All in with Shula!

[top dawg]

I remember the first month of the season after Mike Shula became the OC. I personally wrote a thread during the first or second week of that October asking if we should deep-six him. Shula has come a long way since then. It's now hard to question or even deny that he is exactly what Cam and Carolina needs to take that final step. Ron Rivera's vision and clarity of thought about the importance of continuity on the road to success was on point. His patience with Shula in many ways paralleled that of Dave Gettleman's patience with him, and everyone has been rewarded, including ever-impatient fans. Some of us just couldn't see it. 

Now, as David Newton's article on Shula  points out, the 'genius' label is even been thrown into the mix (by another "genius" that may have shot himself, but my facetiousness doesn't extend to my point about Shula, just pointing out the irony):

“He’s a football genius,’’ Talib said. “He understands football. He understands where people are going to be at. He understands defenses."

In addition to Aqib Talib, Shula is of course getting love from Panthers.

 

“We’re very creative,’’ said Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. “Very few teams -- now granted Cam allows you to be more creative with his dynamic ability with the ball -- but there’s nobody else in the league doing a lot that we’re doing.

“You can go on and on about what [Shula has] meant to us. I don’t think he gets enough credit for how big of an impact he’s had on our team.’’

Fullback Mike Tolbert agrees.

“The proof is in the pudding,’’ he said. “Cam is the MVP, and our offense is one of the best in the league.’’

 

“Mike has taken it to the next step,’’ Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. “He has really matured as a playcaller.

“His willingness to have an open mind has been big. It’s going back to playing to the strength of your players. Why take a round peg and stick it in a square hole?’’

 

Everyone that matters---not saying fans don't---seems to be giving Shula his due, realizing the masterful job that he had done with Carolina's offense. Perhaps it's time for his remaining skeptics to go all in with Mike.

Sure Shula isn't perfect, and his predictability does seem to confound the senses at different  points during games, but no one is perfect. Shula is just attempting to stay true to what has made his offense so succesful:

 

“You want to continue to do the things that have given you success and got us to the Super Bowl,’’ Shula said. “You don’t want to be predictable, and yet you don’t want to leave the things you’re good at. There’s a fine line there.’’

 

There is also a fine line between whom to high-five when things go wonderfully versus whom to point fingers at when things fall apart. Perhaps the most important part of that equation, especially in reference to Shula, is personnel. You have to have the pieces to execute. We saw a lot of successful execution last season, until mainly the very end. Shula wasn't great in the Super Bowl, but honestly that was probably more reflective of the errors of players than Shula's play calling. And he is still learning, which is a good thing.

This season,  with even more talented pieces to play with, dare I say that I'm a little optimistic---if not excited---to see what Shula brings to the table. Really the only thing that worries me on the offensive side of the ball is pass protection (in the postseason). But with all the lessons that Shula has obviously been able to learn as is evidenced by his undeniable success, he, along with Rivera, Matsko and Gettleman---all those brains and experience---should be able to figure it all out.  

 

[PhillyB]

yeah it was pretty nice when he stopped sending jericho cotchery on fly routes

[imminent rogaine]

1 minute ago, PhillyB said:

yeah it was pretty nice when he stopped sending jericho cotchery on fly routes

I feel like he could tell that our QB was basically threatening mutiny. No one was happy with that shitty play calling. I do not like him and still contest that there are much better OCs out there but I'll admit he has cleaned up some of the garbage. I'm ready to pounce right back on the hate-train as soon as I see Kelvin on an end around or Bersin as the number one option on a red-zone play.

[fieryprophet]

The theme with the Panthers has been consistency and everyone getting a chance to grow and improve rather than knee-jerk reactions from the front office. They've all made mistakes but grown from them. McDermott was run out of Philly, Rivera got dumped back to linebackers coach, Shula was fired from Alabama, Gettleman was shuffled into semi-retirement, Cam got kicked out of Florida, etc. They've all learned from adversity and been given the freedom to grow into their roles, and that cannot be understated in this instant results driven NFL.

[sharkkiller]

13 minutes ago, PhillyB said:

yeah it was pretty nice when he stopped sending jericho cotchery on fly routes

Better than the Bersin Bubble Screen.

I think Shula has really matured as a play caller. I am ready to join the bandwagon, but I am sitting on the tailgate with my feet dragging the ground as it goes along. Too many stupid play calls, and I will be ready for a new OC. But it will take some serious screwing up to get to that point.

[LinvilleGorge]

If Aqib Talib thinks you're a genius, it's equally likely that you might actually be retarded because Aqib Talib is dumber than a box of rocks. 

[Your GFs favorite huddler]

I was a BIG TIME shula hater and he definitely changed my perspective the last half of 14 and last year. 

Noooooowwww if he refueses to adjust and learn from the Super bowl come Sept in Denver I'm gonna start to worry again. I've said it before and I'll say it again you have had a whole off-season as an offensive coaching staff to correct the mistakes and come prepared. We have to build off last year not regress like we've seen in so many seaosns past.

Call it cautious optimism

[Cookie Lyon]

I've never thought I would see the day that someone would actually call Mike Shula a genius.

 

[juliosantos]

shula earned my respect . never thought i would ever say that because i hated shula but he finally stuck with the plan and made our offense #1. imagine hearing that shula would lead the panthers to the highest scoring offense last year at this time i wouldn't believe it 

[X-Clown on 1]

After that Super Bowl performance by Shula, I'd pump the brakes on calling him a genius.  However, Shula has grown and improved each season, which is really what is exciting about him.  If he keeps that trend up, he'll eventually be a top OC in this league and most likely a HC somewhere.

[motocross_cat]

Shula has gotten better but im still of the opinion that if he was without cam he would be on everyones poo list.

[CRA]

Let's all give it up for Zod's boy!!!

When I say awesome, you say Shula!  AWESOME!!!!!

 

[sharkkiller]

10 minutes ago, CRA said:

Let's all give it up for Zod's boy!!!

When I say awesome, you say Shula!  AWESOME!!!!!

 

Shula?

[CRA]

 

1 minute ago, sharkkiller said:

Shula?

That's the spirit!   

Can't wait until Shula has one more year under his belt.  Then I think we probably can start the will he have a statue threads.