What Will Chip Kelly's Scheme Mean for Raiders?

New Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly should jump-start a lifeless Silver and Black offense.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly before the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have officially hired Chip Kelly as their next offensive coordinator. 

Kelly led one of the most explosive offenses in college football at Ohio State last season, helping the Buckeyes win the national championship. 

Kelly has years of NFL and college coaching experience, both as a head coach and a coordinator. The Raiders hope he can spark their offense that struggled last season. 

After a few unsuccessful years, Kelly reinvented his offense. He was viewed as one of the brightest offensive minds in football when he was with Oregon in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but things stalled later in his career in the NFL and at UCLA. 

Kelly had the chance to revitalize his career as an offensive coordinator with the Buckeyes, which worked perfectly for him. 

So, what are the Raiders getting from Kelly at this point in his coaching career?

Kelly ran a pro-style offense last year at OSU, a far cry from the high-tempo spread offense he is famous for. He showed off some unique pre-snap looks and liked motioning his receivers often. He used misdirection concepts to keep the defense guessing. 

Raiders fans will love this: Kelly is an excellent offensive line coach and developer, as his linemen rarely miss blocks or commit penalties. He runs an outside zone run scheme, which is when linemen block a certain area of the field compared to a specific player match-up. 

Outside zone focuses on runs off-tackle, whereas inside zone focuses on running behind interior offensive linemen. Kelly will get his running backs on the outside, attacking downhill. 

It is difficult to predict what the offense will look like in Las Vegas next season, as many new contributors will likely be on that side of the ball. However, this scheme should be great for tight end Brock Bowers, who will often see advantageous match-ups. 

Of course, Kelly will have to be able to fit his scheme to the players on the roster. No coach can survive by remaining static in their coaching and not be able to adapt. 

Kelly should bring a fresh perspective to the Raiders’ offense. Improving on that side of the ball was clearly a focus for this regime, which has a real chance of happening now.

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