Pete Carroll said the Raiders had to make a “tough call” in firing offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
The Las Vegas head coach explained the decision Monday when he spoke with reporters after the dismissal.
Kelly left his Ohio State offensive coordinator gig to join the Raiders earlier this year on a reported $6 million contract, but Carroll opted to make the move after the Raiders fell to the Browns on Sunday and dropped to 2-9.
Carroll insisted there was no ill will between the two, and they didn’t really have differing opinions per se.
“I gave Chip a lot of leeway because he’s got an extraordinary background and history, and he had such a phenomenal season coming out of Ohio State last year, so we wanted to give him his due and all that,” Carroll said. “As we continued to grow and come together, we just couldn’t get there. So, I wish him the very best, and I like him and we got along great, but we had to make a tough call.”
The Raiders aren’t expecting to make any other changes to the coaching staff this year after already firing two assistants, as special teams coordinator Tom McMahon was dismissed earlier in November.
“I’ve been doing it this way for a lot of years. It’s a winning formula if you play good defense and kick the ball well,” Carroll said. “We’re trying to get that and we just have not captured it, so this is what this move is about.”
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The Raiders — losers of five straight — have struggled this season, with their only wins coming against the Patriots in Week 1 and the Titans in Week 6.
Their offense has ranked toward the bottom of the league in a number of major categories, sitting last in the NFL in points per game (15) and 30th overall in total yards per game (268.9). Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson is taking over the offensive coordinator duties on an interim basis.
The Raiders will travel to Los Angeles this weekend for a date with the 7-4 Chargers.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
