Now a three-time Super Bowl champion at age 28, fresh off winning back-to-back Lombardi’s, the NFL world is wondering “how the hell do we stop Patrick Mahomes?!?”
Well, new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has an idea…
AP thinks the best approach is the good old fashioned old-school one.
Appearing on Maxx Crosby’s “The Rush” podcast, Pierce said he plans to get ultra-physical with Mahomes in an attempt to intimidate him and throw him off his game.
#Raiders HC Antonio Pierce on how the Raiders beat the #Chiefs this past season:
"You got the Jordan Rules… we got the Patrick Mahomes Rules… I showed the Raiders Jordan getting his a** whooped." 👀
(via @TheRushWithMaxx) pic.twitter.com/XWFnfj3fJX https://t.co/HoAkiQFThf
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 20, 2024
“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,” Pierce said.
“We gotta knock off the head of the snake. Fifteen,” he stated, alluding to Mahomes by his jersey number.
People that blow this out of proportion have never played a sport in their life.
If you don’t have this mindset then you never competed in any sport competitively.
— Raiders Report Mitchell Renz (@MitchellRenz365) February 21, 2024
On one hand, the comments are completely understandable.
We all know that in football, physically dominating your opponent is the name of the game.
As far as any given quarterback, it doesn’t matter how great they are, the kryptonite for ALL of them is knocking them on their ass – early and often…
Kareem Jackson leads with the crown of his helmet hitting Josh Dobbs. Imagine if this was on Mahomes. pic.twitter.com/XqwzKmwVZv
— MN Sports News (@mnspnews) November 20, 2023
Of course, this approach isn’t nearly as effective as it used to be thanks to the NFL implementing a thick layer of softness into the game.
At times it seems like you can’t even look at a quarterback, let alone hit him, without drawing a roughing the passer penalty…
THIS IS BAD: How the hell is this a roughing the passer on #Titans DT Jeffery Simmons
😳😳😳
Are players not allowed to play defense anymore?!?!🤯
(🎥@TannerPhiferNFL)
pic.twitter.com/Lbx8MmA5lR— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 3, 2023
In other words, Pierce’s approach might be easier said than done.
Regardless, there is speculation that Pierce might actually be punished for his comments.
While that would be silly, everyone knows that Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league office wants no part of another Bountygate scandal…
This dude would’ve been great on the bountygate Saints https://t.co/kbmyQl8ocd
— 𝘈𝘣𝘥𝘶𝘭 🃏 (@LeKlutchmafia) February 15, 2024
First of all, what are your thoughts on Pierce’s comments?
Are you a fan of his unapologetically old-school approach?
Or do you think he shouldn’t say such things publicly, and may even deserve to be punished (or at least warned)?
This gonna be a great meme when they lose 42-17 next year lol
— Sports Discussion (@SPORTSDEBATE_X) February 21, 2024
Now, the harder and more important question…
How exactly DO you stop Mahomes???