ALAMEDA – Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing is running a system Bill Musgrave installed in 2015.
Downing has put his stamp on it since being promoted from quarterbacks coach last winter and certainly has a different play calling style, but he didn't burn it to the ground and start fresh.
"Honestly tweak-wise, there's not a lot of tweaks," Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said. "Game plan wise and things, we do things a little different. We call things differently now obviously because he's in the division. But route concept-wise and things like that, we do a lot of the same similar stuff. Any time there's a change, a coach is always going to have their tweaks."
Even so, Musgrave might feel like he's looking into a mirror Sunday afternoon when the Raiders play Denver at Oakland Coliseum. He'll watch his offense work from the other sideline, calling plays from Mike McCoy's selections.
This odd arrangement stems from Jack Del Rio's decision to let Musgrave's contract expire after two years as Raiders offensive coordinator. He promoted the in-demand Downing to that post, which left Musgrave to gain employment as Denver's quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to OC on Monday, when McCoy got fired after Denver lost its sixth straight.
Fans didn't love Musgrave when he was in Oakland. They long for him now. The Raiders ranked sixth in total offense and seventh in scoring last year. Now they're 21st and 20th, respectively, in those categories.
Having Musgrave calling plays for the enemy adds some intrigue to the matchup, though this isn't a mentor-protégé matchup. Count Scott Linehan and Mike Tice as Downing's primary professors. Those influences stand out most in Downing's style, but Musgrave's influence as a play caller exists in a small dose.
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"I think there are elements of it. I won't say personality traits, but maybe nuances of the game that you naturally talk to through as a coordinator and quarterback coach," Downing said. "So, those experiences are kind of lived through the other coordinator. We were together for two years. I have some other influences that probably shape my play calling more than that."
There's a high level of respect between the two men, and Downing certainly appreciates his time working under Musgrave.
"He's a very detailed guy. He likes to simplify and let the guys go execute. That was certainly something that I respected about the way he went through a game plan process. If there was something that wasn't working itself out through the course of the practice week, we'd eliminate it or not run it on Sunday. Definitely picked that up.
"He has a broad scope understanding of offense. Being a quarterback as he is, or a former quarterback as he is, he's not just a pass game guy. He has a good understanding of the run game and a good respect for the guys upfront being able to move the line of scrimmage. Definitely something that I admire and wanted to emulate."
Downing and Musgrave won't face each other directly. That'll be new Raiders play caller John Pagano.
He took over Tuesday after Ken Norton's firing, but doesn't mean he's new to the matchup. Pagano was the Chargers' defensive coordinator from 2012-16, and faced Musgrave twice a year the past two seasons. Musgrave won every matchup.
Pagano might look at Denver's scheme and Musgrave's tendencies when trying to silence the Broncos on Sunday.
"You always have to understand what he's about and what little things pop into my head from seeing him, but you still have to go based off of what you're seeing right now, the film that you're seeing, the plays you're going off of," Pagano said. "You have to be prepared for everything. He does a great job and he always has those guys ready to play and there is always going to be something new."
