Tristan Wirfs was one of the best tackles in the NFL last season. Rather impressive considering he was a rookie. The guy started every game all the way through the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl victory. In that time, he was only credited with allowing one sack on Tom Brady. That is pretty amazing stuff. However, Wirfs didn’t exactly have a perfect performance every week.
When speaking with Pro Football Focus about his first season, he was asked an interesting question. Who were some of the most difficult pass rushers he encountered during his first season in the league? The first name that jumped to mind was Khalil Mack. Wirfs encountered the Chicago Bears star in Week 5 last season and got an introduction he wasn’t prepared for. He can usually deal with power rushers or speed rushers.
Not somebody who can do both.
💥 Khalil Mack
💥 Cameron Jordan
💥 Joey Bosa@TristanWirfs74 breaks down the best pass-rushers he faced during his rookie season 🗣️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/32kjzlV0Y2
— PFF (@PFF) June 3, 2021
Wirfs entered that week having played great football. He hadn’t had a down game at all. Mack made sure to provide him with his first true “Welcome to the NFL” moment. The Bears pass rusher was in Brady’s face all night, often at Wirf’s expense. The highlight of the night came when Mack sacked Brady while the tackle kept trying to block him. When the play was over but Wirfs refused to stop, Mack sent him a message by hip tossing him to the turf.
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It is possible Mack used that game to vent his frustrations on Wirfs. Through the first four games of the season, the Bears outside linebacker had just 1.5 sacks. One of the slowest starts he’s ever had. Tired of not getting some quarterbacks on the ground, he sacked Brady twice. He would end up having five sacks over the next four-week span. A reminder of why this man is one of the best in the business.
Tristan Wirfs will be seeing Mack again soon
The Bears have a rematch against the Buccaneers this season. This time down in Tampa Bay. One can imagine the tackle is eager to have a much better performance against the pass rusher on the second try. Then again Mack has a tendency of making what you want irrelevant. That is what likely Hall of Fame players do. They don’t care about your intentions.
Tristan Wirfs won’t be the only tackle who has to worry about Mack this year. The 30-year old knows he has high expectations placed on his shoulders. He’s failed to crack double-digit sacks for two years in a row. Something that isn’t acceptable for a pass rusher being paid the kind of money he’s being paid.
Bears fans demand more.
Especially with the secondary facing so many questions. Kyle Fuller is gone. Buster Skrine is gone. The defense can’t bank on getting the same coverage they did last season. That means the pass rush has to step up. Mack finished just shy of 10 sacks in 2020. He should be healthy now as well. A return to the Vic Fangio-style system may also help his cause. Maybe the offense might also give him some help with more leads to protect.