With Patrick Mahomes at the helm, the Kansas City Chiefs defended their title on the grandest stage of them all — the Super Bowl. They are officially a dynasty, and Mahomes is very much on his way to breaking every record there is to break, one by one. However, his biggest Divisional opponent, the Las Vegas Raiders, does not intend to serve that on a silver platter and aims to limit the two-time MVP in the coming seasons, just like the way the Pistons limited Michael Jordan before he won all those Championships.
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In the mid-2023 season, the Silver and Black saw a major overhaul after abruptly firing HC Josh McDaniel and GM Dave Ziegler. Since then, Antonio Pierce has been trusted with the playmaker’s job, and he hasn’t disappointed. So much so that the front office decided to make him the permanent head man. He has since brought in this mentality that the players resonate with and a f,ew are even willing to run through a wall for their head coach. They have his back as well since Maxx Crosby asserted that he’d transfer to another team if Pierce hadn’t gotten the head coaching job.
Pierce certainly caught more than a few eyes, as he’s now leading the Raiders to the 2024 season with the back of a 5-4 record. But he has a game plan, and it consists of overcoming Patrick Mahomes. During his recent appearance on Maxx Crosby’s ‘The Rush‘ podcast, Pierce expressed that he not only wishes to get in Mahomes’ head but mess with him mentally, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.
Pierce also recalled how Jordan had to fight through adversity while facing the Pistons, and that’s exactly what he and his Raiders aspire to achieve. He also openly expressed his hatred and said,
“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,” as per NBC Sports.
It’s worth noting that Pierce was able to beat the Chiefs on Christmas Day last year while going into the matchup as underdogs. Perhaps his strategy will actually thrive, and we will see the end of the Mahomes Era. So the question remains:
What Did the Pistons Do in Order to Limit Michael Jordan
Let’s travel back to the late ’80s — 1888, 1989, and 1990, to be exact — when the Detroit Pistons dominated the Eastern Conference Finals and overcame the Chicago Bulls in each of the postseasons they faced. Their strategy was simple — the Bad Boys would wear Jordan down both physically and emotionally with their aggressive defense, even double-teaming him when Jordan drove to the basket.
This was called the ‘Jordan Rules’, and former Pistons head coach Chuck Daly once recalled how they would force Jordan left and double him when he was at the point. And if His Airness was on the left wing, they would promptly double-team him from the top, but it would be slow in case Jordan was on the right wing.
This strategy worked until 1991 when the Bulls finally beat the Pistons for the Conference title and would go on to win the NBA Championship in that same year. Fans and pundits alike have argued for decades that if Jordan didn’t have to face the Pistons, he might have added a few more rings. Perhaps Antonio Pierce will also go on to execute a similar level of defense in the coming season — The Patrick Mahomes special. Only time will tell.
