Titans OC Downing Gives High Praise For Derek Carr
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback has seen a number of coaching changes throughout his nine-year NFL career.
Carr has led an offense that has been coached by four different offensive coordinators during his time as a Raider.
On Sunday, Las Vegas will be playing on the opposing side of one of those coordinators, Todd Downing, who currently serves as offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans.
Downing was offensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders for the 2017-18 season, the year in which Carr was selected to his third and most recent Pro Bowl.
"Derek and I have a great relationship," Downing said in his media availability on Thursday. "He's a wonderful human being as I know you guys have seen throughout the years. And Derek is one of those guys that is a perfectionist, a pleaser, he wants to try to improve at every turn. So it was really fun coaching him in a manner of which he always wanted more. He always wanted the next thing, he always wanted the next drill, he always wanted the next cut up, and all those things. So as a player, a very dedicated player. As a man, an even more impressive human being and somebody that I consider a close friend."
Downing returned to his role as an offensive coordinator in 2021 when the Titans promoted him from his prior position as tight ends coach. He said he hopes he has improved as an offensive coordinator this time around.
"I hope that I'm more collaborative," Downing said. "I know that my first time in Oakland, there were times I kind of just shut the door and put my head down and tried to figure it all out. And so I hope I'm a little bit more collaborative that way. Secondly, I think I try to anticipate some problems a little bit better. ... And then I think any time you're doing something for the second time, the second go-round, you gain experience, right? You're able to maybe anticipate some in-game things, deal with some relationships maybe different than you did the first time around."
The Silver and Black will look to earn their first win of the 2022-23 season when they face Tennessee at Nissan Stadium at 10 a.m. PST on Sunday.
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