ALAMEDA — Has Todd Downing been a disaster, or simply an offensive coordinator in need of some prime field position to operate at the level of his predecessor Bill Musgrave?
The Raiders have dropped from No. 6 in total offense to No. 21, are less explosive and scoring more infrequently under Downing, with Sunday’s match-up against Denver gaining added scrutiny since the Broncos promoted Musgrave from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.
Quarterback Derek Carr did his best to dispel any talk that Musgrave’s departure was in part because of a strained relationship with his young quarterback.
“I went to two Pro Bowls with coach Musgrave,” Carr said.