Todd Downing enters his fourth season with the Titans, his 22nd NFL season and his 24th season in coaching. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021 after initially joining the Titans in 2019 as tight ends coach.

Todd Downing enters his fourth season with the Titans, his 22nd NFL season and his 24th season in coaching. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021 after initially joining the Titans in 2019 as tight ends coach.

In 2021, the Titans offense ranked fifth in rushing (141.4 yards per game) despite missing reigning NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry for nine games due to injury. Henry led the NFL with 937 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in the first eight weeks of the season before landing on injured reserve. In Henry's absence, running backs D'Onta Foreman (566 rushing yards) and Dontrell Hilliard (350) each set career highs in rushing.

Meanwhile, quarterback Ryan Tannehill placed third on the franchise's single-season passing charts in attempts (531), completions (357) and completion percentage (67.2) in 2021, and his 3,734 passing yards ranked fourth all-time.

The 2021 offense ranked eighth on third down (43.6 percent), fifth in the red zone (63.9 percent) and first in goal-to-go efficiency (87.5 percent) despite injuries causing the Titans to tie for the league high with 39 total players used on offense. They had 25 offensive players with at least one scrimmage touch, which tied for the league's third-highest total.

While Downing coached the tight ends from 2019 to 2020, their 21 touchdowns tied for the third-highest total in the NFL among tight end groups. Over those two seasons the Titans tight ends also produced the league's seventh-best receiving yardage total (1,915) and tied for the eighth-best reception total (170).

Among their peers in 2020, the Titans tight end corps ranked second in total touchdowns (14), third in touchdown receptions (12), sixth in receptions (94) and ninth in receiving yards (967). Jonnu Smith tied the franchise single-season record for tight ends with eight touchdown catches, which also tied for third place in the NFL in 2020. Emerging playmaker Anthony Firkser also set career highs with 39 receptions and 387 yards. The tight end corps, which also featured MyCole Pruitt and Geoff Swaim, played a pivotal role in Henry's 2,027-yard rushing season.

In Downing's initial campaign with the team, the Titans tight ends totaled 76 receptions and seven touchdowns as a group. Downing helped Smith set career highs in receptions (35) and yards (439). Firkser (15 games) and Pruitt (10 starts) also saw the most extensive playing time of their careers, as Pro Bowl veteran Delanie Walker was limited to only seven total games due to injuries. The tight ends played an integral role in the Titans finishing third in the NFL in rushing offense (138.9 yards per game).

Downing joined the Titans after spending 2018 with the Minnesota Vikings as tight ends coach. In his one season with Downing, Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Rudolph posted the second-highest reception (64) and yardage totals (634) of his eight-year career. Downing was initially hired as a senior offensive assistant in the spring before being named the tight ends coach near the start of training camp.

Downing served as the Raiders offensive coordinator in 2017 after spending two years as quarterbacks coach. During his Raiders tenure, he helped Derek Carr earn three consecutive Pro Bowl berths (2015-17).

In 2016, Downing helped the Raiders offense finish sixth in the NFL in total offense (373.3 yards per game) while Carr enjoyed a career year. Carr finished with 3,937 yards on 357-of-560 passing (63.8 percent) with 28 touchdowns, six interceptions and a passer rating of 96.7. In Week 8 against Tampa Bay, he set the franchise record with 513 passing yards in the team's overtime victory, the second time a Downing-coached quarterback surpassed 500 yards in a game (Matthew Stafford on Jan. 1, 2012).

Carr's 2016 campaign was highlighted by seven fourth quarter/overtime comeback and game-winning drives in 2016. His seven such games ranked second in the NFL in 2016 and set a new franchise single-season record. Carr also became the first quarterback in NFL history with five game-winning touchdown passes in the fourth quarter/overtime in a single season. He was named the Castrol Edge Clutch Performer of the Year.

In his first season with Oakland, Downing helped Carr post one of the most prolific passing campaigns in team history on his way to becoming the first quarterback to represent the Raiders in the Pro Bowl since 2002. For his efforts with the position group in 2015, Downing was named Pro Football Focus' Quarterbacks Coach of the Year. Raiders quarterbacks combined for the second-most passing touchdowns (34) and the third-most passing yards (4,129) in team history.

Prior to joining the Raiders, Downing coached quarterbacks for the Buffalo Bills in 2014 after coaching for the Detroit Lions from 2009 to 2013. Downing served as the Lions offensive quality control coach in 2009, assistant quarterbacks coach in 2010 and quarterbacks coach from 2011-13.

In Downing's three seasons as quarterbacks coach in Detroit, Stafford started all 48 games and passed for at least 4,600 yards and 20 touchdowns each year, including a 5,000-yard, 41-touchdown season in 2011, which led to the Lions' first playoff berth since 1999. Under Downing's tutelage, Stafford went on to become the franchise leader in attempts, completions and passing yards, and he ranked second in touchdowns with 109 by the end of 2013.

Before working exclusively with quarterbacks, Downing served as a defensive assistant and assistant special teams coach with the St. Louis Rams in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, he was named assistant secondary/defensive quality control coach in St. Louis.

Downing got his start in the NFL with Minnesota, where he worked as an intern and coaching assistant from 2001-02 and as a football systems analyst from 2003-04. He was named offensive quality control coach for the Vikings in 2005. He helped the Vikings achieve top-five offfensive finishes in three years (2003-05) and a playoff appearance in 2004.

Before he entered the NFL ranks, Downing began his coaching career with his high school alma mater, Eden Prairie High School, from 1999 to 2000. In 2000, he helped lead the Eagles to the Minnesota Class 5-A State Title.

Downing studied business communications at the University of Minnesota. He played quarterback for a semi-pro team, the Minnesota Maulers, from 2000-03.

Todd Downing's Coaching Timeline:

2021-22: Offensive Coordinator, Tennessee Titans

2019-20: Tight Ends, Tennessee Titans

2018: Tight Ends, Minnesota Vikings

2017: Offensive Coordinator, Oakland Raiders

2015-16: Quarterbacks, Oakland Raiders

2014: Quarterbacks, Buffalo Bills

2011-13: Quarterbacks, Detroit Lions

2010: Assistant Quarterbacks, Detroit Lions

2009: Offensive Quality Control, Detroit Lions

2008: Assistant Secondary/Quality Control, St. Louis Rams

2006-07: Defensive Assistant/Assistant Special Teams, St. Louis Rams

2005: Quality Control – Offense, Minnesota Vikings

2003-04: Football Systems Analyst, Minnesota Vikings

2001-02: Intern/Assistant, Minnesota Vikings

1999-2000: Assistant Coach, Eden Prairie (Minn.) High School