Patrick Mahomes now has some added motivation in his quest for payback against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders and Chiefs rivalry is relevant once again. After day two of training camp wrapped up for the Raiders, rookie safety Trey Taylor interacted with the fans and set off a firestorm. After being handed a Kermit the Frog hand puppet dressed as Mahomes, he placed it on his hand and mocked it. Mahomes’ trainer Bobby Stroupe responded with “We will remember” on Twitter.
The last team to beat the Kansas City Chiefs was the Raiders on Christmas Day. Tavis Kelce was honest about how it motivated the team on their Super Bowl run. This rivalry is heating up once again and everybody is celebrating it.
Raiders Don’t Fear The Chiefs
We now know for sure that the Raiders might respect the Chiefs, but they don’t fear the Chiefs. Maybe they should fear them considering that Mahomes is 10-2 against the Raiders since taking over as the starter. Andy Reid as Chiefs Head Coach is 18-4 against the Raiders since taking over in 2013, re-establishing the team’s longstanding dominance over their hated foes. But maybe it’s for the better that the Raiders don’t fear the Chiefs. They managed to walk into Arrowhead Stadium in front of Taylor Swift and upset the eventual champions the last time they played. Having no fear of the Super Bowl Champions might be the missing key to flipping the rivalry back.
How This Can Benefit The Raiders
One thing that this showcases for the Las Vegas Raiders is that they don’t lack any sort of confidence. Whether it was unintentional or not, they have called out the champions and will have to live with the consequences. At the same time, Las Vegas is the underdog and is coming for Kansas City loudly and proudly. The Raiders know they will not be expected to beat the Chiefs by anybody just like on Christmas Day. This is a team that celebrates every victory with a team victory cigar in the locker room and will be looking to light up two more against the Chiefs. Use this moment as a launch pad to announce yourselves as contenders.
Just Another Moment in the Rivalry
Both teams have expressed extreme dislike for each other over the years. This is just another example in the last few seasons where the Raiders have gone out of their way to spite the Chiefs. The Chiefs themselves have not been innocent in their disrespect in return to the Raiders. Chiefs fans like to fondly remember when the team did Ring Around The Rosie in week 18 in 2022. Raiders fans try to forget when the team stomped on the Chiefs logo in 2021. Everybody remembers back in 2020 when former Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden had the team’s bus driver do victory laps around Arrowhead Stadium following a Raiders win.
Mahomes Has Added Motivation
As if the best player in the league needed any extra motivation, he now has it. With the Las Vegas Raiders having the last laugh over the Chiefs last season, there was already animosity built up. With the Chiefs having a difficult offseason filled with controversies, their superstar quarterback likely already felt enough pressure to have another Super Bowl season. With this slight going against him, Mahomes now has bulletin board material. His performance the last time the Chiefs played the Raiders was one of the contributing factors to their loss. Add to the Raiders potentially mocking his voice with the Kermit puppet and he has all the motivation he needs for a legacy game.
Another Example Of The ‘Raider Way’
Under new Head Coach Antonio Pierce, the Las Vegas Raiders have become louder and prouder with their actions. They are embracing their identities as the underdog and are looking to re-establish the old-school Raider mentality. This can be seen as just another example of the evolution of that idea as they try to become playoff contenders. Is this being overblown as a massive controversy? This was just a young player having fun with the fans after practice. But at the same time, it can also be seen as another example of the bravado of the “Raider Way.”
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