ALAMEDA, Calif. — Khalil Mack is still looking for his first sack as the Oakland Raiders reach the midway point of the season.

He almost got one against the Cleveland Browns, but quarterback Brian Hoyer managed to get the ball away before being driven from the turf. Mack will set his sights on Russell Wilson Sunday when the Raiders visit the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field.

“It’s something that’s kind of sitting on my mind,” said Mack, the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. “All my teammates talk about it. It will come soon enough but even then I’m working hard to get there.”

Given that Mack, a linebacker, usually lines up with his hand on the ground as a pass rusher in a nickel defense, the fact that he doesn’t have a sack through seven games isn’t how he is measured by Raiders coach Tony Sparano, his teammates or his opponents.

“I mean, Khalil was outstanding,” Sparano said. “I mean really, really good. He’s going to be measured in whether or not he sacks the quarterback, but I would just say it’s been a long time since I’ve seen somebody do that in the run game. What he did (against Cleveland), he really just dominated.”

Mack had two tackles for losses and consistently drove offensive linemen backward. The Browns came in ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing at 133.5 yards per game and finished with 39 yards on 25 carries.

Terrance West, who gained 11 yards on seven carries, was impressed.

“He’s a monster,” West told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. “He’s better than I thought. This is the first time I played against him or saw him in person. The guy is a great player.

“He affects the run game. He’d come upfield and cut him off. He had a big impact on the game.”

Mack had success blowing up the Cleveland zone scheme, which is similar to the one they’ll face against Seattle with Marshawn Lynch.

“He’s playing like the rookie of the year on defense,” Wilson said. “He’s a spectacular player. You notice it on film and I’ve got a lot of respect for his game.”

The words of praise bring only a faint smile to Mack’s face due to the Raiders’ 0-7 record.

“It’s gratifying in a personal aspect but you want to go out and win the game,” Mack said. “It can mean something once you stamp a win. But we’re still working on that win. All you see out there is hunger for a win.”

If Mack has a celebration planned for his first sack, he’s keeping it to himself.

“I don’t want to jinx it, I’m still trying to get there,” Mack said. “You’ve got to get there first to have a dance.”

The tackles for losses do carry some significance to Mack.

“It’s all special,” Mack said. “I love the game. When you make a play behind the line of scrimmage it only adds to the team’s morale and only adds to make it harder for the offense to convert on third down.”