Over the last 3 weeks, Mike Shula's offense has averaged less points...

[beastson]

Only a handful of people keep mentioning talent given to Shula. We put up 10 lousy points at home in the playoffs

 

0-3 in the redzone and we had the talent

 

Come on. If this was any other team that don't accept mediocrity, Shula HIGHLY likely wouldn't have been hired in the first place and he'll be gone 

[mav1234]

It doesn't matter if Hue Jackson is also doing poorly.  Shula is not a good OC.

[Harris Aballah]

I can't speak for anyone else but a ball control offense is not what I have an issue with.  San Diego runs a ball control offense.  San Francisco runs a ball control offense.  Seattle runs a ball control offense.  

The problem with Shula is the stubbornness that is evident through his playcalling.  His refusal to adapt and change as seen by his never-ending commitment to running the read option (see: last Thursday night).  I get what you are saying and right.  If we had better talent on offense, would the results be better?  Absolutely, but that doesn't change the fact Shula is a poor playcaller.  We would be succeeding in spite of him.  

 

Now like you have said Shula isn't the only problem with this team.  Offensive line is miserable.  QB has been inconsistent (we are running him way too much).  WRs just aren't playmakers outside of Kelvin Benjamin, who is inconsistent himself.  RBs can't stay healthy and don't have a lot of room to work with as far as running lanes go.  So we have several issues aside from Shula.  But Shula is still a poor coordinator.

If you spend the entire summer developing a gameplan and then the guys start dropping like flies? And every week you are make shifting an oline with 3rd and 4th string guys who had no idea they were playing that week? Then the same situation week to week with rb's? When the gameplan that you spent 5 days developing doesn't work? What would you possibly be adapting too? In all honesty, they are probably adapting as each game is played? But it won't show if you're oline is on rollerskates the entire game. Or your star qb is terrified of his blindside on every play. Even the one's you just adapted to. Plain and simple..., You cannot execute plays if they have no time to develop.

 Its not that I really want to defend Shula. But I cannot make a fair assessment of the guy, when dealing with these sorts of circumstances. And the truth is, who really would be successful in this environment? OC's pick teams that suit their strengths. I promise you that there has never been an OC itching to take a job that has no rb's or oline. If anything, Shula has the right to be mad more than any of us. He is not coaching his team. Or at least, only a fraction of it.

 After taking a 1 and 3 team to the playoffs last year..., I think the guy deserves a little bit of our respect. Firing your OC will not magically make the oline better. I would love to see us winning games and going to the playoffs. But firing Shula does not make that task any easier. In fact, I think it would set us back further than any of us want to go.

[SCP]

can for once someone just express their whole statement in the title?

I agree...

[SCP]

can for once someone just express their whole statement in the title?

With this

[KillerKat]

The problem is that you actually are serious.  How about because Dorsey and Ramsdell have never acted in the role of a offensive coordinator and called one game in their lives.  Your dislike for Shula is clouding your judgement and making you say things that really undermine whatever credibility you might have.

How much more evidence do you need to understand that Shula is terrible? He's about as worse as it can get. It can't get much worse. I'm sure 3 minds collectively could at least be a little bit better.

You have no room to talk about credibility after hanging onto Delhomme's, Fox's, Henning's, Turdovac's nuts for so long.

[KillerKat]

Now that's the real question. Now here's another: is Rivera just a less animated Fox? Or was it Hurney that wanted to bring back 70's football? I have my own idea but would like to hear yours.

Im sure our tradition of keeping DCs as head coaches doesn't help much as far as having a competent OC.

[Jangler]

why is snot thicker in winter?

 

 

discuss

[prowler2k8]

I am just presenting the facts.  Something in short supply around here this season .Everyone can make their own assessment.  But now you have actual numbers and facts instead of speculation and the old eyeball test which is considered the gold standard here but in other arenas like eyewitness testimony is considered highly unreliable.

 

Maybe you should take a que from JR and draw up a pie chart j/k. Sorry couldn't resist after I saw that photo.

[AceBoogie]

You can cherry pick all kinds of interesting stuff.

You could cherry pick a 3 game stretch where Carolina averaged 33 pts per game last season.

When your OL looks like the one Shula has....there isn't much point in talking about the coordinator IMO.

Good coordinators design plays to make up for the lack of talent on their team. Any guy can sit up there and call plays, but if you know your offensive line is crap then put your QB in better situations.

[BuffaloBills62]

Read this entire thread and the thought that crossed my mine is Kevin Gilbride.  Known as Kevin Killdrive for much of his career in Bufalo and early NY he eventually lead the Giants to two Super Bowls.

 

Some times it is not the OC.  Some times it is the pieces.  I think it's as much a mixture of both as much as Shula is to blame.

[teeray]

Read this entire thread and the thought that crossed my mine is Kevin Gilbride. Known as Kevin Killdrive for much of his career in Bufalo and early NY he eventually lead the Giants to two Super Bowls.

Some times it is not the OC. Some times it is the pieces. I think it's as much a mixture of both as much as Shula is to blame.

OCs are almost always overly criticized and scapegoated by fanbases

[Mojo]

Red zone inefficiency

Lack of checkdown options in most times

Always ranked in bottom 3rd of league as far as scoring

Inability/Unwillingness to make quick adjustments

Inept against 3-4 defenses

Misuse of 'no huddle' when it has worked well for us

Little versatility

 

I'm sorry but I don't see us going far with a Rivera/Shula combo.  Maybe with a different head coach things would balance themselves out, but Rivera is the coach we have and we need to improve our offensive coordinator and take advantage of having one of the most dynamic talents in the NFL.  Yes, the line is far less than ideal, but calling long developing plays isn't really conducive to dealing with that issue.

 

I really don't see how anyone can say this situation doesn't need to be improved.  Shula's history involves him being fired for the very reasons I listed.  Time after time.   Why settle for that?  

[Peppers90 NC]

without being at practices to know for sure about the quality of preparation our staff provides, but from the rumors of a very lax environment I would say that and execution are both worse than plays being called.