Chip Kelly fired: Raiders make major midseason coaching change after offensive woes

The Las Vegas Raiders fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly on Sunday night, making a significant midseason coaching change.

The move came just after his 11 games of the season with the organization.

Kelly’s firing came in the midst of offensive struggles experienced by the Raiders. The final straw proved to be a brutal 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, dropping Raiders to 2-9 this season.

Head coach Pete Carroll, in his first season with Las Vegas, issued a statement after the team fell to 2-9, "I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders. I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future.”

Kelly’s tenure in Raiders has been characterized by a lack of impressive offensive production for Las Vegas. In Week 12, they ranked 30th in points, total yards, rushing yards, offensive EPA and red-zone efficiency under the supervision of Kelly.

These offensive woes have coincided with a regression from quarterback Geno Smith, who has struggled with Raiders this season.

Smith this season threw an alarming 13 interceptions alongside 13 touchdowns in his first 10 games, unlike the last season’s 17 games in which he tossed 15 total picks. Smith also sacked 10 times, showing the team's persistent issues.

Talking to an NFL reporter, Kelly said, “I am grateful for the opportunity with the Raiders; bottom line in this league you have to win," Kelly said.

“I really loved those players. I'm a huge, huge Geno Smith fan. That was one of the best parts of this experience for me, working with Geno and those guys every day. But hey, we gotta win. I get it,” he added.

Kelly became a part of Las Vegas after appearing for the last time on an NFL sideline with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.