After Cooling Down, The Overarching Question Remains: How Does Shula Keep His Job?

[Proudiddy]

I've sat here and thought about it... You can go back to the offseason and see I defended Shula from even before the decision to promote him to OC. I thought it was a good move because he would bring us back to a little more conventional scheme and he knew what would best work for Cam, because he worked most closely with him in the two years prior.

Another level to this is that I, like most, love redemption/underdog stories. Shula had a bad rep from his time in Tampa and Alabama for his conservative nature. I wanted him to redeem himself from that. And then there's the Shula name. Growing up, watching NFL films, there was a sense of royalty to the name. Don Shula was and has been considered one of the greatest coaches the game has seen. So, you want the guy to win.

I say all of that to make it clear, I DON'T WANT TO advocate his firing. Perhaps he can learn like Ron did, but the problem with that was Ron wasted at least a year of our lives that we could've been in the playoffs, had he made those adjustments earlier. But, after looking back at what transpired yesterday, I just don't see how we don't make a move there if we're looking at it objectively.

Yes, there has to be a loser in every game, but the thing that bothers me a day later is - we didn't have to be the loser. The opportunities were there, and Shula's decisions are what lost us the game. There's no other way to slice it. We did NOT have to lose, but we did because of his playcalls.

Sure, the refs were making some extremely skewed calls in favor of the Niners and thus, the odds were against us. But, you gotta play through that. And so, it comes down to two different drives that died on the goal line because of his ineptitude in the playcalls. We anyway you slice it, if we score a TD on either of those drives and then a FG at the very least on the other, if the game plays out as it did, we're either winning on in the game til the clock hits zero. Odds are though, if we score a TD on either drive, we win walking away because the game wouldn't have played out the way it did...

It just leaves an extremely bitter taste in my mouth when I see "23-10," flash across the screen, knowing we just wasted a golden opportunity to make a run at the Superbowl. It's embarrassing. Why? Because with a weaker supporting cast, Cam put up biggest numbers as a rookie. There is absolutely no way that a team with Cam Newton as your QB should be scoring less than 20 points per game. He should not be struggling to get 200 yards per game passing. But, Shula dimmed his light with his plodding, excruciatingly slow-paced philosophy, each and every game.

It was an issue all season, and it came front and center yesterday and cost us our postseason, unduly. If Cam is your QB, you don't treat him like Trent Dilfer. You don't have to put it on your defense to win games. You score more points than the other team and expect your defense to prop you up if you arent having your best day. Just because you have an outstanding defense, it doesn't mean you have to play your QB like Trent Dilfer. This guy has the ability to take over and dominate games and you're reducing him to a far lesser role out of your own fears? Garbage. Use him to his strengths. This guy was one of the top downfield passers for two years and in one year under Shula, he becomes the worst - not because he's missing them, because they won't let him. That is disgusting.

[chknwing]

apology accepted. :)

[countryboi]

I think we need to give the game more time to settle. I dont see anyway Shula gets fired, we just went 12-4 Shula is doing something right. 

[Zod]

I think Rivera is far to loyal a coach to fire Shula. It would need to come from Gettleman... and none of us really know whats going on in his head.

[rayzor]

continuity.

 

 

 

 

yay.

[Zod]

I think we need to give the game more time to settle. I dont see anyway Shula gets fired, we just went 12-4 Shula Cam's legs and the defense is doing something right. 

 

FIFY

[ZeroZeroSeven]

I'm not sure how to feel about Shula. His track record indicates that he's going to be a failure but look at what we had to work with on offense. I will give him a pass for the fact that we were 12-4 and the offense was limited, talent wise. Let's add some weapons this offseason and see what happens. The players seem to like him and he has a good rapport with Cam, and that's what matters.

[chknwing]

I think we need to give the game more time to settle. I dont see anyway Shula gets fired, we just went 12-4 Shula is doing something right. 

 

umm did u watch the games? we went 12-4 because of defense.  Shula was more of an anchor dragging behind the teams rise to the top.

[cbully]

12-4 is his justification... on the contrary it pisses me off because its a similar justification for suspect qbs like Kap. Defense got us to 12-4! Until it completely falls apart, he'll get a pass. For me, the shows us what we truly have in DG. Lets hope he doesn't pull a Marty. smh... please fire him, please, please do it quick!

[pstall]

Do we know the % of calls Shula made and audibles? Especially yest. Im curious to know.

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[Guest]

Somebody answer this question for me. On our last drive down two TDs, with 5-6 minutes on the clock, the Panthers go into slow down mode. No hurry up offense, not even quickly getting the play calls in and getting huddled up.  The one time they did try the hurry up, they still took forever, and Cam ended up audibling a two yard draw play.  What in the holy hell was going on there?

 

 

[BIGH2001]

Shula deserves some blame but in 2011 Smith was still a legitimate #1 receiver and the read option was new. We also had two receiving threats at tight end.

I think Shula did ok with what we had. Cam could shine in any system if we can find an elite WR and patch the right side of the offensive line.

[rayzor]

I'm not sure how to feel about Shula. His track record indicates that he's going to be a failure but look at what we had to work with on offense. I will give him a pass for the fact that we were 12-4 and the offense was limited, talent wise. Let's add some weapons this offseason and see what happens. The players seem to like him and he has a good rapport with Cam, and that's what matters.

no....what matters is results.

 

a shula managed offense has never had them. they have always been ranked poorly.

 

we won all those games because of the defense and late game heroics from various players.  

[jptaylor84]

To me it's simple. If your Dave gettleman you call Shula into the office and say mike ''we had a good season but we know the defence and cam won us those games this year, your schemes and play calling mostly sucked! But as you contributed to a winning season I will go draft you some talent and get you some weapons in free agency to play with on offense, like a tall receiver who can go deep downfield and exploit cams arm and another one who can actually catch the ball and move the dam chains, maybe a Hakeem nicks (Shulas eyes light up) oh and how about a few new hog mollies to give your guy cam time in the pocket! Yes that's right mike I'll help you but if you do not repeat a winning season and go deep into the playoffs then your fired!

Deal or no deal?