Chip Kelly, the new coordinator of the Raiders, recently called out critics who questioned Las Vegas’ offensive direction. His goal was to improve performance heading into a difficult stretch of the season. Kelly’s collective experience in the role first shined bright during his short, yet impactful, tenure with the Buckeyes in the 2024 cycle. He is focused on achieving balance between the Raiders run-heavy playbook and developing the young quarterback Derek Smith.
The Raiders have struggled offensively, ranking 30th in the league in points scored per game with an average of just 16.6. Their rushing attack fails to overwhelm, coming in at 20th overall with 112.6 yards per game. At the same time, their passing offense ranks a little better, 16th overall, averaging 210.2 yards. Despite these numbers, Kelly is optimistic about the team’s return to form and on Smith’s development as an effective NFL quarterback.
On the other end, the Raiders used their sixth overall pick in April’s NFL draft to take playmaking running back Ashton Jeanty. He’s wasted no time making an impact, accumulating 264 yards from scrimmage the past two weeks. In Kelly’s system, you’ll see a lot of these shotgun formations, and that’s something that Smith uses on 85.1% of his dropbacks. Broadus’ goal will be to balance Smith’s best attributes while incorporating Jeanty’s multifaceted talent into the offense.
Smith’s performance has been all over the place so far. He is 106-for-183 passing with 1,176 yards and a 75.6 passer rating. He’s thrown 8 TDs this season. That said, he’s tossed a league-high nine interceptions this season, with multi-pick games in a variety of contests such as his recent loss to the Indianapolis Colts. It was in that game where Smith’s abysmal play led to a moribund performance and resulting 40-6 blowout loss.
Even with these challenges, Kelly was optimistic about Smith’s potential in a recent press conference.
“I think sometimes not all interceptions are the same,” – Chip Kelly
Kelly specifically commended Smith’s hustle on the field. He praised Smith’s performance, saying the former West Virginia standout was a “hell of a quarterback” and that he had “taken over this team.” Kelly had referred to a diversified offensive attack as key for his team. They don’t want to put it all on Smith’s broad shoulders.
“I mean, that’s what our game plan is every game,” he stated, reflecting on his strategic philosophy.
The Raiders’ offensive struggles have drawn scrutiny from various quarters, including comparisons to other teams’ offensive strategies. One unexpected development was Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s mini-revolution in quarterbacking.
“We don’t want to ever rely on the quarterback having to do the whole show and sitting in a shotgun, throw the football,” – Pete Carroll
Carroll stressed the importance of creativity in play-calling and situational awareness during games. He says the best offensive plans find ways to avoid putting too much on one player’s plate.
With the season well underway, Kelly’s attention has turned to getting the team to play more effectively and start putting points on the board. He understood that previous games reflected more of an equilibrium with rushing and passing plays. He added, the problem is, game dynamics can really warp those numbers.
When you look at when you get in the second half, that lopsided. Nonetheless, we had 25 passes last week in the game [a 40-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts]. There was real balance in the first half of the football game when it was a close game,” he explained.
The Raiders are now preparing for the final two games of their season. Kelly’s commitment to expanding and diversifying their offensive game plan will make or break the team’s success. Making their new addition in Jeanty fit alongside Smith’s promising development might just be the secret ingredient to moving them up the league table.
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