The Las Vegas Raiders were the last NFL team to beat the Kansas City Chiefs before Patrick Mahomes and Co. went on to win Super Bowl LVIII. As they prepare to face the repeat Super Bowl winners twice in 2024, head coach Antonio Pierce has a wild strategy to try and take down the dynasty.
In the Chiefs’ last loss, Las Vegas beat them at Arrowhead Stadium in a 20-14 final. During that game, the Raiders defense held Kansas City to 5-of-16 on third-down attempts, 2-for-4 on red-zone trips and generated two takeaways that turned into defensive touchdowns.
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While recording two defensive touchdowns against the Chiefs’ offense is a great way to defeat Mahomes, Pierce knows it’s not always repeatable. So, the Raiders head coach will be relying on an old NBA strategy to take down one of the best dynasties in NFL history.
Appearing on All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby’s podcast, Pierce revealed that he instructed Raiders’ players on using the ‘Jordan Rules’ that the Detroit Pistons employed to slow down Michael Jordan, as the best method to slowing down Mahomes.
“We’ve got the Jordan Rules and we’ve got what I’m calling now as long as I’m here, the Patrick Mahomes Rules. You remember when Jordan was going through it with the Pistons, all those guys in the ’80s before he became Air Jordan, the Pistons used to whip his [behind]. Any time he came to the hole: elbows, feeling him, love taps. We’re in his head, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually…So I showed my guys Jordan getting his [tail] whooped, consistently.”
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce on the ‘Mahomes Rules’ to slow down the Kansas City Chiefs
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In Pierce’s defense, the defensive game plan used by Las Vegas in its last meeting against Kansas City proved effective. Mahomes finished with just a 73.6 QB rating, taking four sacks and throwing a pick-six while averaging just 5.3 yards per attempt.
It was the same game that Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid pointed to as the turning point for the team’s season. Hours after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, Reid personally credited Pierce for playing a role in Kansas City winning the Super Bowl.
However, it’s hard to see the physical style used by the Bad Boy Pistons as an effective strategy long-term. For one thing, the NFL tailored its rule to protect the quarterback and the league’s biggest stars typically receive the most favorable calls, especially roughing the passer.
The other issue for the Raiders is the Pistons’ strategy was meant to keep the ball away from Jordan. That’s impossible to do in the NFL, with the Chiefs and Raiders alternating possessions thus giving Mahomes plenty of opportunities to score. The mentality certainly worked for Las Vegas in the last meeting, but we’ll see if the three-time Super Bowl champion lets the ‘Mahomes Rules’ stop him next fall.