The moment the final whistle blew in Cleveland, you could feel the tension trailing all the way in Las Vegas. And if you sensed a major shake-up coming, you weren’t wrong. The Las Vegas Raiders moved quickly on Sunday night. They fired the highest paid NFL offensive coach only hours after a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Chip Kelly’s hiring was one of Carroll’s biggest moves in his first year with the Raiders. The team lured Kelly away from Ohio State with a $6 million contract.

At the time, the Raiders were the fourth worst offense in the league with just 18.2 points per game. By the end of his tenure, the Las Vegas Raiders are for last in points per game (15), third lowest in scrimmage yards (2958), and struggling to run the ball. It's something Kelly knows didn't work in his favor.

Despite his disappointment, he made his peace with the move. "I really loved those players, I'm a 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."

His play-calling drew criticism last week. The Raiders opened their game against Dallas with 32 pass plays and just three runs in the first half. And a fifth consecutive loss this season coming against a struggling Browns team was the final straw.

The decision came pretty soon after the team slipped to 2-9 this season. "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," headcoach Pete Carroll said. But Carroll isn't having and easy time either. This is the second coordinator change this month, following the firing of special teams coordinator Tom McMahon on November 7. Derius Swinton II stepped in on an interim basis for that role, and the team must now adjust once again. But Pete Carroll has bigger fires to put out

Carroll in Uncharted Territory With the Las Vegas Raiders

After Game Week 12, Pete Carroll has a 2-9 record for the first time in his career. That certainly wasn't his expectation when he left the Seahaws after 14 seasons. Even he admitted it! "I've never not thought it would take [this much] work to get it right. I thought, 'Well, maybe I could have something to do with avoiding this.'"

The Browns loss had a similar script to the last few games the Raiders lost. Geno Smith was under relentless pressure, being sacked 10 times and pressure for 20. Despite getting into the Browns' 30-yard line twice in the second quarter, they only managed three points. But is that discouraging Carroll? Evidently not.

"They ain't giving up on each other. I'm not giving up on them, and they're not giving up on me, I hope." The team now enters the final stretch of the season with another staff shake-up and a long list of problems still waiting for answers.

What do you think of Kelly's exit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Written by

Mohd Mudabbir Ansari

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar