Raiders coach Antonio Pierce recently danced close to the line, and potentially crossed it, with comments about how his team has played, and will play, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. His public words, which reflect the things many players and coaches say privately, surely will attract the attention of 345 Park Avenue.
For now, the NFL has declined comment on the situation.
That’s a common P.R. approach when an organization doesn’t want to draw extra attention to something that currently hasn’t gotten much of it. If the league had no problem with Pierce’s words, saying so likewise would be no problem. If, as we suspect, the league frowns on talking about banging around one of the most popular players in sports and “knocking off the head of the snake,” the NFL won’t want to provide a sound bite that will ricochet around the Internet during a fairly slow week.
It’s safe to assume the Raiders will hear from the league office, now or as the next Raiders-Chiefs game approaches or both. The message will be simple and clear. If any effort to apply extra physicality to Mahomes is detected, flags will be thrown, fined will be levied, and suspensions will be imposed.