By leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a memorable third Super Bowl victory in five years, Patrick Mahomes has proven he’s part of a special group of athletes. Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest of all time, but the Texas Tech product is starting to join the conversation too.
In fact, the Las Vegas Raiders are already treating Mahomes the way NBA teams treated Jordan back in the day. In an appearance on Maxx Crosby’s podcast ‘The Rush,’ Antonio Pierce revealed his team will play against the Chiefs No. 15 the same way the Detroit Pistons did against Jordan in the late 80s and early 90s.
“We’ve got the Jordan rules and we’ve got what I’m calling now, from now on as long as I’m here, the Patrick Mahomes rules,” the Raiders head coach said, as quoted by Pro Football Talk. “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 whip his a–. Any time he came to the hole, elbows, feeling him, love taps. We’re in his head, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, I’m touching you. So I showed my guys Jordan getting his a– whooped.”
The Pistons’ “Bad Boys” were known for their aggressive style, which is why the ‘Jordan rules’ were just fitting for them. This game plan also let them get the upper hand on the Chicago Bulls in three straight playoffs before MJ and company got over the hump to eventually build a dynasty.
The Raiders cannot erase what Kansas City has already achieved, but they can try and stop the Chiefs from extending their dominance even more. And to do that, Pierce wants his players to do whatever it takes when they face Mahomes. “We’ve got to knock off the head of the snake. Fifteen. Hate the color red,” Pierce said. “There’s a hatred for the Chiefs.”
Raiders aim to end the Chiefs’ reign in the AFC West
Pierce has a job to do in Las Vegas, which is to put the pieces together and make the Raiders contenders after years of wait. He did an interesting job as an interim head coach in 2023, winning the opportunity to be fully in charge in 2024. But with the Chiefs in the same division, he understands the need to stop Mahomes at all costs.
We’re talking about a franchise that has dominated the AFC West for almost a decade now, with Kansas City clinching the division title in the last eight seasons. That span also includes six straight AFC Championship appearances as well as four Super Bowl trips, with three rings.
The Raiders will get the chance to play the Chiefs at least twice in 2024, and while they know what a challenging fixture this is, Pierce and company also know what is like to beat Mahomes’ team.
Last time they meet, Las Vegas upset Kansas City with a 20-14 win on Christmas Day. Andy Reid said it was the wake-up call his team needed to win the championship, but for Pierce, it may be proof that stopping Mahomes is possible.