Raiders rookie defender Khalil Mack on track (w/video)

OAKLAND – Khalil Mack is anything but a secret. The fifth overall pick in the 2014, Mack came to the Raiders with high expectations, and he has won almost universal praise for his work at outside linebacker as a rookie.

Sunday, though, Mack seemed to take his game to another level. He had five tackles and a sack and hit Buffalo quarterback Kyle Orton two other times in the Raiders’ 26-24 win, and his impact went far beyond the stat sheet. Mack spent nearly as much time in the Bills’ backfield as Orton did.

“I told him today, man, ‘Quit thinking. Don’t worry about stopping every play. Just rush the passer,’ ” defensive tackle Antonio Smith said. “And he did some rogue stuff out there, but it worked for him. And I think that’s when you’re at your best pass rushing, when you’re rushing with instinct.”

Smith and his teammates were clearly impressed with Mack, but not surprised.

“They flash that film, man, I ain’t seen nobody block him yet,” Smith said. “He might not get the sack, but I haven’t seen nobody block him yet, in the run game or pass game. He is a terror out there on the field. And sometimes it takes you to have a lead, to force quarterbacks to take longer to pass the ball so that you can get to the quarterback.”

Mack limped off the field late in the game, but confirmed that he had nothing worse than a leg cramp.

RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB?

With three wins in the past five weeks, Tony Sparano may have coached himself into an interview for the full-time coaching job in Oakland, or at least into conversation. His team is definitely playing hard under the interim coach.

After the game, someone asked Sparano whether he feels he deserves a chance to keep the job.

“Do I feel like it? Yes,” he answered.

Does he deserve it?

“Do I deserve it? That’s not for me to decide that.”

Veteran safety Charles Woodson issued a strong plug for assistant defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson in the post-game locker room, but didn’t push too awfully hard for Sparano.

“I think he’s done a strong job for us,” Woodson said. “Of course, I’m not privy to those decisions. But up until this point, he’s definitely made his case.”

DON’T REWIND THAT TAPE!

Raiders rookie cornerback T.J. Carrie had another solid game. Were it not for the NFL’s replay system, he might be vying for AFC defensive player of the week.

Carrie had two takeaways, an interception and a fumble recovery, overturned by replay official Al Hynes in the first half.

“Oh my goodness, man,” Carrie said. “It’s definitely part of the game. Those type of things can be a big momentum shift in the game. Those are some of the things we felt like, if it would have went our way, the ball game would have been more in our favor.”

Carrie said the fumble recovery, in particular, he was certain would hold up after a review. But Hynes ruled that Buffalo running back C.J. Spiller never fully controlled the ball on a pass from Orton before it came out, and ruled the pass incomplete.

As for the pick: “Of course, any interception you get you’re gonna say you have,” Carrie said. “I was gonna stick to it until they told me it wasn’t an interception.”

EXTRA POINTS

• With six punts Sunday, Oakland’s Marquette King now has punted an even 100 times in 2014, a new Raiders record.

• Derek Carr became the 13th NFL rookie to pass for 3,000 or more yards in a season. He is the eighth rookie since 1950 with 20-plus touchdown passes.