The Las Vegas Raiders‘ decision to fire their offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, may be clear, but the reasons behind it are not. While reports suggested that it was mainly because of consistently failing play calls, a reporter decided to confirm it with their quarterback, Geno Smith. The QB denied giving a direct answer, making his stance clear on the matter.

“Could you talk us through it? Was that the case? Was there miscommunication on each of those plays?” a reporter asked Smith in a press conference before receiving the QB’s response: “I’m not really sure which plays you’re talking about. But we gotta be better.”

According to a report by NBC Sports, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said the decision to fire Chip Kelly came amid serious problems with play-calling. Kelly reportedly “repeatedly botched” calls, sometimes forgetting important instructions. Supposedly, this left quarterback Geno Smith confused at the line of scrimmage, making it hard for him to execute plays properly.

Soon, news of the firing followed after 11 games on November 24, following a 24-10 loss to the Browns.

The mistakes weren’t just isolated incidents. Per analysts, the problems were part of a broader breakdown in the offense. Under Kelly, the Raiders’ offense has ranked among the worst in the league, at 30th position in the current PFF standings.

Most recently, HC Pete Carroll himself even addressed these reports, shedding some light on their validity.

“There is no truth to the comments about Chip and any play-calling issues,” Carroll told the Review-Journal.

Despite the clarification, the published reports certainly sparked both agreements and arguments. While some seemed convinced, renowned analyst Emmanuel Acho was surely not among them.

Former NFL star thrashes the latest report on Chip Kelly’s exit

The Raiders may have already announced that Greg Olson will be replacing Kelly as OC, but the saga is far from over. The latest reports from the NFL’s Tom Pelissero are currently the talk of the town. Many agreed that Chip Kelly visibly made an incorrect play call. However, this wasn’t the case with Emmanuel Acho.

“Me and Chip have our differences (he cut me 5 times) but this sounds like a total BS hit job,” Acho wrote on X. “Coaches call plays from a play sheet, a play sheet that is literally in their hand or on a desk (if they’re in booth). This call sheet has plays separated by specific downs and distances. I find it impossible to believe that Chip was calling uninstalled plays. That’s just not practical.”

Acho certainly made his thoughts on the matter clear, but Kelly’s firing doesn’t change. In fact, many are already wondering how the new OC will perform in their upcoming away game against the Chargers. Though playoff hopes remain bleak at best, the team certainly has something to prove.

Before the next kickoff, it is worth looking at how leadership in the NFL shapes high-pressure moments. That is where Champ Bailey’s thoughts on Sean Payton’s influence come in.