Why Raiders HC Pete Carroll Made the Right Decision

Las Vegas' offense somehow took a stepback from the one that took the field last season. The Raiders' offense struggled more and longer than a reasonable amount of time and showed no signs of improving under the current circumstances.

On Monday, Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll explained how he had to make a tough decision for the betterment of the team following the game.

"Okay, as was reported, we made a move last night on the coordinator spot with Chip [Kelly], and we talked it through, and this was a decision that we made for the organization that we had to do,” Carroll said. 

“At this time, Greg Olson is working to put together this game plan, and we're getting going. He's going to be the play caller, and we haven't finalized the workings of anything past that at this point, but our guys are game planning and getting after it right now."

In his decades of being a head coach, Carroll had never fired a coordinator in the middle of a season. Kelly's firing marks the second coordinator Carroll has dismissed in the past three weeks. It is a sign of how dire things have become for a Raiders team that started the season with optimism.

On Monday, Carroll explained the Kelly's dismissal was not about a difference of opinion.

"Not so much so, but I gave Chip [Kelly] a lot of leeway because he's got an extraordinary background and history, and he had such a phenomenal season coming out of Ohio State last year, that we wanted to give him his due and all that,” Carroll said. 

“But, as we continue to grow and come together, we just couldn't get there. So, I wish him the very best, and I like him, and we got along great and all that, but we had to make a tough call.”

Carroll noted that Olson brings many years of experience in the National Football League to the table, which he hopes will help Olson improve the Raiders' offense. Olson has had multiple stints with the Raiders and spent time with Carroll in Seattle.

"Greg's [Olson] going to take over the play calling, and he's got years of experience. He's been a coordinator for 13 years in the league, and we've been together before,” Carroll said. 

“He knows me inside and out, and I think it's a really fortunate opportunity that we have a guy that has that much background to step into this role."