NFL Week 12 overreaction: Chiefs survive, Cowboys shock Eagles
USA TODAY Sports’ Prince Grimes is “overreacting” to some of Sunday’s best games of Week 12.
The Las Vegas Raiders took quick action after their recent offensive slowdown.
The team fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly on Sunday, Nov. 23, just hours after the offense allowed 10 sacks in a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
“I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him that I would be firing him as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. “We would like to thank Chip for his contribution and wish him the best of luck in the future.”
Kelly, a former head coach with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, was hired by Carroll in February to become the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL at $6 million a year, according to multiple reports.
But the Raiders’ offense has struggled with him at the helm, with the team averaging just 3.6 yards per game Sunday and falling to 2-9 on the season. Geno Smith was under pressure with a season-high 23 dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats. Cleveland’s previous single-game high was 15 pressures. Nine different players recorded multiple pressures.
“If you don’t score, you can’t win,” Carroll assisted in the postgame press conference. “And we couldn’t score.”
Added Carroll: “We had opportunities to make big plays, but we didn’t make them. The QB was under pressure the whole time. Our ability to match their pass rush didn’t work.”
On the season, the Raiders rank tied for last in the NFL in points per game (15.0), but rank 30th in total yards per game (268.9) and 31st in rushing yards per game (79.5). Smith has the second-most sacks among quarterbacks (41) and is tied for the league lead in interceptions (13).
Kelly is the second Raiders coordinator to be fired this month after the team parted ways with special teams coordinator Tom McMahon after a loss to the Denver Broncos.
