The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2025 NFL season has been a rollercoaster of disappointment, with their Week 7 performance against the Kansas City Chiefs marking a new low. A 31-0 shutout loss at the hands of the Chiefs wasn’t just a defeat—it was a merciless exposure of the Raiders’ offensive shortcomings under coordinator Chip Kelly. The Chiefs dominated so thoroughly that they subbed in backups by the end of the third quarter, refrained from throwing a single pass in the fourth, opted against a field goal on fourth-and-6, and knelt the ball out before the two-minute warning. This wasn’t just a loss; it was a statement of how far the Raiders have fallen.
The most glaring takeaway from this beatdown is the utter failure of Chip Kelly’s offensive scheme. The Raiders’ offense managed a measly three first downs—the fewest in an NFL game since their own dismal performance with JaMarcus Russell in 2008. They mustered just 95 yards on 30 plays, the lowest output since 1999, averaging 2.3 yards per carry and 3.7 yards per pass. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, a potential game-changer, was criminally underutilized with only six carries, despite the Chiefs’ run defense ranking in the bottom half of the league. Kelly’s decision to have quarterback Geno Smith drop back nine times in the first quarter while Jeanty ran just once was baffling, to say the least.
This season, the Raiders have failed to score a touchdown in three of their seven games, averaging a paltry 14.7 points per game—31st in the NFL, ahead of only the Tennessee Titans. Injuries to key players like Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, and Kolton Miller haven’t helped, but great coordinators adapt. Look at the San Francisco 49ers, who are winning without their starting quarterback, All-Pro tight end, and three starting wide receivers. Or the Dallas Cowboys, who put up points without CeeDee Lamb. Even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have maintained a lethal offense despite missing key linemen and stars like Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans. Kelly, however, has shown no such adaptability, with fans and analysts slamming his “ancient” play-calling as outdated and ineffective.
The contrast between Kelly’s offense and Andy Reid’s masterful play-calling for the Chiefs was stark. While Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense carved up the Raiders’ defense, Las Vegas couldn’t sustain drives, losing the time-of-possession battle miserably. Kelly’s inability to capitalize on a weak Chiefs run defense or adjust to the team’s personnel limitations raises serious questions about his fit for the role. Geno Smith’s poor play and the offensive line’s struggles fall under Kelly’s purview, as does the failure to scheme around injuries—something every good coordinator must do.
The Raiders invested heavily in their offense this offseason, including making Kelly the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL. Yet, the unit has been a disaster, dropping the ball at every opportunity. This isn’t a one-off; it’s a pattern. The team’s offensive struggles echo their midseason coordinator firings in the past two years, and Raider Nation is fed up. While parting ways with Kelly during the bye week may seem drastic, the Chiefs game laid bare a brutal truth: his system isn’t working, and without change, the Raiders are nowhere near competitive. Las Vegas must seriously consider moving on from Kelly if he can’t adapt—because this offense, as it stands, is questioning everything about his leadership.