Antonio Pierce Plans To Use 'Jordan Rules' Against Patrick Mahomes
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has an idea on how to contain Patrick Mahomes. And he's drawing inspiration from the '87 Detroit Pistons.
These Pistons — in their "Bad Boys" era — were known for aggression and a rough-and-tumble style of play. The players would rough up on Michael Jordan to make him think twice about driving to the hoop. And in an appearance on Maxx Crosby's The Rush podcast, Pierce said the Raiders can employ those same tactics on Mahomes.
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"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," Pierce said.
"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 ass. 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 ass whooped."
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The strategy worked on MJ.
"I hated them," Jordan said in reference to the Pistons of the late-1980s. "And that hate carries even to this day."
Pierce said he's also been showing the Raiders clips of professional boxing matches and UFC fights to get the team to embrace a fighter’s mentality.
Antonio Pierce Wants His Defense To Go After Patrick Mahomes
Pierce became the Raiders' interim coach after owner Mark Davis fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler in November. Las Vegas removed his interim tag in January. In fact, Pierce's Raiders were the last team to beat the Kansas City Chiefs, in a 20-14 stunner on Christmas Day.
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The Raiders, of course, have the unfortunate honor of playing Mahomes and Kansas City twice a year.
"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."
Sure, the whole roughing-up-Mahomes strategy sounds great, AP! Let me know how that goes over with the refs.