Tag: Todd Downing

Mike Vrabel sheds light on Tim Kelly’s 2022 role, why he wasn’t promoted in-season

Mike Vrabel shed some light on what Tim Kelly’s role was in 2022, and why he didn’t promote him during the season.

New Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly served as the team’s passing-game coordinator in 2022, but we didn’t know exactly what he was responsible for during his first season in Nashville.

But head coach Mike Vrabel shed some light on how the former Houston Texans offensive coordinator helped out the offense last season in a press conference following the announcement of the move.

Well, how he tried to help out the offense.

Vrabel explained that Kelly worked with tight ends in practice, something we saw regularly, but he also helped out with preparation, and in particular when it came to early-down passes.

It’s funny Vrabel mentions early downs, because the Titans’ offense under Todd Downing was criminally run-heavy and predictable in that area.

As Tennessee’s offense seemed to hit a new low every week in 2022, Titans fans were begging for Kelly to get the interim tag to see if he could elevate the unit, which would also give him an audition for the gig.

That never happened and instead Vrabel stuck it out with Downing. He explained his reasoning for that decision on Tuesday, also.

“I don’t know if during the season anything really would’ve mattered,” Vrabel said, per Nick Suss of The Tennessean. “I really don’t. I think that what I’m focused on is where we go from here.”

It’s true Kelly would’ve been up against it with the crap the Titans ran out there last year, but even knowing that, his inevitable struggles in said situation would’ve made this promotion a lot harder to justify.

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Ex-Titans OC Todd Downing serving time for November DUI arrest

Former Titans OC Todd Downing is currently serving time for his November DUI arrest.

Former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing is serving time in jail stemming from his DUI and speeding arrest in November.

According to multiple reports, Downing turned himself in to Williamson County jail on Tuesday, where he’ll reside until 10 a.m. CT on Feb. 2.

Downing’s arrest occurred on Nov. 18 in Tennessee, when he was cited for both DUI and speeding in the morning hours following the team’s win over the Green Bay Packers, which was the team’s last of the 2022 season.

Downing, who was originally hired as tight ends coach in 2019, took over as offensive coordinator in 2021 for Arthur Smith, who went on to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Tennessee’s offense struggled over those two years, eventually leading to him being fired at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign. The Titans have yet to hire his replacement and have been quiet on that front after some early interview requests.

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Titans’ biggest winners and losers from 2022: Offense

The Titans biggest winners and losers on offense from 2022.

In our first installment of winners and losers from the entire 2022 season, we take a look at the most notable Tennessee Titans players to land on either side of the aisle (or somewhere in between).

The Titans’ offense was dreadful overall in 2022, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Here’s a look at the team’s rankings:

Total yards: 30th

Passing yards:  30th

Rushing yards: 13th

Points per game: 28th

Big yikes. Even the Titans’ strength, the rushing attack, wasn’t it’s normal elite self in 2022.

Thank the football gods, the Titans finally made the decision to fire Todd Downing, which some would argue was a season too late. Fans have been calling for his head since 2021, and I can’t say I blame them.

There were no shortage of losers on offense for Tennessee this past season, but there were also some glimmers of hope to talk about. Let’s see who were the most notable winners and losers from the Titans’ 2022 campaign.

Titans fans elated after Todd Downing gets fired

Titans fans are very happy that the Todd Downing era in Nashville is over.

The Tennessee Titans fanbase is about as happy as one could be following an epic collapse in the division and the team missing the playoffs after it was announced the Titans were firing Todd Downing.

The team made the announcement on Monday evening, parting ways with the embattled offensive coordinator after his two seasons at the helm.

The move needs no justification. We’ve all seen what has played out with the offense in each of the past two years. Granted, the issues extended beyond Downing’s play-calling, but he was no doubt a major problem himself.

Downing wasn’t the only coach the Titans parted ways with on Monday, as the team also fired offensive line coach Keith Carter, secondary coach Anthony Midget, and offensive skill assistant Erik Frazier.

But the Downing firing is the one that matters most. As you’d expect, Titans fans were thrilled when news came down that their favorite team will have a new play-caller in 2023.

Titans fire Todd Downing, Keith Carter among 4 coaches

The Titans have fired Todd Downing, Keith Carter and two others.

The Tennessee Titans have finally made the move fans were hoping for: the team has fired offensive coordinator Todd Downing, along with three other coaches.

The team made the announcement on Monday evening, also revealing that offensive line coach Keith Carter, secondary coach Anthony Midget and offensive skill assistant Erik Frazier were given pink slips.

“I want to thank Todd, Keith, Anthony and Erik for their service and commitment to our team over their time here in Tennessee,” head coach Vrabel said in a statement. “Each of them made an impact on our organization, were dedicated to the process and loyal members of our coaching staff.”

Downing took over from wildly-successful former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who left to take the Atlanta Falcons’ head-coaching job following two successful seasons.

Since then, Tennessee’s offense has fallen off big time. Under Downing, the Titans went from elite offenses in 2019 and 2020, to around average in 2021 to one of the worst in the NFL in 2022.

Granted, injuries and a ton of personnel changes in those two years no doubt played a part, but Downing also wasn’t good at his job and there was never a time we could say his play-calling elevated this offense in either year.

The embattled former offensive coordinator also ran into trouble off the field, when he was arrested for a DUI back in November following the Titans’ last win of the season in Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers.

Carter served as the offensive line coach from 2018-22. During that time, the Titans saw some absolutely putrid offensive line play in pass protection. It wasn’t all Carter’s fault, though, as injuries and bad personnel decisions upfront also contributed.

Whatever the case may be, the Titans definitely needed some new blood on the offensive coaching staff, so this is definitely the right start.

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Titans’ snap counts takeaways from Week 18

Jack Gibbens not only started over Dylan Cole, he also out-snapped Monty Rice.

The Tennessee Titans’ 2022 season ending on Saturday night was no doubt a bittersweet moment for fans, who went through a lot this year.

Sure, it was a heartbreaking loss that came at the hands of a division rival and completed an embarrassing collapse, but now the Titans get a better draft pick than they otherwise would have, which will help the coming revamp.

Also on the bright side, we’ve likely seen the last of offensive coordinator Todd Downing (he MUST be fired), and we’ve definitely seen the last of Dennis Daley and this offensive line as a whole.

Speaking of Downing, one of the many issues he’s had is terrible personnel decisions, something we saw once again on Saturday night. However, there was also one good takeaway from the snap counts, as well as an interesting one.

First we’ll show you the snap counts on both sides of the ball, then underneath that are the biggest takeaways from them.

Titans’ winners and losers from season-ending loss to Jaguars

Chig finished his rookie season strong with an impressive touchdown reception in Week 18.

The Tennessee Titans’ long, frustrating season has finally come to an end, and now the franchise will turn its attention to the offseason, where there are so many questions to answer.

What a roller coaster ride it was, from the A.J. Brown trade back at the 2022 NFL draft, to a surprising 7-3 record and a comfortable division lead, to the firing of Jon Robinson and subsequent completion of one of the more epic collapses in league history.

Where the Titans need to improve is crystal clear, but how they go about improving in those areas, and if they can be successful in doing so, remains to be seen.

But before we start looking ahead to what will no doubt be an interesting offseason filled with change (at least I hope), let’s see who emerged from Saturday night’s loss as winners or losers.

Titans happy with Malik Willis’ growth ahead of Week 16

Todd Downing believes the Titans can open up the playbook a little more thanks to Malik Willis’ growth.

The Tennessee Titans are all but certain to turn to rookie quarterback Malik Willis in Week 16 against the Houston Texans after starter Ryan Tannehill reportedly suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 15.

This won’t be Malik Willis’ first rodeo, though, as the Liberty product made a pair of starts earlier in the season when Tannehill was forced to miss two games.

We did see some flashes from Willis in those starts, but it was clear overall he still needed a lot of work. Going into the third start of his career, the Titans are praising Willis for the growth he has shown.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said the rookie looked more comfortable in the lone series he played on Sunday, and on Wednesday offensive coordinator Todd Downing explained why Willis looked more comfortable.

“Not only in his confidence and his command of the huddle,” Downing said “But also just how he diagnoses defenses, and our conversations — the conversations I’ve had with him the last couple of days are different than they were six-to-eight weeks ago — so I’ve been very pleased with how hard he’s worked and the progress he’s made this year,”

“I think he got in and out of the huddle well, I think he got through his progressions well,” Downing added. “That drive, like many of our drives on Sunday, derailed with a penalty that got us into a behind-the-sticks situation. And that’s going to be hard for anybody, particularly somebody who was kind of thrown in the spur of the moment.”

Thanks to the progression the Titans have seen from Willis, Downing also said it allows the team to open up the playbook more.

“You could tell the way he commanded the huddle was a lot different than when he did back against the Texans and Chiefs,” rookie tight end Chig Okonkwo said of Willis from his first starts to his latest outing in Week 15. “It seems like he felt a lot more comfortable, and a lot more confident, as well. He’s obviously a lot smarter — the things he’s learned, and he’s got more of a feel for the game.”

While Willis will no doubt be up against it with a bad offensive line and wide receiver corps., one thing he has going for him is familiarity, as one of his two starts this season came against the Houston Texans.

“I think that is fair,” Vrabel said of the idea that familiarity with the Texans can help Willis. “Not only that but just the comfort level of having been out there [previously].”

“That was in the past,” Willis said of his previous start against Houston. “It’s about going out there and trying to prepare for this week. [The Texans] have been playing some hard games against these last few teams they’ve been playing. We just have to expect that.”

While the injury to Tannehill is extremely unfortunate, it does give the Titans an opportunity to get an early, extended look at the man who could be the future of the franchise in a season the Titans were going nowhere anyway.

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Biggest takeaways from Titans’ Week 15 loss to Chargers

The biggest takeaways from the Titans’ Week 15 loss.

The Tennessee Titans’ Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Chargers went the same way most contests have gone for head coach Mike Vrabel’s squad this season.

Despite giving up the game-winning field goal late, the defense held up its own end of the bargain, especially considering how banged-up the unit was coming into this game.

However, the offense couldn’t make that impressive effort stand thanks to a lackluster showing that led to just 14 points in what has become commonplace for a lost Titans team.

We’ll dive more into that here in a minute, but there were a few other big takeaways from the Week 15 loss and, surprise, surprise, neither of them are good, either.

Titans must use same logic with Todd Downing as they did with Jon Robinson

Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk didn’t want to delay the inevitable when it came to Jon Robinson, and she should use that same logic with Todd Downing, Shaun Calderon writes.

Last week, Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk caught everyone off guard when she fired general manager Jon Robinson in the middle of the season.

The firing came after three questionable offseasons in a row that ultimately culminated in the owner being forced to watch a former fan-favorite go bonkers against the team that drafted him.

Adams Strunk indicated that the reason for this firing was that she had made up her mind regarding which way she was going to go with the general manager position moving forward.

Rather than just sitting on the decision and delaying the inevitable, which she said wasn’t fair for all parties involved, she decided to pull the band-aid off sooner rather than later.

That is a completely fair and logical explanation as to why she made the move when she did.

However, using her logic, the same should be done when it comes to the offensive coordinator position.

You’d have to imagine that the eventual move to make this offseason would be to fire offensive coordinator Todd Downing. It has become very evident that this Downing experiment has not only run its course, but has far overstayed its welcome at this point.

There’s also a relatively strong chance that the team will at least consider former Houston Texans offensive coordinator and current Titans passing-game coordinator Tim Kelly for the job.

Therefore, why not let him get a head start and at least see what he can do beforehand instead of possibly giving him the job blindly?

That way, if it doesn’t go well, at least Adams Strunk can quickly cross one candidate off the list and won’t have to second guess herself about going with an external candidate if Tennessee were to pass on Kelly.

Even if it’s not Kelly, if there’s anyone on staff that the Titans are genuinely intrigued by, they should be allowed the opportunity to see what they can do over whatever’s left of the 2022 season.

Of course, the big roadblock here is Mike Vrabel, who may not be on board with such a move. If that’s the case, he and Adams Strunk need to have a long, hard conversation.

Tennessee’s lifeless passing attack and deteriorating ground game need a shot in the arm in the worst possible way. At this point, the only way to do that is to make a change, which would show that the owner is consistent with her logic of not waiting around to do the inevitable.

There’s no telling if this will even fix anything, but it’s become crystal clear that sitting around and hoping for improvement isn’t doing the trick, either.

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