Antonio Pierce earned his head coaching gig with the Las Vegas Raiders after a brilliant ending to the 2023 season. He beat every team in the division, including the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
That victory was both timely and momentous, as the late-season win essentially sealed Pierce's fate as the team's next leader. It also took place in front of a national audience on Christmas Day.
Although the team fell on hard times during 2024, their recipe for success in that primetime matchup held true this season. Immense defensive line pressure rattled Patrick Mahomes in that game, and it dismantled the Chiefs' gameplan in this year's Super Bowl.
NFL sets up Broncos to take down Chiefs on Christmas Day
Now, the Broncos will have a crack at repeating the Raiders' success from 2023. The NFL has been leaking several games ahead of the official schedule release on Wednesday evening, and the Broncos will head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs on Christmas Day.
While the Broncos did dismantle the Chiefs in Week 18 last season, it is worth noting that Kansas City did not play any of their starters in that game. This means that Denver has lost 17 of their last 18 matchups against the Chiefs, and the last time they won consecutive games was during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
The Raiders had a similar plight before their Christmas victory in 2023. Las Vegas had lost six straight games to the Chiefs, including 11 of their last 12, but a miracle occurred that day at Arrowhead Stadium.
RELATED: NFL lets Raiders know where they stand in AFC West with latest schedule leaks
Unfortunately, this means that Raiders fans will be subjected to a high profile divisional matchup during the holidays. Hopefully the Silver and Black are firmly in the playoff race by this point in the season and the other teams in the division can cannibalize themselves.
Sean Payton is not likely to reach out to Antonio Pierce for any advice given the season he put together last year, but he would be wise to take note of how this improbable upset occurred.
Kansas City may be able to provide another gift for Raider Nation on Christmas Day if they can fall short once again. These days, the only thing better than a Raiders win is a Chiefs loss, even if it comes at the hands of the Broncos.