Carroll hopes staff changes will help Raiders get going

HENDERSON, Nev. — If you thought the Raiders’ on-the-field performance Sunday at Allegiant Stadium was abysmal, you should have stuck around for the aftermath.You had offensive coordinator Chip Kelly lose his job. There was quarterback Geno Smith flipping off the fans, one of which got a summons for telling Smith he sucked. There was a guy who was dropping F-bombs from the 300 level the entire fourth quarter of the 24-10 loss to the Browns and no one stopped him or even wrote him a ticket.There was a report that Jim Gray, the announcer who is close friends with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, was sabotaging the team’s efforts within the front office. There was another coaching change Monday morning as Bob Bicknell, Kelly’s assistant, was let go with Greg Olson taking over as the team’s play-caller.And even during the game, there was Maxx Crosby and Elandon Roberts jawing at each other on the bench. So yeah, there’s no lack of frustration right now with “Pro Football’s Most Dysfunctional Franchise.”And in the middle of this maelstrom is Pete Carroll. This wasn’t what he had in mind when he accepted Mark Davis’ offer to return to the NFL sidelines after leaving Seattle a year ago. He’s not thrilled having to stand in front of the media and answer their questions as was the case Monday at the Intermountain Health Performance Center.He says he’s confident Olson will get the right calls made for the offense to move the ball and find the end zone. He’s disappointed that Smith lost his cool by making obscene gestures toward the fans. He said he’s not giving up and that he will continue to work hard in order to make things right with the Silver and Black."Yeah, I hate that we had to do this at this time,” Carroll said Monday. “This is just uncharted waters, basically, but we worked for a long time trying to come together and communicating so it fits the style of play that we want to play with.“And we didn't quite get it done, and I could feel it coming, and I was working at it, and Chip (Kelly) was working at it, and he's been a phenomenal coach, and his past is extraordinary of all the things he's accomplished, but at this time, I just felt like we needed to take the next step, and we were kind of staying the same and staying the same, and so it wasn't good enough for our fans and for our guys. And so, that's why we made the move."Carroll said he doesn’t anticipate any more changes to the coaching staff the remainder of the season. But he never fired a coordinator in his 14-year run in Seattle and now he’s let go of two in three weeks."Yeah, I thought it was too painful where we were, and the play has not been good enough,” he said of his decision to move on from Kelly and Tom McMahon, his special teams coordinator who was fired Nov. 7. “And I'm really surprised as well that this has happened, but I think our players deserve it, and our fans deserve that we give them our best shot, and that's what competing is all about. And so, it falls in line philosophically.“It's just a very difficult time to have to do this. And unfortunately, this would not have happened, but we're 2-9. So unfortunately, that's where we are."But realistically, what can he do at this point? The team is struggling mightily. The schedule the rest of the way is daunting, beginning Sunday at SoFi Stadium against the Chargers. There’s little depth available to make changes, whether it’s at quarterback, along the offensive line or on special teams, where lost in all the misery Sunday was Daniel Carlson missing yet another field goal, this time a 48-yarder in the second quarter.The time to circle the wagons has come and gone. It feels like the Raiders are being attacked from all sides and there’s no way out. There’s tremendous dissatisfaction from the fan base and those who did show up at Allegiant Sunday voiced their displeasure, prompting Smith to lose his cool."Well, it's not what you want, and I don't know if I've been booed any louder than I was in New England, but that's not the way you want it to be,” Carroll said. “I mean, we got guys that are out there trying their ass off to play great football for this club and for their fans and all that, and to be received like that, it's unfortunate, but we got to play better."Can they? Perhaps. But at this point, it may not produce the desired results.