Antonio Pierce recently took on the role of the Raiders’ permanent head coach, a move that garnered attention in the tabloid world. The Las Vegas Raiders had a disappointing season last year, leading to the firing of their previous head coach. However, their interim coach managed to impress fans and the team’s management by winning five out of nine games, including a victory against the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
During a recent episode of TheRushwithMaxx podcast, Pierce revealed the strategy behind the Raiders’ win against the Chiefs. He claimed to have used the aggressive tactics of the ‘Bad Boys’ Detroit Pistons to defeat Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Pierce instructed his defensive unit to be physical and emulate the Pistons’ approach of bullying Michael Jordan. This plan proved successful in their week 16 matchup against the Chiefs, with the Raiders’ defense limiting their opponent to just 14 points and forcing Mahomes to throw an interception.
Pierce’s tactics to stop Mahomes have sparked debate among football fans. While some view it as a throwback to old-school football, others, including NBC’s Mike Florio, have raised concerns about the legality of such tactics. Florio referenced previous instances where the NFL issued warnings to teams for similar approaches. Given Mahomes’ status as one of the most prominent football players, Florio speculated that the league might not overlook Pierce’s comments and could potentially intervene with a warning.
The NFL has declined to comment on Pierce’s remarks, leaving room for speculation about potential consequences. Florio suggests that the league would likely want to avoid any controversy resembling the infamous Bountygate scandal.
According to the Source firstsportz.com