Khalil Mack: We’ve been hearing a lot of disrespect

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The 8-8 Bears will face the 13-3 Saints on Sunday for a wild-card matchup few expect Chicago to win.

Khalil Mack seems to be taking that to heart.

“Me personally, I always feel like an underdog,” Mack said at his Thursday press conference. “It’s just in me. I know these guys do as well. There’s a lot of disrespect that we’ve been hearing. So obviously, you’ve got to use all of that to your advantage. Not to speak on it so much, but to go out and use our actions. And that’s what we’re looking forward to doing.”

But disrespect? Where’s he getting that from?

“Maybe I’m making it up. Maybe I’m not,” Mack said. “You just hear certain things, take offense to it. But in the right ways — use it to your advantage.”

So Mack might be using the straw man technique so many athletes like to use, including a pretty famous former Chicago Bull. But however Mack and the Bears’ defense motivate themselves, they know they’re going to need a strong performance to win.

“It’s the understanding that it has to be some of the best defense we’ve ever played,” Mack said. “It’s an opportunity and it’s all we’re looking forward to. … Got to make the most of it.”