22 February 2024 , 06:00
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The NFL has chosen not to respond to claims that Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, is being unfairly targeted by rival teams.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce ignited the controversy by saying his team would adopt a more physical and aggressive style of play against Mahomes, similar to how the Detroit Pistons played against Michael Jordan in the late 1980s. Those NBA squads for notorious for dirty plays that put Jordan in physical danger.
Pierce, who became head coach in January after serving as an interim head coach for the second half of the 2023 season, made the comments on the podcast of Raiders defensive star Maxx Crosby.. He said: "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. 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 a**."
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"Any time he (Jordan) 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 a** whooped."
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Despite being aware of the comments, the NFL has declined to respond when asked by multiple outlets. However, it's possible that the league could still address the matter with the Raiders behind closed doors.
Pierce even said he showed his defensive players UFC clips to make them play tougher. He told them: "We've got to knock off the head of the snake. Fifteen. Hate the color red. There's a hatred for the Chiefs."
Antonio Pierce fired up his players after they defeated the Chiefs in the 2023 season. (Getty Images)The Raiders won against the Chiefs on Christmas Day. They played really well in defence, with Crosby doing great. The team scored two defensive touchdowns to help propel them to victory. Pierce was pleased with the effort, which he said abided by his philosophies.
In the locker room, Pierce was filmed saying: "How about that? Everything we talk about ill intent, violence, physicality, execution, will to win. Look at that second quarter. Two defensive touchdowns, in seven seconds. Then we stand in the fourth quarter, finish him. Hell of a job. It ain't been done a lot around here, doing what we just did. But we believed. Think about what I said, I believe, we believe. Let's smoke, let's talk the Raiders!"
After Crosby said he wanted Pierce back as the head coach, the team gave Pierce the full-time job at the start of this NFL offseason.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.