Raiders coach Del Rio says he ‘believes’ in OC Todd Downing
ALAMEDA, Calif. — This wouldn’t be a popular statement, Jack Del Rio acknowledged Wednesday.
Oh well. He said it anyway.
The Raiders coach praised Todd Downing, his first-year offensive coordinator who is thought maybe to be his last-year offensive coordinator. And there’s the fact of the matter. Kind words are fine. They’re notable. More telling, though, will be what transpires next week.
Del Rio has a decision to finalize.
The team carried high expectations for its offense entering the season. With one game to go, it hasn’t met them. There are a number of reasons as to why, reasons that extend far beyond any learning curve for a young coach widely regarded as having a bright NFL future. It certainly wouldn’t be difficult for Del Rio to make the case to keep Downing.
Wednesday began to sound like one.
“Obviously, a lot of things have gone on in a negative direction,” Del Rio said in a news conference, shortly after lamenting players’ inconsistent execution this season. “But I do know the guy is super bright. He’s going to be a really good coach in this league. I believe in him. Those are not things that people want to hear right now because the reality is we’ve underperformed offensively this year. So naturally there’s going to be those kinds of questions. I think we all understand that. I understand it. He understands it.
“But it doesn’t change my belief. It’s what I know. There have been a tough set of circumstances, and things have not gone real smooth.”
Downing was promoted from quarterbacks coach to coordinator in January, replacing Bill Musgrave. The two coordinators commanded largely the same offensive personnel. They did so, however, under entirely different circumstances. It could be argued this difference has resulted, from a public perception standpoint, in an inaccurate romanticization of what transpired in 2016 under Musgrave and unfair demonization of life under Downing.
Under Musgrave, the Raiders’ defense forced 30 takeaways, second-most in the NFL. Under Downing, that number is 14, fourth-fewest. The defense did not record an interception until its 11th game in 2017. The streak of 10 games to start a season without a pick easily set an NFL record. The previous mark was six.
Downing could not control that.
Under Musgrave, the Raiders opened 18 drives inside their opponent’s 40-yard line, tying them with the Arizona Cardinals for the NFL’s most such opportunities. Those possessions resulted in 16 scores, half of which were touchdowns. Under Downing, Oakland has started six drives inside its opponent’s 40, tied for sixth-fewest.
Downing could not control that.
This year, the Raiders recorded three touchdowns and two field goals in those six tries. The only non-score came during the fourth quarter of Monday’s 19-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Running back Jalen Richard caught an 8-yard pass to the 16-yard line but fumbled. It was the NFL-high sixth time in 2017 the Raiders lost a fumble following a completed pass. There were no such fumbles lost last year.
Downing could not control that.
And then, there are the imprecise routes. There are the dropped passes and the other aspects of poor execution that Del Rio bemoaned. Despite them, the Raiders have converted 40 percent of third downs, up from 37.7 under Musgrave. They have scored a touchdown on 62.5 percent of 32 red-zone trips, up from 57.1 on 46.
This is Downing’s first year as coordinator.
It is not preposterous to prognosticate a second.
“For the first time going out there doing it, I think he did a great job of preparing us,” Carr said Wednesday. “I think he did a great job of creating a plan to scheme things open and all those kinds of things. Obviously, there are things he’ll tell you that he learned and wants to do better. I don’t know what those things are because I’ve never called plays. But I do know us as players could have helped him more. We could have helped him with our execution.”
Said right tackle Marshall Newhouse: “If you’re not here every day, then you just don’t know. There is not a binary reason for the way things are going. … TD is really bright. He cares about the players. I agree with Coach. He’s only going to go up. I believe in him. I like him.”
Ultimately, Del Rio has final say
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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
