After the 10-7 loss to the Denver Broncos, it seemed like there was a strong chance the Las Vegas Raiders could fire offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Instead, they fired special teams coordinator Tom MacMahon.
However, Kelly is officially on notice. The Raiders’ offense has been one of the worst in the NFL. The team does have talent, but Geno Smith, Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty are not making as many plays as expected.
They have all proven to be difference makers in the past, but they aren’t having much of an impact for the Raiders right now, which could partly be due to Kelly’s playcalling. Las Vegas gave Kelly a lot of money to call the offense, but he hasn’t been doing a good job. Carroll got honest about the offensive issues, but is still working closely with Kelly.
“We’ve been working together the whole time,” Carroll said of Kelly on Thursday. “Chip has a world of experience that I’ve counted on throughout, and we’re always working to continue to grow together as much as we can. We’ve been disappointed two of the last three weeks with what we’ve done. … We’re trying to get it right.”
Carroll doesn’t want to fire Kelly, but the offense has to play better.
Carroll Talks Brian Schottenheimer Ahead of Cowboys Game
Carroll has had a hard time finding a consistent offensive coordinator for much of his career. He went through many offensive playcallers during his time with the Seattle Seahawks. One of them was Brian Schottenheimer, who is now the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Raiders host the Cowboys this year, and Carroll spoke about his former assistant.
“I think his stamp on this team, right now, is the offense,” Carroll said. “They’re really functioning at a high level. They’re ranked highly in almost every one of the critical categories — points, yards, all kinds of stuff. And I know that that’s where his mark is.”
Even though Carroll fired Schottenheimer previously, he had some high praise for the coach.
“He’s been a great coach, a great family background. His dad is one of the guys that I have the most respect for,” Carroll said, “for the way he styled his coaching and all of that. Brian has his own way.”
Schottenheimer Praises Carroll
Schottenheimer likely wasn’t happy to be fired back in 2021, but he ended up in a better position in the long run, as he’s now a head coach. Schottenheimer doesn’t have any hard feelings regarding Carroll and had some high praise for the Raiders coach.
“I’ve talked glowingly about Pete and I feel that way. It’ll be great to see him,” Schottenheimer said. “That’s the best part of this business is the people side of it and that’s what I really look forward to. … He’s been so instrumental to me and my career and how I view my job and my position here at the Cowboys. I’ve talked to him but I haven’t probably shared with him how much he means to me.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Raiders HC Pete Carroll Has Strong Message on Chip Kelly appeared first on Heavy Sports.