The New York Jets made sweeping changes last week, firing head coach Robert Saleh and demoting offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. In Hackett’s place goes Todd Downing, who was previously the Jets’ passing game coordinator.
We take a look at Downing’s coaching history ahead of his first game as the offensive play-caller for New York.
Everything You Need To Know About Offensive Coordinator Todd Downing
Downing has been an NFL assistant for 22 seasons, though this will be his fourth time calling plays. Here is the complete rundown of Downing’s coaching history:
- 1999-2000: Eden Prairie High School (MN), assistant coach
- 2003-05: Minnesota Vikings, football systems analyst and offensive quality control coach
- 2006-08: St. Louis Rams, defensive/special teams assistant and defensive quality control coach
- 2009-13: Detroit Lions, offensive quality control coach (2009), assistant quarterbacks coach (2010), quarterbacks coach (2011-13)
- 2014: Buffalo Bills, quarterbacks coach
- 2015-17: Oakland Raiders, quarterbacks coach (2015-16), offensive coordinator (2017)
- 2018: Minnesota Vikings, offensive assistant
- 2019-22: Tennessee Titans, tight ends coach (2019-20), offensive coordinator (2021-22)
- 2023-24: New York Jets, passing game coordinator
So, to recap, Downing called plays on offense for the 2017 Raiders and 2021-22 Titans. His most successful team was the 2021 Titans, who ranked 11th in scoring offense and went 12-5 en route to the No. 1 seed in the AFC (lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional Round).
How Long Has Downing Been a Coach for the New York Jets?
Downing joined the staff last season after being fired from the Titans staff following the 2022 season. He was named passing game coordinator, a role he held last season and the first five weeks of this season. When Jeff Ulbrich was named interim head coach, he named Downing his offensive play-caller in place of Hackett.
Coach Ulbrich announced that Todd Downing will be the play caller for Monday night's game against the Bills. pic.twitter.com/nQC08PtLCc
— New York Jets (@nyjets)
How Long Did Nathaniel Hackett Call Plays for the Jets?
After a one-year stint as Denver Broncos head coach in 2022, Hackett joined the Jets’ coaching staff as offensive coordinator in 2023. That was the same offseason that Aaron Rodgers was traded from Green Bay to New York.
Hackett called plays until Week 5 of the 2024 season, following Saleh’s dismissal. Under Hackett, the Jets ranked 29th in scoring offense, 30th in yards per game, and 31st in yards per play.
What Downing Needs To Fix With the Jets’ Offense
Everything starts with getting the Jets’ passing game on track. Rodgers is completing 61.0% of his passes, his second-worst clip in 16 seasons as a starter (excluding his brief cameo in 2023). That’s despite the fact that Rodgers’ aDOT is the second-shortest of his starting career, which should lead to a higher completion percentage.
Rodgers’ lack of connection with top receiver Garrett Wilson has also been perplexing and remains in dire need of improvement. Wilson has averaged -0.17 EPA per target this season, which ranks 76th out of 81 qualifying wide receivers. Remarkably, Wilson averaged 0.05 EPA per target from 2022-23, meaning that he was significantly more efficient while receiving the bulk of his targets from Zach Wilson.
In addition, the Jets’ rushing offense has been one of the worst to date. New York is averaging 3.6 yards per rush, second-worst ahead of only the Dallas Cowboys. Breece Hall was one of the NFL’s most elusive runners his first two seasons from 2022-23, averaging 4.8 yards per rush. But this season, Hall is averaging an abysmal 3.0 yards per rush, which ranks 54th out of 56 qualifiers.
