LAS VEGAS (AP) — The fact so many Raiders offensive players have talked up Chip Kelly as their new coordinator is not surprising.
It’s training camp, after all, and optimism abounds throughout NFL camps.
But when someone from the other side of the ball notices what’s going on with the new schemes and game plans, that’s more of an attention-grabber.
“We really don’t know ever what he’s about to throw at us, so it keeps us on our toes,” defensive tackle Jonah Laulu said. “Then when we attack them, they come back the next day with something new. It’s a great formula for success.”
Las Vegas is under its fifth offensive coordinator in four years due to a rotating door at head coach. The last time the Raiders had any semblance of stability at OC was when Greg Olson ran the offense from 2018-21.
First-year Raiders coach Pete Carroll hired Olson to be the team’s quarterbacks coach right after he made the splashy move to bring in Kelly.
The 61-year-old Kelly last year was the offensive coordinator of Ohio State’s national championship team.
He came to national prominence as the innovative head coach at Oregon from 2009-12, leading the Ducks to a 46-7 record and title-game appearance in the 2010 season.
Kelly then had a mixed bag of results in NFL stops at Philadelphia and San Francisco and back in college at UCLA before going back to being a play-caller and guiding the Buckeyes’ offense.
Now he’s doing the same in Las Vegas.
“This is such a good group to coach,” Kelly said. “They want to be coached. They’re thirsty for knowledge. When you go into the meeting room, there’s a little buzz and there’s an excitement. It’s not like, ‘Oh, God, we’re in camp. What we do here?’ It’s special when you get an opportunity to be on (an) NFL roster, and I think these guys are really taking advantage of it.”
Offensive lineman Thayer Munford said Kelly is willing to make changes if something doesn’t work, that he isn’t stuck trying to force a system onto the players.
“We’re not pointing fingers at each other,” Munford said. “We’re here to bring each other up and push each other forward. Not every team’s like this, either. I’ve been on a couple teams that you point at them, and they get down in the dumps and the next day they go to crap. This coach is different.”
Kelly has the demanding task of improving an offense that was fourth worst last season with 303.2 yards per game and last in rushing with a 79.8-yard average. The Raiders traded for veteran quarterback Geno Smith and drafted running back Ashton Jeanty sixth overall to put some much-needed life into the offense.
“I think Chip has done a great job with implementing his style of play,” Smith said. “We want to be tough, we want to be physical, we want to attack the line of scrimmage. … We got a lot of great weapons on offense, so he’s putting the guys in positions to make plays.”
Will Kelly get it done?
There is valid reason to believe Las Vegas’ offense will be better, but whether it can take a big enough step to actually compete for a playoff spot in an AFC West in which the Raiders’ three rivals made the postseason last year is another matter.
But no games have been played, so optimism prevails for the Raiders.
“I played (Ohio State) my last college game in the first round of playoffs, and they beat us bad,” said rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton, a fourth-round pick from Tennessee. “So being able to play in this offense, I see why they did that.”
Smith shines in mock game
Smith threw touchdown passes on all four drives he quarterbacked in Saturday’s mock game at Allegiant Stadium that the Raiders said drew about 18,000 fans. He completed TD passes of 8 and 11 yards to tight end Brock Bowers, 19 yards to Thornton and 50 to Phillip Dorsett in leading the Raiders’ starting offense against their backup defense. Smith also ran for a two-point conversion.
Maxx Crosby returned a strip sack of Aidan O’Connell 70 yards for a touchdown.
Tom Brady, who owns a minority stake in the Raiders, watched from the sideline. He also attended Friday’s practice at the team’s Henderson, Nevada, facility.
Raiders lose safety to ‘significant’ injury
Safety Lonnie Johnson was carted off with an injury to his lower right leg.
“I don’t know all the details, but it’s significant,” Carroll said.
Johnson has worked mostly with the second team this training camp, but was in with the starters in the mock game as part of a three-safety look.
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