Raiders' Pierce Will Face His Former DC Again on Sunday

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce will be on opposite sidelines of his former defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, when the Raiders host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo greets a friend on field during warm ups against the Chicago Bears prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

There's plenty of storylines surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders' matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Whether it's the rivalry itself, the fact that the Raiders were the last team to beat the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions, Maxx Crosby vs. Patrick Mahomes, wide receiver Deandre Hopkins making his Chiefs debut, there's several narratives to follow going into Sunday's contest.

One story that is rather overlooked is the matchup between Raiders coach Antonio Pierce and his former defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, who is now Kansas City's defensive coordinator.

The two stood on opposing sidelines for the first time with Pierce as head coach when he served as interim last season. Pierce's Raiders upset the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas Day, allowing him to have bragging rights over his former coach.

Spagnuolo served as Pierce's defensive coordinator for two seasons during his first stint as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator.

Together, the two helped produce one of the top defenses in all of football. Spagnuolo's presence was felt immediately as the Giants would win the Super Bowl over an undefeated New England Patriots team in his first season as their defensive coordinator.

After those two seasons with the Giants, Spagnuolo took the role as head coach of the St. Louis Rams, a position he held for three seasons. He then served as the New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator for one season before his two-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens, where he served as a senior defensive assistant and then the seconary coach.

Spagnuolo then returned to the Giants, where he again held the defensive coordinator position, this time for four seasons. He also stepped in as interim head coach in his final season with the team (2017) after New York fired Ben McAdoo following a 2-10 start.

This is Spagnuolo's sixth season as the Chiefs' defensive coordinator.

Based on what he knows about his former player, Spagnuolo is anticipating an offense that will be looking to take it to his unit.

"You know how much respect I have for Antonio," Spagnuolo told reporters this week. "I know he's going to have this team ready, he's going to have this offense ready. We've got to be ready to get punched in the mouth because that's what they do. If they don't turn the ball over, this team is in every game."

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