Raiders fire offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, 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, both of whom, like Getsy, were in their first season with Las Vegas.

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

“Performance, results and production,” Pierce said on a video call with beat reporters, when asked what went into his decision to move on from Getsy, Scangarello and Cregg.

“Just wasn’t heading the direction I wanted to go.”

The Raiders have three former offensive playcallers on staff in pass game coordinator Scott Turner, receivers coach Edgar Bennett and senior offensive assistant Joe Philbin. Asked what he wanted to see change on offense, Pierce said he wanted to see his original vision.

“Us looking right, sounding right, matching the philosophy and the idea of what I preach, which is physicality, ability to run a ball, taking shots down the field, protecting the football first and foremost, disciplined upfront,” he said.

“We’ve got to do what’s best and gives us the best opportunity to win, whatever that may be. If it’s throwing the ball 60 times, fine. If it’s running it 60 times, fine. But we’ve got to find a balance and an identity on offense going forward.”

Pierce, who said the decision to move on from Getsy, Scangarello and Cregg was “100%” his, also assessed the Raiders’ season thus far.

“Our first half … has been, frankly, s—ty,” he said. “But the second half we need to play our best football.”

The Raiders are riding their first five-game losing streak since 2018 and share the worst record in the NFL at 2-7 following Sunday’s 41-24 loss at the Cincinnati Bengals. Getsy’s offense, while getting off to fast starts in scoring an opening-drive touchdown in four of Las Vegas’ past five games, became too bogged down later in games.

The Raiders scored just four touchdowns on 50 other drives in that same time frame, with three of those TDs coming 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 Nos. 1 and 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 entering this weekend. It was No. 18 in passing and No. 31 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 early in a game was a false narrative.

“I know you like that buzzword,” he said, “but it’s not real. … You go through a plan, you have a plan. So, the guys are dialed into when we’re on the 35-yard line, and these are the things that we’re going to attack them with. When we’re on 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. And there’s nothing different. So, this is how we’re going to open the game, this is how we’re going to continue to play the game, these are the plays off of the plays after we get it and collect information.

“So, there’s not a script. There’s not this laid-out thing. It’s a focus and attention to detail. … We’ve just got to continue to improve on that execution part, making sure that it can sustain for 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 at the Los Angeles Chargers two weeks ago.

Sunday marked the fourth time in the past five campaigns the Raiders have switched coordinators or head coaches in the middle of a season.

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

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