Mike Shula - update for the haters

[KSpan]

With any other QB in this league besides Cam over the past 3 years, behind these OLs and using these WRs, Shula would have been on the street, out of a job long ago.

Not really sure what your point is. There's a reason Cam just got a $100M extension, and that's because the guy is a star. That's not Shula's fault, and while I agree that he is probably an average OC there is no doubt that the players have bought into it.

[CarolinaXblue]

I was going to start a thread on Shula as well. My question is, is hindsight 20-20 or has he changed his play calling?

Looking back on seasons past, was Shula pretty much sticking to the same game plan that he has this year (i.e. pound the run, don't give up on it) and now that Cam has come into his own, we're executing them?

Or has he changed some things? I feel like he's probably changed a little bit due to our receiver core but I honestly feel like he trusts Cam and is letting him do some work.

[PandaPancake]

Think he figured out there's more than two pages in the playbook? Or Don hired a guy to beat him?

[CarolinaSunday]

On Greg Olsen’s game-winning touchdown: "We got the coverage I think that Mike (Shula) was looking for, that was a seam route by Greg. He was able to get into the seam and the safeties were split. He was able to get in that sweet area. I thought it was a heck of a throw."

 

lol wait Mike Shula was looking for blown coverage?

I like the play where our best receiver is wide open in the end zone. It's our best play. 

[CRA]

On Greg Olsen’s game-winning touchdown: "We got the coverage I think that Mike (Shula) was looking for, that was a seam route by Greg. He was able to get into the seam and the safeties were split. He was able to get in that sweet area. I thought it was a heck of a throw."

 

lol wait Mike Shula was looking for blown coverage?

I think that route has potential if they are all on the same page defensively is the point based on what Seattle does

[AKPantherFan]

Not saying I not saying I don't agree, but Cam has evolved and has command over the offense now. I would say there is some correlation to that. 

[KB_fan]

I was going to start a thread on Shula as well. My question is, is hindsight 20-20 or has he changed his play calling?

Looking back on seasons past, was Shula pretty much sticking to the same game plan that he has this year (i.e. pound the run, don't give up on it) and now that Cam has come into his own, we're executing them?

Or has he changed some things? I feel like he's probably changed a little bit due to our receiver core but I honestly feel like he trusts Cam and is letting him do some work.

In one of his press conferences recently, (or perhaps it was his WFNZ radio interview) Ron talked about how Shula has worked this year to design more plays that really fit Cam's strengths.  So, I think it's a combo of Cam playing better, a better Oline, and Shula et al changing the plays to some extent.

[Peppers90 NC]

no OC can do well with the garbage line we were trotting out last year before they gelled. and what we are doing with KB out, is pretty remarkable. now we passed the bye week, the running game is about to start churning. i heard a stat from the game that we are the only team in the league that has run more than passed.

[MHS831]

Here is the deal with Shula---

With a stellar defense as we have had for the past 3 seasons (this being the third), you don't lose games in the first half by throwing bombs behind a makeshift OL with no real weapons.  That plays to the other team's strength in most cases.  He had a young, developing QB, and they are fragile in weak offenses behind offensive lines.  Don't believe me, ask Derek Carr, Joey Harrington, DeMarcus Russell, every QB that was ever drafted by the Jags, etc. 

You play to your strengths by not doing things you are incapable of doing on a regular basis.  Yesterday, Shula went with some unbalanced lines that took Bennett out of his game.  Did you see all the ways he used Philly Brown?  The sweep to him early on was not chance; that was to help Oher out by showing Irvin that he cannot pin his ears back every play. 

He could have benched Funchess after his 3 drops, but he didn't.  That paid off in the fourth quarter and will pay off for us the rest of the season.  He ran the option beautifully in ways that froze the front 7 at times.  He even called the play that exposed Chancellor when it mattered--after the Cincy game, we all knew how to beat Chancellor.  Seam route to TE.  However, we were sending Olsen on Digs, Drags, Outs, etc.  We had that seam route in our pocket and played it to win the game.  Had he run that early and often, they would have seen it coming when it mattered.   I thought Shula was terrific yesterday.

This ain't Madden folks.  Shula played the Seahawks yesterday.  It is really a shame some of you can't see it.  Not saying he is great, but I am saying nobody else would be great with our offense.  He understands the system he is in. 

[Sloth]

Before this season, I wasn't a big fan. Anyone who has a problem with the guy at this point, I don't know what to say. I think I'd still prefer if we had grabbed Hue when the opportunity was there, but at this point that's more about style than effectiveness.

We're 5-0 with Ginn, Brown and Cotchery as our primary WR group. That's absolutely nuts. I don't think some people really grasp just how well Newton and Shula (and Rivera) are doing out there without Benjamin. The team has noticeably grown this year. Seasons past, if Newton threw two ints, especially against a team like Seattle, we'd have been done. Same thing when we went down two scores going into the 4th. That used to be a death knell. You see a team now that shakes things off and can fight back. That 4th quarter was about the most clutch performance I've seen from the Panthers since those couple of years when Delhomme went Super Saiyan.

I really thought we'd cap out at 8-9 wins this year once KB went down. Crazy props to everyone on the team for fighting through and putting a really good season together.

[tiger7_88]

I was going to start a thread on Shula as well. My question is, is hindsight 20-20 or has he changed his play calling?

Looking back on seasons past, was Shula pretty much sticking to the same game plan that he has this year (i.e. pound the run, don't give up on it) and now that Cam has come into his own, we're executing them?

Or has he changed some things? I feel like he's probably changed a little bit due to our receiver core but I honestly feel like he trusts Cam and is letting him do some work.

I think he definitely changes his mindset when we go no-huddle and THAT is where we see some creativity in his play calling.

When we're not going no-huddle though (which is most of every game), its the same ol' Mike Shula.

Its just my impression, but I see us moving the ball better and scoring more frequently out of the no-huddle.

[Ricky Spanish]

I think the players he has at his disposal this year allow his offense to run better than last year, those players specifically playing on the offensive line. 

He's also trusting Cam more and designing more plays that allow Cam to play like the beast he is. 

Last year though, he kept trying to force a square peg into a round hole with the long routes combined with the shoddy line. It was terrible for a while there and it seemed like he wasn't doing anything to fix it.

So I don't really know what to blame the turnaround on. I think it's a little bit of both his development as a coordinator, as well as having the right personnel to run the only thing he knows how to draw up. Either way, we're 5-0 and the offense has looked solid, so I'm not going to complain. 

[Argus Plexus]

I'm starting to see the contrarian in you.  I'm not attacking you but I get it now.  You love being the opposing force.

I'll not stand in your way here.

CRA has ALWAYS been a contrarian. No hate though, at least he's consistent and been here with us through even the worst times. I almost miss the days before the Carolina Bandwagon was a thing.

[Peppers90 NC]

This ain't Madden folks.  Shula played the Seahawks yesterday.  It is really a shame some of you can't see it.  Not saying he is great, but I am saying nobody else would be great with our offense.  He understands the system he is in. 

To be honest, he has been doing that most of his tenure here. We are now just executing at a higher rate. Cam is better, the line is better, Olsen is better and all this with lack of a dominate WR. It is too easy for the casual fan to blame the OC when a play doesn't work.