Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing is under increasing pressure with his unit struggling and is coaching for his job down the stretch. He is unlikely to be back with the team in 2018 at this point and the situation could come to a head before then, with Oakland already firing its defensive coordinator, Ken Norton, last week.
Downing has had a difficult first season on the job, with quarterback Derek Carr and receiver Amari Cooper failing to play at the level they have in the past, and with players growing frustrated with the coordinator, sources said. There are significant concerns with the state of the offense and Downing has not endeared himself to many in the building, sources said.
Downing 37, has flourished in a quarterback coach role in the past, and spent the previous two seasons in that capacity in Oakland, with Carr thriving and getting rewarded with a massive contract extension. But the offense has failed to find an identity this season, the big plays that punctuated the attack in past seasons have not materialized and Carr's play has suffered as well.
The overall experience of the Raiders' offensive and defensive coordinator have been something of an issue there, and with head coach Jack Del Rio getting a lucrative contract extension prior to the season, it's very unlikely ownership would make a move there. However, the construction of the staff is expected to look much different in 2018, with Del Rio likely to look for more proven coaches on both sides of the ball. One possibility on offense is Mike McCoy, who Denver just let go as its offensive coordinator,
With a defense that has been among the league's worst in recent years, and most of the team's big money sunk into the offense (quarterback and offensive line, specifically), there is an onus on that group will be prolific. But the Raiders go into Week 12 ranked just 18th in offensive points scored, they rank just 21st in yards per game, 22nd in plays of 10 yards or more. They are 27th in rushing yards and rank 21st in overall passing.
The Raiders have been one of the NFL's bigger disappointments, with a 4-6 record to this point, and fading playoff hopes in the AFC. Getting back to the postseason would likely require them catching the Chiefs for the AFC West title, and there has been rancor among the players this week over Norton being let go, with some believing the offense is under-performing and changes should have begun on that side of the ball.
