Chip Kelly lasted just 11 games as offensive coordinator with the Las Vegas Raiders, but coach Pete Carroll may have played a big role in Kelly’s downfall.
The Raiders have suffered from a lack of cohesion throughout their staff, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. One major issue was Carroll’s insistence that Kelly run the head coach’s preferred offense, with Kelly given little freedom to use his own schemes. The offense Carroll prefers reportedly is so similar to what Carroll ran with the Seattle Seahawks that opposing teams watched old Seahawks film to prepare for it.
Kelly was frustrated with the setup at times, and the situation was further exacerbated by most of the offensive staff being Carroll’s picks. That is why the Raiders’ basic playcalling is unlikely to significantly change even after Kelly’s firing, according to the report.
Frankly, the situation in Las Vegas sounds like a total mess. By the sound of things, Kelly bears a lot of blame for how things went, but was also constrained by his head coach. Carroll’s offense was a bit stagnant during his final years with Seattle, so the lack of changes may be a bit concerning to Raiders fans.
Tom Brady is definitely unhappy with what he is seeing from the team he holds an ownership stake in. There is no reason to believe Carroll’s job is in danger, but it’s not impossible that someone at the top of the organization could insist on major changes.
