In the home of the Las Vegas Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs once again hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. It was back-to-back Super Bowl wins and three in the last five seasons for the Chiefs, who have made it to at least the AFC Championship Game in all six years Patrick Mahomes has been the starter. And Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce knows he has to go through them for his team to reach their ultimate goal.
The rivalry between the Raiders and Chiefs has been ongoing for decades and the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium does not sit well. However, something Pierce and the Raiders can hang their hats on is the fact that they were the last team to defeat the Chiefs this season.
The Raiders upset the Chiefs 20-14 on Christmas Day and one of the reasons is because the Raiders were all over Mahomes, hitting the quarterback 10 times on the day. And Pierce recently revealed that he showed his team old clips of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons implementing the ‘Jordan Rules’ on Michael Jordan during the 1980s and hopes to do the same for Mahomes, via Bobby Kownack of NFL.com:
“We’ve got the Jordan rules and what I’m calling from now on as long as I’m here, the Patrick Mahomes rules,” Pierce said. “So you remember when Jordan was going through it with the Pistons, all those guys in the ’80s before he became Michael Jordan, Air Jordan, the Pistons used to whoop his ass. Any time he came to the hole? Elbows, feeling him, love taps. We touched him. We’re in the head, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, I’m touching you. So, I showed those guys Jordan getting his ass whooped.”
Obviously Pierce is not suggesting the Raiders going out and injuring Mahomes, no one is wishing to cause serious harm on anyone. This is simply a case of, as he described, making Mahomes feel them when he drops back which can get in his head. When the quarterback is constantly worried about being hit, it can lead to more mistakes and play right into the hands of the defense.
Pierce, as a former linebacker, is all about defense and physicality, as he was during his playing days. Patrick Mahomes is truly one of the greatest quarterbacks this league has ever seen, and if he is comfortable, there is no stopping him. So Pierce plans on the Raiders making him as uncomfortable as possible and extremely sore after the game.
Andy Reid credits Antonio Pierce & Raiders for helping turn Chiefs season around
As it turns out, that final game between the Raiders and Chiefs stood out to the eventual Super Bowl Champions as well, and Andy Reid believes that was the kickstart they needed to turn things around going into the playoffs.
Reid credited Pierce for having the Raiders ready to go that day and the emotion they played with as showing the Chiefs that they needed to step up if they were going to make the run that they ultimately made.
