Carroll Pulls the Trigger: Offensive Coordinator Kelly Fired After Abysmal Offensive Failure

The Firing of Chip Kelly… The First Chapter in a Desperate Rebuild for the Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders’ front office had seen enough. Following a demoralizing 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns—a game that also marked the league debut of rising star Shedeur Sanders—the team decided to accelerate its plans for change. The first move came swiftly with the firing of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly on Sunday night, a move that capped a season filled with failure.

A Short-Lived Tenure

Kelly had assumed his role at the start of the current season, joining Head Coach Pete Carroll’s staff in Carroll’s first year with the team. However, his tenure lasted just 11 games, culminating in the loss to the Browns. The team announced the termination of the offensive coordinator’s contract via an official statement from Carroll himself.

An Offense Without an Identity

The offensive unit’s performance on Sunday was the perfect representation of its season-long crisis. The team failed to score a single touchdown until the final minutes of the game, on an errant pass that was ruled a catch by wide receiver Ashton Jeanty. The team finished the game with just 268 total yards, a lifeless offensive display that laid all its weaknesses bare.

A Season of Shattered Dreams

Expectations were sky-high among Raiders fans at the season’s start. With veteran quarterback Geno Smith, promising running back Jeanty (a first-round draft pick), and Brock Bowers at tight end, hopes were pinned on Kelly to lead this offense into the upper echelons of the league. Instead, the reality has been a profound disappointment.

Entering Sunday’s game, the Raiders were ranked near the bottom in every major offensive category:

· 30th in total yards (269 yards per game)

· 24th in passing offense (187.6 yards)

· 31st in rushing offense (81.4 yards)

· 30th in points per game (15.5)

Jeanty: From College Star to Letdown

The performance of Ashton Jeanty has been the most concerning. After a legendary college season that made him a Heisman Trophy contender, he has failed to replicate that same level of play in the professional ranks. He entered Sunday’s game with just 554 rushing yards, averaging a meager 3.7 yards per carry. His performance on Sunday was no better, rushing 17 times for just 50 yards (2.9 yards per carry).

With that, the Chip Kelly chapter with the Raiders is closed. But the book remains open on larger questions about the team’s future. This firing is a clear admission of abject failure on the offensive side of the ball, but it also places the front office and the coaching staff squarely in the hot seat. The question now is: was the problem solely the offensive coordinator, or is it part of a deeper, structural flaw? With a season in tatters and a record of 2 wins and 9 losses, the Raiders’ road to recovery looks long and arduous. The firing of Kelly is merely the first step. The burden now falls on Coach Pete Carroll to salvage what he can and rediscover an identity for an offense that possesses the talent but sorely lacks direction and effectiveness.