Las Vegas Raiders Antonio Pierce is already gameplanning for his team's upcoming matchups with divisional rivals Kansas City Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Pierce joined The Rushpodcast with Maxx Crosby and talked about his strategy to limit Mahomes, which he's calling the “Mahomes Rules”–inspired by the popular Jordan Rules in the NBA.
“We've got the Jordan rules and what I'm calling, from now on as long as I'm here, the Patrick Mahomes rules. 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 whup his a**. 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 a** whupped,” Pierce said on the podcast.
“We’ve got to knock off the head of the snake. Fifteen. Hate the color red,” Pierce also said, describing the mentality he wanted from his team. “There’s a hatred for the Chiefs.”
The “Mahomes Rules” pay homage to the defensive strategies used by the Detroit Pistons in the late 1980s playoffs series to limit Michael Jordan, famously known as the “Jordan Rules”. Spearheaded by Isaiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, the Pistons were recognized for their physical play and robust defense, employing aggressive tactics and hard fouls to disrupt opponents.
The “Jordan Rules” centered on double-teaming Jordan when he had the ball, steering him towards the baseline and impeding his drives to the basket. Additionally, the Pistons ensured a big man awaited in the paint to offer more physicality and resistance if Jordan bypassed his initial defenders.
These tactics effectively challenged Jordan, leading to scoring difficulties and frustration due to constant defensive pressure. Despite the obstacles, Jordan eventually conquered the “Jordan Rules,” guiding the Chciago Bulls to victory in the playoff series against the Pistons.
Clearly, Pierce is speaking about sending pressure to Mahomes to give him a shorter window of opportunity to pass out of the pocket and cause him to improvise. A similar strategy was used against Mahomes by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by then-defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Mahomes dealt with a largely injured offensive line that wasn't equipped to protect him in the pocket.
The Raiders achieved success by aggressively blitzing and applying pressure on Mahomes. During their 20-14 win against the Chiefs on Christmas Day, they managed to sack Mahomes four times, marking a career-high for him. Additionally, they secured two defensive touchdowns, one of which was a pick-six.
Yet, the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line has historically stood strong in crucial moments. During this year's playoffs, Mahomes faced just five sacks, threw only one interception, and boasted a 69.8% completion rate. If the offensive line continues to excel in reducing pressure on Mahomes in the upcoming season, the Raiders' game plan may need to adapt accordingly.
Nevertheless, this is an interesting story heading into next season and will provide a lot of intrigue for the Chiefs' divisional rivalry with the Raiders.
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