The Raiders lost another winnable game on Thursday night and frustration is mounting among fans and even former players.
Former Raiders’ guard Richie Incognito tweeted during Thursday’s game that the offensive playcalling was a “joke.” Incognito didn’t immediately clarify which team he was talking about, but his post came late in the second quarter shortly after Geno Smith was sacked on 4th and 5.
Later in the game, though, Incognito was pretty clear who he was talking about.
He was not impressed with Chip Kelly’s play calling, hates running out of shotgun and said the coaching staff isn’t putting players in positions to succeed.
The Raiders are at the bottom of the league in terms of talent on offense, but that was one of the reasons they signed Kelly to a $6 million per-year deal in the offseason. Kelly was entrusted to make the most of a below average offensive line and wide receiver group, while being handed significant upgrades at the quarterback and running back positions.
Kelly also has an All-Pro tight end at his disposal, and Brock Bowers was only targeted three times on Thursday night for one reception.
For reasons that aren’t clear from the outside, Kelly hasn’t been a good fit in his first year with the Raiders.
He has been accused of running a college-style offense and ESPN’s Dan Graziano said a month ago that there weren’t many around the league who were impressed by his scheme.
“What I’m hearing from a lot from people around the league is that offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s scheme isn’t creating enough advantages to overcome the Raiders’ personnel deficiencies, and there’s no margin for error if Smith keeps turning the ball over as much as he has,” Graziano said in October.
As for Smith, he left Thursday’s game with what appeared to be a badly bruised thigh and another sad box score.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore said earlier this week that Smith is probably going to be the Raiders’ quarterback next year, and if that’s the plan, it’s hard to imagine Pete Carroll is going to be enthusiastic about pairing his quarterback with Kelly for another season.
It’s only November (the first week of November, no less), but it feels like the Raiders are going to have to make major subtraction from the offense before next year. Whether that subtraction will be the quarterback or offensive coordinator remains to be seen, but smart money right now is on the offensive coordinator.
x: @raidersbeat
He’s right. When you have an offensive line that can’t block to begin with, and a defense that maintains gap discipline, and you hand the ball up to the running back 5 yards deep in the backfield what the hell do you think it’s gonna happen? If you’re not gonna run a spread offense and send the running back out on a route the shotgun is nothing but a pacifier for a weak quarterback.
It’s not like Geno was cutting loose underneath on short timing routes now was he?
He’s an idiot. We don’t have the O line to consistently run the ball. That’s why we don’t stick with Jeanty, moron Incognito. The QB shouldn’t be a starter. More than half the O line isn’t starting caliber right now. Forsythe, Parham, Glaze, Putnam, Meredith they shouldn’t even be in the NFL.
No one talking about the fact that Carlson missed another one?
Carlson is controlled by a Vegas loan shark.
Something that has control over several players.
And you need to stop giving Chip a full pardon on the offensive problems. If you can’t see his glaring failures you’re oblivious to the truth.
But you roll that way don’t you?
Tell me how anyone can give a proper evaluation of if an offensive coordinator when he has trash to work with.
It wasn’t Kelly who drafted a midget running back with the 6th pick. It wasn’t Kelly who neglected the offensive line for YEARS. It wasn’t Kelly who brought in Geno Smith. It wasn’t Kelly that drafted useless garbage for wide receivers like Donte Thornton.
So keep telling yourself it’s all Kelly’s fault while these problems.nevwr go away for your lifetime and long after him.and Carroll are gone.
Who sai ALL his fault fanboy? Open your eyes. And your mind. Regardless of how challenged it truly is. Let some light in.
Why are you saying he’s a glaring failure, then? If it was his fault, them I would say it was his fault but it’s not.
The entire operation isn’t working correctly. From the inability to get the ball on the correct hash since it was a tremendously windy game, to the just off snap, to the poor blocking, to the rushed kick. Yes, Carlson is the one that attempted the kick but it’s still a team sport.