Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing entered the 2022 season in the dog house in the eyes of fans after a very lackluster first campaign as Tennessee’s play-caller.
And he didn’t help his cause at all in Week 1 after two questionable play calls he made on third-and-1 situations.
The first came in the third quarter when the Titans opted to run the wild cat with Derrick Henry, who subsequently fumbled the snap, which killed the drive and led to a punt.
Later in the game with the Titans clinging to a 20-13 lead with just over six minutes left, Downing called for a handoff to tight end Chig Okonkwo instead of Henry, leading to a loss of four yards and yet another punt.
Not only did the play kill that drive, it also prevented the Titans from having the opportunity to run the clock out to win the game.
Before practice on Friday, Downing took full responsibility.
“That was a bad call,” Downing admitted, per AtoZ Sports Nashville. “I take full responsibility for that call. Played a percentage off of what we had seen from that defense in short yardage. Obviously, had a little miscue earlier in the game on short yardage and got a little too aggressive with that call. Should have gotten something downhill, and that’s on me.”
While Downing’s admission doesn’t erase the blunders, it is a good sign that he realizes his faults. Now, we’ll see if he learns from them.
