Raiders fire offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and two others

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders have fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy after nine games, the team announced Sunday night.

The Raiders also fired offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello, who, like Getsy, were in their first season with Las Vegas.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Monday that he would “use the next 24 to 48 hours” to decide who will replace Getsy, and said he would “sit down with the staff” before making a decision.

“Performance, results and production,” Pierce said in a video call with reporters, when asked what influenced his decision to leave Getsy, Scangarello and Cregg.

“It just wasn’t going in the direction I wanted.”

The Raiders have three former offensive play-callers on their staff: passing game coordinator Scott Turner, receivers coach Edgar Bennett and senior offensive assistant Joe Philbin. When asked what changes he wanted to see on the offense, Pierce said he wanted to see his original vision.

“We look good, we sound good, coinciding with the philosophy and idea of ​​what I preach, which is physicality, the ability to run the ball, make shots down the field, protect the ball above all and discipline up front,” he said .

“We have to do our best and give ourselves the best chance to win, whatever that may be. If we throw the ball 60 times, that’s fine. If we run the ball 60 times, that’s fine. But we have to find a solution.” balance and an offensive identity in the future”.

Pierce, who said the decision to leave Getsy, Scangarello and Cregg was “100%” his, also evaluated the Raiders’ season so far.

“Our first half… has been, frankly, shit,” he said. “But in the second half we have to play our best football.”

The Raiders are going through their first five-game losing streak since 2018 and share the nfl‘s worst record at 2-7 following Sunday’s 41-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Getsy’s offense, while off to a fast start by scoring a touchdown on the first drive in four of Las Vegas’ last five games, stalled too late in games.

The Raiders scored just four touchdowns on 50 other drives in that same time period, and three of those TDs came in the final five minutes of games with the Raiders trailing by at least 20 points, according to The Associated Press.

Getsy, who authored the nfl‘s No. 1 and No. 2 rushing offenses as the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023, respectively, oversaw a Las Vegas unit that ranked 28th in the nfl in total offense before this weekend. He ranked 18th in passing and 31st in rushing, and the Raiders’ scoring average of 18.0 points per game was 26th in the nfl.

Getsy said this week that the notion of “scripted” plays at the beginning of a game was a false narrative.

“I know you like that buzzword,” he said, “but it’s not real… If you follow a plan, you have a plan. So, guys activate when we’re at the 35-yard line, And these are the things we’re going to attack them. When we’re at the 25 yard line, these are the ways we’re going to attack them. And if it’s third and 3, this is the way we’re going to attack them. , this is how we are going to open the game, this is how we are going to continue playing, these are the plays of the plays after we get it and collect information.

“So, there’s no script. There’s no designed thing. It’s a focus and attention to detail… We just have to continue to improve that part of the execution, making sure it can be sustained over four quarters.” “.

Getsy, who was fired by the Bears in January, was hired by the Raiders in February after former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury withdrew from consideration.

Getsy had been moved from the field to the press box to call plays before the Raiders’ loss to the Los Angeles Chargers two weeks ago.

Sunday marked the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Raiders changed coordinators or head coaches mid-season.

The Raiders, preparing for their bye week, also replaced starting quarterback Gardner Minshew with Desmond Ridder late in the third quarter against the Bengals.

Pierce said Monday that he would use the bye week to decide whether Ridder would replace Minshew as the team’s starting quarterback.