The Las Vegas Raiders fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly on Sunday night, hours after the team fell to 2-9 with a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the team announced.
“I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders,” coach Pete Carroll said in a statement released by the team. “I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future.”
The Raiders made Kelly the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league this season, but the Raiders have been dismal on that side of the ball. The loss to the Browns was their fifth straight and clinched their fourth straight losing season and 18th losing season since 2002.
It didn’t take long this season for the Pete Carroll-Chip Kelly marriage to appear to have cracks. After the Raiders — who opened the season with a road win over the AFC-leading New England Patriots — lost at home in Week 2 to the Los Angeles Chargers, Carroll seemed to take issue with Kelly’s play calling.
“We protected OK, and we didn’t get the ball thrown underneath. That’s what I wish we would have done,” Carroll said. “I wish we would not taken those shots. They looked like we had to score quick or something. I don’t feel like that when we play is the way that we should ever play. We got to take what’s there, and we got to take a look at the film. I got to see why that happened like that. Surprised. We haven’t looked like that at all at any time. So that’s the first time that came up.”
The Raiders, through 11 games, rank 30th in the NFL in total offense at 269 yards per game and 31st in scoring at 15.5 points per game. In what was Kelly’s final game calling plays for the Raiders, quarterback Geno Smith was sacked 10 times for a net loss of 77 yards and the Raiders averaged just 3.6 yards per play.
“We’re pretty disappointed about this one,” Carroll said Sunday, “but if you don’t score, you can’t win, and we couldn’t score. It was an incredible game of defense on both sides, their team, our team. The numbers are, whatever, they’re next to nothing. We had opportunities to make big plays, and we didn’t hit them. Quarterback was under duress the entire time, so our ability to match up with their pass rush didn’t work out well.”
“I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders,” coach Pete Carroll said in a statement released by the team. “I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future.”
The Raiders made Kelly the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league this season, but the Raiders have been dismal on that side of the ball. The loss to the Browns was their fifth straight and clinched their fourth straight losing season and 18th losing season since 2002.
It didn’t take long this season for the Pete Carroll-Chip Kelly marriage to appear to have cracks. After the Raiders — who opened the season with a road win over the AFC-leading New England Patriots — lost at home in Week 2 to the Los Angeles Chargers, Carroll seemed to take issue with Kelly’s play calling.
“We protected OK, and we didn’t get the ball thrown underneath. That’s what I wish we would have done,” Carroll said. “I wish we would not taken those shots. They looked like we had to score quick or something. I don’t feel like that when we play is the way that we should ever play. We got to take what’s there, and we got to take a look at the film. I got to see why that happened like that. Surprised. We haven’t looked like that at all at any time. So that’s the first time that came up.”
The Raiders, through 11 games, rank 30th in the NFL in total offense at 269 yards per game and 31st in scoring at 15.5 points per game. In what was Kelly’s final game calling plays for the Raiders, quarterback Geno Smith was sacked 10 times for a net loss of 77 yards and the Raiders averaged just 3.6 yards per play.
“We’re pretty disappointed about this one,” Carroll said Sunday, “but if you don’t score, you can’t win, and we couldn’t score. It was an incredible game of defense on both sides, their team, our team. The numbers are, whatever, they’re next to nothing. We had opportunities to make big plays, and we didn’t hit them. Quarterback was under duress the entire time, so our ability to match up with their pass rush didn’t work out well.”
