The problem was Chudzinski

[pantherfan81]

 

Welp. Steve Smith said on conference call that Rob Chudzinski was auditioning for a HC gig last year. Got away from optimal style.

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/SI_DougFarrar/status/375325626179149826

 

Smitty spitting daggers!

 

 

SEATTLE — By any measure, the 2012 Carolina Panthers’ offense was a disappointment in 2012. What was expected to be a potent run/pass combination became a relative debacle in which far too much was placed on Cam Newton’s shoulders following his record-breaking rookie season of 2011. The offensive balance was lost, and it took half a season for the Panthers to set things right. Carolina moved from dead last in the NFL in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted offensive efficiency metrics in 2010, to fourth in ’11, and down to 10th in ’12. Carolina’s response to a 7-9 season was to fire general mamager Marty Hurney, nearly fire head coach Ron Rivera and replace offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski (now the Cleveland Browns’ head coach) with former quarterbacks coach Mike Shula.

Panthers receiver Steve Smith conducted a conference call on Wednesday morning with the Seattle media in preparation for the Panthers’ Sunday opener with the Seattle Seahawks. When I asked Smith how things might be different under Shula, he went in a different direction than I expected — throwing Chudzinski under the bus.

“I think it was really a power move by the former offensive coordinator [Chudzinski] – he was really positioning himself and trying to show, ‘Hey I’m capable,’” Smith said. “I think he was applying for a head coaching job, and our offense kind of suffered because of that. At times, we got kind of cute and did things that weren’t necessarily us. Underutilizing Mike Tolbert — all kinds of different things. We’re out of that, the past is in the past, and we’re moving forward. Coach Shula’s going to change things up, and that’s what’s happened so far.”

The relative underuse of Tolbert was one of the more curious things about the Panthers’ offense. Carolina signed the former San Diego Chargers’ red-zone star — the perfect kind of bruising, bullish back for the Panthers’ smash-mouth running style — to a four-year, $8.4 million contract in March 2012, and inexplicably let his workload diminish. Tolbert still scored seven rushing touchdowns, but he carried the ball just 23 times in the red zone in 2012, as opposed to 59 carries in ’11, and 69 carries in ’10, when he set a career high with 11 rushing scores. It was the best of many examples of how Chudzinski had gone out of sync with his own personnel — for whatever reason.

So, are things different with Shula?

“I can’t really say how much, but it’s different. Just the little important things — over-verbiage and some other things [from last year] that seem small, but we’re focusing more on the details. That part is very, very important, and I think it’s the difference.”

 

 

 

http://nfl.si.com/2013/09/04/steve-smith-rob-chudzinski-carolina-panthers/

 

[Zod]

We should have had a coach over Chud that could either have approved or denied his gameplan and kept him in check!

We could have called him a Chief Coach. Or maybe a Lead Coach. I don't know, I'll think of a better name.,

[Mother Grabber]

how is making dumb play calls an audition for a promotion?

[Cary Kollins]

Well most of us knew this about 4 weeks in last season, but it is nice to hear a player like Smitty speak out candidly about it.

What is sad is how long it took Rivera to implement a change.

[CarolinaCoolin]

We should have had a coach over Chud that could either have approved or denied his gameplan and kept him in check!

We could have called him a Chief Coach. Or maybe a Lead Coach. I don't know, I'll think of a better name.,

Head coach! I think that name will catch on soon

[KendrickPanther]

Head Coach?

[rayzor]

SteveReedAP 3:25pm via TweetDeck

Steve Smith on Rob Chudzinski: “I think it was really a power move of the prior offensive coordinator to position himself to really show...

...that ‘hey, I’m capable’ and I really believe it was applying for that head coaching job and I think our offense kind of suffered a...

...a little bit because of that. At times we got cute and did things that necessarily wasn’t us. And the un-utilizing of Mike Tolbert...

...Just a lot of different things. So we’re out of that, the past is in the past, we’re moving forward."

 

SteveReedAP 3:27pm via TweetDeck

That was Steve Smith on a conference call with Seattle reporters.

 

 

[RelaxImaPro]

Chud sabotaged the season, and Ron just stood back and let it happen.  Meh.

 

If we had a normal offense to start the year we probably win pretty all those early games in the season except for the Giants maybe.  How many games did we struggle to score 14 points again?

[frash.exe]

Good thing we don't have to worry about that with our present coordinator

[rayzor]

We should have had a coach over Chud that could either have approved or denied his gameplan and kept him in check!

We could have called him a Chief Coach. Or maybe a Lead Coach. I don't know, I'll think of a better name.,

offense may still need someone like that.

 

i thought towards the end of last year that we should have a coach in charge of managing the game instead of rivera. let rivera do the monday - saturday and someone that knows what he's doing run the game. still don't think it would be a bad idea.

 

[Zod]

offense may still need someone like that.

 

i thought towards the end of last year that we should have a coach in charge of managing the game instead of rivera. let rivera do the monday - saturday and someone that knows what he's doing run the game. still don't think it would be a bad idea.

 

 

That would be an assistant head coach who manages the week.

 

If your head coach isn't up to the task on gamedays.... well...

[rayzor]

this part was interesting...

And the un-utilizing of Mike Tolbert...

 

as the season started i remember players talking up tolbert and how excited they were about how he was going to be used and then....nada.

 

i wonder if the role that had been planned for tolbert last year that wasn't utilized will be actually brought in this year. it would be nice to take advantage of everything that he brings. same with barner once he gets his toenail grown back.

[jtnc]

Rivera is the same guy who stuck with Brian Murphy after a disastrous season on special teams. The guy ONLY knows defense. 

[TheRed]

Well most of us knew this about 4 weeks in last season, but it is nice to hear a player like Smitty speak out candidly about it.

What is sad is how long it took Rivera to implement a change.

This. As much as we want to trash Chud, it was Rivera who was ultimately in charge.

Let's just hope he has learned from last year. It's all we've got.