Buffalo Bull applied pressure to Brady a majority of the afternoon, and had a solid contribution at Estadio Azteca; unfortunately the team was unable to best Brady and Co.
While he performed well a majority of the evening, Mack's first quarter sack against "TB12" was the highlight of his day at the office; it's also this week's Elite Performance Moment of the Week, presented by Bridgestone.
