For Todd Downing, one of the benefits of remaining with the Raiders as the new offensive coordinator is continuing to work with quarterback Derek Carr, who finished third in the MVP voting.
“He had my vote,” Downing said, “but nobody called and asked for it.”
After two seasons as Oakland’s quarterbacks coach, Downing, 36, was promoted last month while other teams considered interviewing him to be their offensive coordinator.
Downing’s predecessor, Bill Musgrave, was the casualty despite overseeing the league’s sixth-ranked offense. He’s now the Broncos’ QB coach.
In a Wednesday conference call, Downing explained how his promotion came about, and said he wants Carr, who orchestrated seven fourth-quarter comebacks, to have a bigger voice during game preparation.