NFL Insider Leaks Baffling Chip Kelly Stories From Raiders Tenure
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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders dropped to 2-9 after a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, with their offense once again unable to find a rhythm. This season, the unit has struggled consistently, ranking among the league’s lowest in scoring.
In five of their last seven games, Las Vegas failed to reach 20 points, fueling a five-game losing streak. Following the continued offensive struggles, the Raiders announced on November 23
“I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders,” Carroll said in the statement. “I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future.”
A few days after Kelly’s firing, NFL insider Tom Pelissero is revealing stories from the coach’s tenure as offensive coordinator with the Silver and Black, and there were plenty of head-scratching moments.
“It just seemed like from Week 2 on, teams just kind of caught up with what the Raiders were doing,” Pelissero said on the November 26 edition of “The Rich Eisen Show.”
“There were times I was told where Chip Kelly was repeatedly botching the play calls. For instance, tagging a motion on a play—so the receivers are on the left, not the right—and he forgets to say it. Geno Smith goes to the line of scrimmage thinking, ‘This doesn’t look right,’ while they’re trying to run the play. It even happened on a third down in the game the other day.”
The Raiders’ Offense Was Dysfunctional Under Chip Kelly
Kelly botching a play wasn’t the only story that Pelissero shared with Eisen to highlight how dysfunctional the offense was.
“On several occasions, I was told Chip called a play that was either not in the game plan or not installed at all,” Pelissero added. “Things like that happened. You’re not productive. That’s enough—you didn’t need any extra excuses. But a lot of issues were popping up within games that a good team simply cannot overcome. They didn’t have enough talent.”
Chip Kelly Broke His Silence After Firing
On the day of his firing, FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer spoke with Kelly and relayed the coach’s reaction to the Raiders’ decision to make a change.
“I am grateful for the opportunity with the Raiders, bottom line in this league you have to win,” Kelly said on November 23, per Glazer. “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.”
In Kelly’s final game with the Raiders, Las Vegas went pass-heavy, as Smith completed 30 of 44 passes for 285 yards and one touchdown against the Browns. Nonetheless, that decision from Kelly came at a cost: The offensive line allowed 10 sacks.
Moreover, Smith’s drop-back passes didn’t result in more points, as the Raiders scored only 10, leading to their fifth straight loss for the Silver and Black.
Texans Lock In Defensive Future: Anderson’s Extension and Hunter’s Arrival Signal Houston’s New Identity
The Houston Texans ensured they found a cornerstone for their defense two years ago in the 2023 draft, selecting Will Anderson Jr. No. 3 overall, one slot behind quarterback C.J. Stroud. He has rewarded their faith in him with his play, and the Texans plan to return the favor.
They have a solid track record of rewarding their own players.
Anderson would join bookend Danielle Hunter and fellow recent draft pick Derek Stingley Jr. as recently extended Texans.
Will Anderson Expected to Engage in Extension Talks With Texans
“Will Anderson is one of the biggest reasons for Houston’s defensive dominance,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on X on November 26. “I’m told to expect the third-year pass rusher and the Texans to make offseason extension talks a priority.”
Anderson was a Pro Bowler and the Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Texans in 2023.
He is already one half-sack away from matching his 2024 total of 11.0, which he reached in 14 games, with 10.5 sacks through 11 games this season.
Russini wrote in a roundup of league intel on Wednesday that Houston’s “defense might be the best in football right now, and a lot of that is thanks to Will Anderson Jr. Expect Houston and the third-year edge rusher to get right to a contract extension once the season wraps.”
Anderson ranks ninth in the NFL in sacks since entering the league.
That is despite playing opposite Hunter, who inked a one-year, $35 million extension in March and is a five-time Pro Bowler in his own right.
Will Anderson Could Draw Attention for Defensive Player of the Year
Russini pointed to an in-depth article from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, in which the latter highlighted Anderson’s impact on the Texans’ defense. Breer forecasted that Anderson could receive some award love.
He also believes an extension is an inevitability, saying he has a “hard time seeing why” the Texans would not get a deal done as soon as possible.
Breer cited Anderson’s talent as well as his personality.
“Will Anderson Jr. is more than just a Defensive Player of the Year candidate—he’ll be worth every penny the Texans pay on the megadeal he will have coming. And if Houston is as aggressive as it was in signing All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., who got his monster second contract as he became eligible for one after his third season, it’ll happen this offseason,” Breer wrote on November 25.
“He’s had a sack in six consecutive games, which tied a team record by Mario Williams, and he’s already fifth in Texans history in career sacks. On Thursday, he joined J.J. Watt as the only players in NFL history to have 2.5 sacks, two tackles for losses, three quarterback hits and a pass defensed in multiple games.”
Will Anderson Keying NFL’s Best Defense
Breer cited Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke’s praise for Anderson, noting the third-year pro is on track to become a new standard-bearer of work ethic.
“Anderson has been that tough, that hard-working and that plain old relentless,” Breer wrote on November 21. “As the pro football world saw Thursday night, the rest of the Texans defense that Burke and head coach DeMeco Ryans have built over the last three years has fully followed suit.”
All of that should keep Anderson with the Texans for many years to come.
