Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly embraces challenge of competing in tough AFC West

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Chip Kelly knows what he's getting into, but as the Raiders' offensive coordinator, he embraces joining an AFC West loaded with elite head coaches and quarterbacks. "I heard that from some people, do you really want to go in that division?" Kelly said Wednesday in an introductory Zoom call. "But I think if you're a competitor, you do. And if you have a chance to win that division, then that means you beat the best, and the best that's playing in football right now is the Chiefs." Kansas City, under the leadership of coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, is chasing a third consecutive Super Bowl title when it faces the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in New Orleans. Also in the division are the coach-QB combinations of Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers and Sean Payton and Bo Nix with the Denver Broncos. All three teams made the playoffs this past season while Las Vegas went 4-13 and made a coaching change in switching from Antonio Pierce to Pete Carroll. The addition of Carroll means every coach in the division has appeared in the Super Bowl with only Harbaugh failing so far to capture one. Kelly said working with Carroll helped attract him to the job, and he had productive conversations with owner Mark Davis, general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady. "The tradition of this program speaks for itself," Kelly said. "To the catch phrases that I think everybody uses in everyday life, 'Just win, baby.'" Kelly was the offensive coordinator on Ohio State's national championship team this past season after previously serving as the head coach at Oregon and UCLA as well as the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. In hiring Kelly, the Raiders will try to spark an offense that was fourth worst this past season with 303.2 yards per game and last in rushing with a 79.8-yard average. At or near the top of the priority list will be addressing the quarterback position, but Kelly said he is just familiarizing himself with personnel as well as what players will be available through the NFL draft or free agency. Las Vegas will have the No. 6 overall pick in the draft. "So I think it's really your evaluation of the personnel that's available to you and then fitting them into that system," Kelly said. Kelly established himself as a creative offensive mastermind as Oregon's offensive coordinator in 2007 and 2008 and then as the Ducks' head coach the following four seasons. He went 46-7, appearing in the Bowl Championship Series national championship game in the 2010 season and finishing in the top four of the AP poll his last three years. Kelly then went to Philadelphia for three seasons, going 10-6 each of his first two seasons. He was fired after going 6-9 in 2015. The 49ers then hired Kelly, who lasted just one season after a 2-14 record. He returned to college football in 2018 at UCLA, but got off to a slow start with losing records in each of his first three seasons. The Bruins went 25-13 over his final three years. He left after the 2023 season to direct Ohio State's offense. The Buckeyes rolled through the College Football Playoff, scoring 83 points in the first two rounds before defeating Texas 28-14 in the semifinals and Notre Dame 34-23 in the title game.