Khalil Mack brings his wrecking ball to MetLife Stadium

The Giants are bracing for a Big Mack Attack.

They’ve faced some daunting defenses and some ferocious fronts this season, including two matchups with the Eagles and the opener against the Jaguars. They also played the Texans' J.J. Watt in Week 3, albeit when he was just starting to find his footing coming back from injury. But the Bears will bring a special sauce to Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium, one playing at a level that these Giants have not yet seen in person: linebacker Khalil Mack.

The dominant, disruptive, potential Defensive Player of the Year has become the spearhead for a unit that is carrying the Bears toward the playoffs. Unlike many other teams that are using massive amounts of points to propel themselves to the postseason, the 8-3 Bears are relying on defense, takeaways and sacks to get there.

“Mack, he stands out,” Eli Manning said of the Bears’ defense. “He does a good job getting sacks, causing fumbles, interceptions. He does it all.”

Added running back Saquon Barkley: “He’s as good as advertised.”

There are only a handful of players in the league who can do all of that, not just make stops, but wreck games. Aaron Donald with the Rams is one. Von Miller with the Broncos is another. Neither is on the Giants’ schedule this season.

Mack, with eight sacks and five forced fumbles, is.

“To get on that list you have to have incredible work ethic,” Giants left tackle Nate Solder said of the premier defenders. “You have to be talented, you have to be a guy who makes plays and has a nose for the ball. A guy who has a great blend of flexibility and power and strength. He’s got all of that.”

It will fall primarily to Solder to impede Mack. He’s faced him twice in his career. Last year, when the Patriots played the Raiders in Mexico City, Mack lined up primarily against the right tackle, so Solder had to block him only a handful of times. Their other meeting was in Mack’s rookie season in 2014. Mack did not have a sack in that game, for what it’s worth.

Facing these Giants, though, must have Mack drooling. They’ve allowed 38 sacks, second most in the NFL. And while their offensive line has improved since the bye week, it’s still far from a fortress wall in front of Manning.

“He’s obviously a very good player, he’s got a good first step, he can bull rush you and go, then work your edge or just work your edge,” Pat Shurmur said. “I think what he does a good job of is just keeping his feet moving and then as the play develops, being in a position to either sack the quarterback or find the running backs . . . He’s a guy that can really disrupt the game in a way that is not good for the offense, but we’ve got to block him.”

The Bears acquired Mack right before the season, trading their first-round picks in 2019 and 2020 to the Raiders along with an exchange of other lesser picks. They also signed Mack to a record-setting six-year, $141-million contract extension at the time.

And they have absolutely no buyer’s remorse.

“He’s everything and more than we thought,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said. “I knew from going against him in Kansas City what type of player he was when you have to compete against him. When you bring him into practice and you see who the person is within the four walls of the building, and you see how he is as a human being and his character and how he’s a leader, it just makes it even better.”

While Giants fans may have trepidation with Mack on the field, some Giants are actually looking forward to the challenge. Barkley is one of them.

“He’s probably the best defensive player in the league,” the rookie running back said. “He’s big, fast, strong. He can do it all. It’s going to be exciting to go against him and see what I’ve got against a guy like that and see what we’ve got against a guy like that.”

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.