In order to win the AFC West, the Las Vegas Raiders will have to topple the mountain that is Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Since Mahomes took over as the starter for the Chiefs, not only has he won the division every season, but is now the owner of three Super Bowl rings.

Having the best quarterback in your division is tough business, especially when that quarterback is still only in his 20s. Mahomes has dominated the NFL landscape since coming into the league, and has basically had his way with the Raiders since then.

However, towards the end of last season, the Raiders made a real statement against Mahomes and the Chiefs inside Arrowhead Stadium. Playing in a game on Christmas Day where they were a significant underdog, the Raiders chased Mahomes all game long, and in the end, came away with one of the more improbably victories of the 2023 NFL season.

Going into next season, head coach Antonio Pierce’s first full season at the helm, he has a specific plan to slow down Mahomes and the Chiefs offense, and it is a punishing one.

Raiders HC wants to bring “Jordan Rules” attack to Mahomes

During the 1980s, the Detroit Pistons were the Bad Boys of the NBA, known for their punishing style of defense. Speaking on The Rush Podcast, Pierce and star edge rusher Maxx Crosby talked about a number of topics, including Pierce’s plan to finally push the Raiders toward the top of the division.

“Before he became Air Jordan, the Pistons used to whip his ***. Anytime he came to the hole: elbows, loves taps. They were in his head.”

Pierce even went as far as showing his team clips of those days, which were before Jordan was basically able to do whatever he wanted against opponents enroute to six Championship seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

There is no doubt that Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL, and he could be for quite some time before he decides to retire. The Raiders have a golden opportunity to put an end to his reign atop the AFC twice a regular season, and it will be exciting to see how they attack him going forward.

If last Christmas is any indication, Mahomes should be on the lookout every time he steps on the field against the Pierce-led Silver and Black.