Despite a 29-point performance from the Raiders’ offense on Sunday (albeit with the help of an overtime period), pressure is starting to mount on offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
There has been talk in this direction for a while, but Kelly is starting to become a punchline in NFL circles, and it sounds like even some within the Raiders’ building are having a difficult time trying to figure out what Kelly is doing with the offense.
According to The Athletic’s Mike Silver, the Raiders were most likely bidding against no one when they hired Kelly in February, yet the veteran coach managed to become the NFL’s highest-paid offensive coordinator.
Kelly has been criticized for his unwillingness to commit to the running game and Silver said on Monday that some around the league have been “perplexed” by his efforts over the first nine weeks of the season.
“Before Sunday, the Raiders ranked 30th in yards per game and 31st in points, and their effort against the Chiefs — three first downs, 95 total yards — was almost too putrid to be believed,” Silver said.
“That [Pete] Carroll, one of the most accomplished coaches of his generation, entrusted the Las Vegas offense to Kelly seems to have been a massive whiff. Coaches and talent evaluators, both inside the Raiders’ facility and around the league, have been perplexed by the lack of creativity and production.”
For his part, Carroll seems to be perplexed, as well, and he has already taken one opportunity this season to question Kelly’s play calling.
Carroll is slated to speak to the media on Monday, and it will be interesting to see what Carroll says when he is inevitably asked about Jeanty’s usage on Sunday.
It didn’t get a lot of traction last week on the bye, but one of the more interesting comments on Kelly’s offense came last week from Sports Illustrated’s Hondo Carpenter.
Carpenter was asked on his podcast last week if the offense under Kelly has been “too predictable and simple.”
His response was essentially a confirmation… and more.
“I have heard that criticism,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“I will tell you that if you go back to the Chargers game when there was an interception on the very first play of the game that the Chargers were completely anticipatory of a play like that… We were told that from people in the Chargers’ organization and I’ll just leave it there. But what I would say to you is, I have heard that criticism.”
The play Carpenter was referencing was the 7 seconds into the game in week 2 against the Chargers. It was Chargers single-high safety Alohi Gilman who covered tremendous ground to step in front of a seam route by Tre Tucker.
Watching how far Gilman traveled to make the play, it would make sense that he knew the play or route concept that was coming – and that’s not a good thing to see in just the second week of the season.
x: @raidersbeat
Boycott this contemptible, disgraceful disaster. The only way to reverse the curse is for Mark Davis to sell. The Raiders have lost seven out of ten games since Mark inherited this team. The Raiders are irrelevant as a non competitive team without any form of stability, anchors or direction. It all points back to the failed ownership of Davis. The RN pointed Davis to Las Vegas as a more profitable business friendly environment and Davis is all right with profiting without winning. ( If this is not the case then why are we not bidding on top tier players or drafting anything but projects? ) The Raiders have thrown in the towel, boycott until they decide to pick it up and start winning. Why pay the most expensive ticket in the NFL to see a team that has no stability, anchors, vision or any direction? What is Brady doing to help, his name is tied to this train wreck too. The RN has always been involved but Mark Davis tears down what ever is attempted to be built through a lack of patience, loyalty and neglect to the good people brought in.
Davis is subconsciously working against this team, it probably has to do with his relationship or lack there off with his father Ibrahim Davis, aka Al Davis. Mark must sell, he is not a football man and he never will be.
WEST SIDE
RN
SINCE 1975
Jeanty ran 13 times for 42 yards. He had 1 carry for 13 yards, so he ran 12 other times for 29 yards that’s just over 2 yards a carry add in the 13 yard carry that’s barely 3 yards a carry. Not going to get many first downs at 3 yards a carry. Jeanty was pretty much shut down on the ground and had a much better game catching the ball. Can’t really blame Kelly for that. With Bowers healthy you have to get him the ball as much as possible. Problem wasn’t the offense this week.
I agree that Mark Davis should sell the team. But I disagree that Kelly is the problem. Because acquiring Geno, hiring son as offensive coach was Pete Carrolls idea. Keeping a proven player like Jacobi should have been automatically. Better off paying Jacobi than Geno. Powers should be the Raiders center. Now Jacobi is gone and Powers on the chopping block. Pete Carroll has tur Out to be a bad hire.