Antonio Pierce's 'Mahomes rules' brings new wrinkle to Chiefs-Raiders rivalry

The Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders rivalry was birthed by disrespect and built on contrast. Black against red, silver against white, aggression against matriculation. Even team owners Lamar Hunt and Al Davis hated each other.

Their games became known for their hard-hitting action, bench-clearing brawls, nail-biting finishes and moments of sheer brilliance. Both teams have played in different stadiums, for different cities and — in the Chiefs case — even under a different name. Many things have changed in the 63 years since their first clash on the gridiron, but the hatred has always remained.

Over time, the rivalry has witnessed the fading of old legends and the emergence of new heroes. In the most recent chapters, the Chiefs have become accustomed to getting the last laugh. In February, Kansas City established themselves as a dynasty with their third Super Bowl championship in six seasons. While Las Vegas has struggled to find a franchise quarterback, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become the next face of the league.

But if the media wants to compare Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to Michael Jordan, then Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is perfectly fine with being the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons.

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce establishes "Patrick Mahomes rules"

Kansas City's last loss of the 2023 NFL season came against the Raiders on Christmas Day. The 20-14 upset win was truly a Christmas miracle: the Raiders became the first team since 2000 to win without completing a pass in the first quarter and only the fifth team to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium without scoring an offensive touchdown. Las Vegas finished the game with just 48 passing yards.

The Raiders played a style of football that reflected the emblem on their helmets, and they put together a performance that was reminiscent of their glory days.

In a recent episode of Maxx Crosby's "The Rush" podcast, Pierce discussed how he got his team ready to play. In the week before the game, Pierce told his team they needed to "hate the color red." The Raiders coach showed them videos of how the Pistons approached playing Michael Jordan in the late 1980s. The Pistons made their presence felt from the tip-off to the closing buzzer. Those were their Jordan Rules.

"We've got the Jordan rules and what I'm calling, from now on as long as I'm here, the Patrick Mahomes rules," Pierce said on the podcast. "So, you remember when Jordan was going through it with the Pistons, ... The Pistons used to whup his ass. 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 ass whupped."

In short, they bullied the Chiefs on the ground and on defense. To the Raiders, all was fair in war and football — two separate notions often blurred together. Mahomes' pocket presence deteriorated, and the flustered Chiefs quarterback began bailing from the pocket or drifting too far back when he stayed in it — a tendency he reverts to when he's rattled. The deep drop caused self-created pressure from edge rushers, and the Raiders sacked Mahomes four times. They also baited the quarterback into a pick-six.

“We saw red, we hate red," Pierce said. "It was on that kind of level, right? And I told ‘em, there’s a difference between dislike and hatred. There’s a hatred for the Chiefs.”

The approach isn't all too different from the one Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer took to beat the Raiders in the 1990s. Schottenheimer, who saw the Raiders as disrespectful, taught his team to hate their opponent during "Raider Week." He posted signs in the locker room and on the way to the practice field.

After that game, Kansas City won six consecutive games on their way to Super Bowl LVIII. In the end, Kansas City still managed to get the last laugh. In February, the Chiefs became the first team to win a Super Bowl in the Raiders' home stadium.

Before the championship game, Chiefs coach Andy Reid texted Pierce to thank him for helping his team refocus.

"I just said, 'Hey, beautiful facility, first of all. And I appreciate you kicking our tail because you taught us a lesson,'" Reid said.

The Raiders will have to find a way to get better if they want to compete for the AFC West division title, but the team is hopeful that Pierce will bring change to the downtrodden franchise.

“We’ve got to knock off the team in red,” Pierce said. “We’ve got to knock off the head of the snake — [No.] 15. We’ve gotta do that first.”