Chip Kelly pokes enjoyable at former Oregon Duck Jackson Powers-Johnson

The Las Vegas Raiders have had a disappointing begin to the season, as they maintain a 1-3 report by way of 4 video games. A brand new regime of common supervisor Jon Spytek, head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator and former Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly had excessive hopes of reaching the franchise’s first playoff look since 2021.

That hasn’t gone as deliberate, with the working sport not residing as much as expectations. Former Ducks heart Jackson Powers-Johnson, the 2023 Rimington Trophy winner (awarded to the nation’s most excellent heart), has been on the forefront of the headlines alongside the offensive line.

Powers-Johnson, who was drafted within the second spherical at forty fourth total within the 2024 draft by Las Vegas, began a number of video games at heart throughout his rookie season. But getting into his second yr, Carroll and his employees moved earlier beginning proper guard Jordan Meredith to heart, creating a contest at proper guard between Powers-Johnson and former Cincinnati Bengals veteran Alex Cappa, whom the Raiders signed within the offseason.

The two have every logged vital snaps by way of 4 weeks, because the competitors did not appear to be absolutely completed by the point the season kicked off.

Powers-Johnson was the one on the sector throughout Las Vegas’ greatest speeding day of the season in opposition to the Chicago Bears in Week 4, as they amassed 240 yards on the bottom and a staggering 7.7 yards per carry. The dominant effort earned the previous Duck his second straight begin based on Carroll. It will come in opposition to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Despite incomes the beginning nod, Kelly had a number of intriguing feedback on Powers-Johnson throughout his Thursday press convention.

“Let me just tell you, I love JPJ,” he mentioned. “But, his head’s really big right now… He’s a tough kid, he plays his tail off. He’s a physical player. You know, obviously when he was out, you lose that physicality that he brings.”

While Kelly’s remark got here in a tongue-in-cheek method, it is somewhat telling.

Powers-Johnson wasn’t drafted by Spytek, Carroll or Kelly; as a substitute, he was chosen by the earlier regime, headlined by former common supervisor Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce. That’s actually one thing that may change the dynamic in a coach-player relationship, in addition to the alternatives and possibilities given to a participant.

In Powers-Johnson’s case, it would not look like he is utterly earned the teaching employees’s belief, signaled by their signing of Cappa and resistance to call him a full-season starter. But if he, together with the remainder of the Raiders offensive line, proceed to have explosive performances as they did in Week 4, the outlook is shiny for the previous Oregon standout.

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