It’s been a rough start to the season for the Raiders, and all eyes are on offensive coordinator Chip Kelly going into a ‘must win’ game against the Tennesse Titans on Sunday.
Pete Carroll seemed to show some discontent with Kelly’s play-calling this week, and the Raiders’ first-year coordinator has taken plenty of outside criticism over the first month of the season.
Kelly’s scheme has been questioned by insiders and analysts in recent weeks, and his decision to allow first-round running back Ashton Jeanty to return to his college stance was an adjustment that shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place.
Kelly danced around the question a little in May, but it was obvious at the time that he didn’t want Jeanty standing tall in the backfield the way he did at Boise State. And for the first three games of the season, Jeanty went with Kelly’s “bent knee” stance.
Former Raiders CEO Amy Trask talked about Jeanty’s stance this week and didn’t mince words with her message to Kelly on his handling of one of the league’s most talented running backs.
“[Jeanty] is a spectacular running back, and yet the first thing Chip Kelly did was say ‘I want to change your stance. I don’t want your stance the same as it was in college,'” Trask said on Friday.
“Well, wait a minute. He was phenomenal in college. That’s why you drafted him and now you’re going to tell him to change his stance?” Trask continued.
“Well, guess what… Ashton changed his stance back. I love that Pete [Carroll] said that he loved that Ashton reverted back to his college stance and he’s gotten better since, so I don’t know what the heck Chip Kelly was thinking. Why would you draft someone who is so good at what he does and then immediately tell him to change what he does?”
Whether it’s coincident or not, Jeanty has been much more effective out of the backfield since changing his stance in week 4.
There have been other factors at play, including the offensive line showing improvement in recent weeks, but it seems obvious after two weeks that Jeanty’s college stance isn’t holding him back in the NFL.
The CBS graphic (below) tells the story…
x: @raidersbeat
Kelly’s offensive system didn’t work in Philadelphia nor San Francisco and it looks ineffective in LV. Maybe Kelly needs to make adjustments to his system and leave small player nuances alone.
Shouldn’t Pete get some of the blame as well? He is the HC and should know what’s going on with all players since he doesn’t actually coach offense, defense or ST.
I’m starting to believe Kelly is the weak link, he never had more than a small amount of success in the NFL, then defenses figured him out. His offense seems to work in college, but fails in NFL.
Chip may need to go.
Carroll is the problem, his leadership is highly suspect. All facets of the team have regressed. He forced Graham to the field instead of the coaches box and has a big hand in the defense and it’s horrible. Our defense the last few years was adequate but without a qb and an offense that hasn’t been able to score more than twenty points a game all the pressures on the d. Special teams worst in the league, offensive line one if not the worst, qb one of the worst in the league, receivers have regressed from when AOC started last year. Had Bowers practicing instead of resting. Running game now coming around since the coaches changed his stance back to where Jeanty feels comfortable. It all comes back to the man in charge these coaches are his guys.
Exactly and I’ll add Mark/Brady to the mix cuz they deserve it. Pete got pushed out for a reason. This team is just a hobby to him & Brady.
I’m cutting Chip slack cuz his quarterback sucks. I’m not in love with Graham but at least he acknowledges that he needs players
Thank all of you guys for not being Raiders fans with their heads in the sand. Of course this team’s ownership and management deserves and needs all the critical observations that you guys have offered up, and more, until it returns to relevancy. So, I suggest that Mark Davis hires Becky Hammond as coach, Jackie Young as quarterback and Amy Trask as General Manager. In case some of you don’t know, when Al Davis was searching for a coach once, Amy Trask suggested Bill Belichik but Al chose Jon Gruden and the rest is history. But clearly Becky Hammond knows how to motivate players to win. Jackie young is the best point guard in the WNBA and NO ONE has more history with, football knowledge and commitment to this Raiders organization than Amy Trask. Now these moves would signal a real regime change. At the very least, bring in Amy Trask, she knows more about football than the entire Raiders ownership and management combined.