Raiders head coach Pete Carroll did not seem happy with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s play calling last week, saying the Raiders need to help quarterback Geno Smith by calling more running plays. Today Kelly said he tries to do that, but last week, when the Raiders lost 40-6, they ended up throwing the ball more because they were so far behind.
“That’s what our game plan is every game,” Kelly said. “We had 25 [rushing] attempts last week in the game, there was real balance in the first half of the football game when it was a close game. I think it gets out of hand so you look at some of the numbers, I think we had 25 rushing attempts and 36 pass attempts at the end of the game, but the first half it was really even.”
Smith’s numbers in the game were not good — 25-for-36 for 228 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions — but Kelly said that only one of Smith’s throws was a bad read and that Smith played better than his stats indicated.
“Besides the one throw in the second half, Geno was really comfortable,” Kelly said. “I think Geno’s playing really well for us.”
The Raiders are 1-4 and on a four-game losing streak, but Kelly said he remains confident that Smith can play well in his offense, as he did when the Raiders beat the Patriots in Week One.
“This is the same guy that was ripping the ball all over the place in the Patriots game,” Kelly said. “I’m really excited about Geno, I’m really excited about his future, and I think he’s a hell of a quarterback.”
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