Titans HC Mike Vrabel supports OC Todd Downing after loss to Bengals

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing has become somewhat of a target among fans after his unit managed to score only 16 points in Saturday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals that bounced the AFC's No. 1 seed from the postseason after a single home game. While speaking with reporters Monday, Titans coach Mike Vrabel went to bat for Downing and suggested the club's former tight ends coach, who was promoted to his current role for the 2021 campaign, isn't going anywhere. 

"He's a great coach. I think he's a hard worker. (There are) always gonna be calls you'd like to have back and plays you like to have back but I don't evaluate things," Vrabel said of Downing, according to Chase Goodbread of the NFL's website. "Try to see how guys communicate with each other, the players, are we all on the same page? Is there good communication? How do we do on third down? How do we do in the red zone? Things have to better in all three phases each and every year. But, I love the relationship that Todd has with the assistant coaches and the players and we'll all continue to improve."

The first order of business for Downing and Vrabel this offseason may be to scheme ways to keep All-Pro running back Derrick Henry as healthy as possible. Henry missed the second half of the campaign because of a foot injury that Vrabel said is "fully healed," and he went for 62 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in the loss to Cincinnati. 

While one can understand why some fans may feel frustrated over the offense's lack of production under Downing on Saturday, the argument could be made that he deserves plenty of praise for getting the best out of a roster that was without Henry and also star wide receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown throughout the fall because of injury issues.