Disastrous ex-Titans OC Todd Downing almost got another chance as play-caller

Things have been so bad for the New York Jets lately that the team was reportedly even considering naming Todd Downing, the former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator who serves as the team's passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, as play-caller.

According to SNY's Connor Hughes, current head coach Robert Saleh, who was suddenly fired on Tuesday, planned to demote offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and put Downing in charge of the game. But just five minutes after this decision, Saleh was sent off.

When asked about the possibility of a player move following Saleh's dismissal, interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said he did not foresee any personnel changes when speaking to the media on Tuesday.

“Everything will be evaluated – the process, responsibilities, etc., but I don’t expect any changes in staff,” he said.

Considering the timing of the decision and the timing of Saleh's firing, one could assume that the decision to go to Downing was the final straw for owner Woody Johnson.

That likely would have left quarterback Aaron Rodgers upset given his relationship with Hackett, which would have been the biggest issue Saleh would have faced with such a decision.

The other problem would have been that Downing just isn't a good playmaker. He showed how bad he can be over two years at the helm of the Titans' offense, as Tennessee flaunted the No. 15 scoring unit in 2021 and then the No. 28 offense in 2022.

Downing's offenses lacked creativity and were as predictable as they could get. Former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel foolishly stuck with Downing despite what everyone saw, and the team paid dearly for it.

He also had a terrible time as the Raiders' offensive coordinator during the 2017 season, when the team's offense finished 23rd in scoring.

Downing also had off-field issues during his stay in Nashville. After the Titans finally had a good game against the Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers in 2022, Downing was arrested for drunk driving in the hours after the game.

The fact that Downing got another job that even remotely resembled an NFL offense after what we saw with the Titans was shocking to say the least, but this is the Jets we're talking about.

What's even more ridiculous is the fact that New York hired Hackett and Downing in the same year after they were among the worst players in the NFL. Of course, Hackett was coming off his disastrous stint with the Denver Broncos, where his offense was even worse than Downing's and ranked last in the NFL in 2022.