Why Todd Downing's time as Titans' play caller has run its course
Todd Downing’s time as the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator has run its course. Execution isn’t going to be perfect in Week 1, especially with a cast of new pass catchers making their debut for the Titans. However, it’s the play caller’s duty to put his unit in a position to succeed. Downing consistently put the […]
Todd Downing’s time as the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator has run its course.
Execution isn’t going to be perfect in Week 1, especially with a cast of new pass catchers making their debut for the Titans. However, it’s the play caller’s duty to put his unit in a position to succeed.
Downing consistently put the Titans’ offense behind the eight ball in the team’s gut-wrenching 21-20 loss to the visiting New York Giants.
After scoring on three of its first four possessions, the Titans took a 13-0 lead into halftime.
Everything was fine. Until it wasn’t.
The Giants countered early in the third quarter to put the game at 13-6. The Titans’ next drive would be critical in retaining momentum.
On such an important drive one would assume the offensive coordinator would put the ball in the hands of the team’s most dangerous weapons.
Derrick Henry, Robert Woods, Treylon Burks, and Kyle Philips are a few that come to mind.
Instead, Downing kept Henry on the sidelines and ran Dontrell Hilliard twice for eight yards before Tannehill would eventually miss him on third down for a short completion. The Titans went three-and-out.
This was the second drive of the second half. There was no reason as to why Henry was not in the game.
It gets worse.
With under seven minutes remaining in the game, the Titans were faced with a 3rd and 1 from their own 41-yard line. With the best running back in the NFL flanking Tannehill, Downing dialed up a sweep to tight end Chig Okonkwo that went for a loss of four yards.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel sounded frustrated when discussing Downing's decisions after the game. He even referenced a botched 3rd and 1 scenario where Henry dropped the snap, stalling the drive.
The Giants’ took the lead on the next possession and never looked back.
Downing’s failures ultimately reflect on Vrabel.
After Downing’s mind-numbing decisions last season, the team had an excellent opportunity to move on this offseason and put former Texans OC Tim Kelly in charge. Kelly spent the past three seasons calling plays for an overachieving Texans offense.
Kelly, the Titans’ passing game coordinator, was the team’s first choice to replace Arthur Smith after he took the head coaching job for the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.
Unfortunately for the Titans, it was not meant to be as the Texans blocked the team’s request to interview Kelly. Tennessee then made the in-house promotion and settled for Downing.
Vrabel and the team had every chance to rid the offense of Downing’s highly questionable decision making after hiring Kelly in February. But Vrabel, who is loyal to a fault at times, decided to retain Kelly opting for continuity in a pivotal year for the offense.
There is still plenty of time left in the season to hand the play-calling duties over to Kelly, but patience is running thin among Titans fans with a better option already inside the building.
Featured image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY Sports
