Continuity not Capability

[Zod]

Are you attempting to say, with a straight face, that with this logic you would prefer installing a new offense that would take multiple years to install and create chemistry?

No, lets put it off another year and enjoy yet another losing season. Meanwhile Cam's contract is running out...

Pay now, or pay later.

[FootballMaestro]

Just curious...

When did it suddenly start requiring several years of study and a dissertation to change an offense? Up until this off-season, teams used to do it all the time. The Panthers did it with Henning's Coryell to Davidson's Erhardt-Perkins, and many other teams have also made similar changes without necessarily suffering too terribly. And if the new offense was just another variant of Coryelll, then all the players would really have to learn is maybe some new code words. In only six months, of course.

I get that the complexities of an offense change somewhat bolster the arguments for Shula. What I'm curious about is when they became so dang insurmountable for professionals. And also, are they insurmountable for other teams as well? In other words, will next year see a ton of the teams that have changed offenses suddenly struggle to score, or would that have only happened to the Panthers if they didn't retain Shula?

To my knowledge, teams change coordinators and offenses (like Atlanta recently), all the time with out missing a beat. Of course some don't. But it's not the uncommon or insurmountable undertaking the some of us make it out to be. It just requires extra off/early season study to learn the playbook or terminology (especially as you said, it's a similar system), before the upcoming seasons practices.

[Snake]

I can't believe people are justifying this hire. It was a scared man's call that showed Rivera has no intentions on winning. We will have to bear threw another season till he gets poo canned. I just hope we adjust some contracts this year so the next coach has something to work with.

[csx]

Rivera is on the hot seat and has no intentions of winning?

[panthers55]

Just curious...

When did it suddenly start requiring several years of study and a dissertation to change an offense? Up until this off-season, teams used to do it all the time. The Panthers did it with Henning's Coryell to Davidson's Erhardt-Perkins, and many other teams have also made similar changes without necessarily suffering too terribly. And if the new offense was just another variant of Coryelll, then all the players would really have to learn is maybe some new code words. In only six months, of course.

I get that the complexities of an offense change somewhat bolster the arguments for Shula. What I'm curious about is when they became so dang insurmountable for professionals. And also, are they insurmountable for other teams as well? In other words, will next year see a ton of the teams that have changed offenses suddenly struggle to score, or would that have only happened to the Panthers if they didn't retain Shula?

I think people here are assuming the point of continuity was a sacrifice of scheme or potential to get decent results now at the expense of performance later and I don't think that is what the Panthers did at all. Rivera likes the system and what we are doing on offense the last half of the season. He wants to continue that success and wants Shula to continue to work with Newton and develop him like he did other QBs before him. He looked at other candidates with Gettleman and they decided that promoting Shula was the best move. Not a one year fix to help save Rivera's butt but the the best move to keep the offense going strong.

You can argue all day it was right or wrong but no one will know until the Fall. That won't stop people from bitching and complaining for the next 6 months about how bad it will be, but I for one am going to see what he can do. Who is to say that he isn't ready? If this were Rivera's decision alone then it might be one sided and just for the near future but Gettleman was in on the interviews as well so I think it was more of a long term decision.

[panthers55]

I can't believe people are justifying this hire. It was a scared man's call that showed Rivera has no intentions on winning. We will have to bear threw another season till he gets poo canned. I just hope we adjust some contracts this year so the next coach has something to work with.

No evidence to point to this at all. Gettleman was in on the interviews so it wasn't all Rivera. Plus he interviewed Shula after the other guys so obviously the other candidates were not exactly what they were looking for. They chose Shula as the best candidate for better or worse.

[FootballMaestro]

No evidence to point to this at all. Gettleman was in on the interviews so it wasn't all Rivera. Plus he interviewed Shula after the other guys so obviously the other candidates were not exactly what they were looking for. They chose Shula as the best candidate for better or worse.

Not saying you're saying/know this: But both Gettleman and Rivera were supposedly in on the interviews.

Sorry, if you knew that.

[panthers55]

Not saying you're saying/know this: But both Gettleman and Rivera were supposedly in on the interviews.

Sorry, if you knew that.

That is what I just said......

[TheGreatestOfAllTimeCam]

Isn't that obvious?

Shula is Rivera's best hope at keeping his job. Not because he is the best OC available, but because he does not have to completely overhaul the current offense.

Hiring an outsider offensive coordinator would mean the entire offensive staff would be gone and a completely new offensive system in place. A new playbook. New terminology for the players to learn. New chemistry to be developed between players and coaches. Often, this can take more than one season to start yielding results.

Rivera does not have more than one season. If the Panthers do not win this year, he is gone. He knows it, everyone knows it.

So put yourself in his shoes. Knowing you can only lose 7 games next season or your ass is fired, would you

1: Hire a completely new offensive staff and implement a new system knowing in all likelyhood it will take a good of time to develop into a good offense if ever at all. or...

2. Promote from within and hope the current offense can be good enough to get you 9 wins. No learning curve, fewer variables.

Lets be clear here. The Shula hire was not made because he was the best candidate. Shula was hired because it presented the best option for Rivera to possibly win 9 games next season. It was a last ditch short term job saving hire. Any considerations past 2013 are an afterthought.

Rivera's goals of winning 9 or more games align with what we want pretty well. The organization wants to win, and the best chance at doing that is this continuity you speak of. The continuity that Shula possessed is exactly the quality that made him the best candidate.

Shurmur sucked. We weren't winning nine with him.

There are other candidates that we could win 9 or more with probably, but none are a safer bet than Shula. In this case, being a "safe bet" won out. It's best for Cam and the whole offense.

[csx]

I am more disappointed in not going after an outside guy for Special Teams.

[Snake]

No evidence to point to this at all. Gettleman was in on the interviews so it wasn't all Rivera. Plus he interviewed Shula after the other guys so obviously the other candidates were not exactly what they were looking for. They chose Shula as the best candidate for better or worse.

There is not evidence to back up it was not either... Both other coaches had better resumes than Shula but Rivera went with the person who would cause least resistence and would allow him a scape goat if it blew up in his face.

[panthers55]

There is not evidence to back up it was not either... Both other coaches had better resumes than Shula but Rivera went with the person who would cause least resistence and would allow him a scape goat if it blew up in his face.

First of all Gettleman said he was in on the interviews in his radio interview today. And from both of their interviews they said that Shula had the best plan for what to do. Plus it seems clear that Gettleman and Rivera think we didn't emphasize the running game enough which is what Shula knows how to do. Plus he was instrumental to getting Newton on track this year.

The whole scapegoat idea is plain stupid logic. When you are going to get fired if you don't win and you will get blamed for hiring Shula if the offense sucks, how exactly does that give you anything or anybody to scapegoat??? And the whole he doesn't want Jackson here who is a threat to replace him is even more stupid logic. First of all, Richardson has never fired a coach midseason despite having a 1-15 season and Rivera starting off 2-8. Secondly if Rivera was going to get fired mid-season, why would he care who replaced him?? And since he get paid for the whole year, why would he care if he gets fired mid-season or at the end. Truth is that he knows he will have a job as a coordinator if he gets fired here no problem. he is doing what he things he should to win not who was easy. Jackson wanted the job and would have been the easy choice. The hard one was picking who he thinks is best and then having to defend it like he is doing now.

[GRWatcher]

No, lets put it off another year and enjoy yet another losing season. Meanwhile Cam's contract is running out...

Pay now, or pay later.

This is what I don't understand.

Why do you think it will be just one year?

Why would any HC not make the OC hire that is best for the team? Do you honestly think that Coach Rivera would not do that?

[Snake]

First of all Gettleman said he was in on the interviews in his radio interview today. And from both of their interviews they said that Shula had the best plan for what to do. Plus it seems clear that Gettleman and Rivera think we didn't emphasize the running game enough which is what Shula knows how to do. Plus he was instrumental to getting Newton on track this year.

The whole scapegoat idea is plain stupid logic. When you are going to get fired if you don't win and you will get blamed for hiring Shula if the offense sucks, how exactly does that give you anything or anybody to scapegoat??? And the whole he doesn't want Jackson here who is a threat to replace him is even more stupid logic. First of all, Richardson has never fired a coach midseason despite having a 1-15 season and Rivera starting off 2-8. Secondly if Rivera was going to get fired mid-season, why would he care who replaced him?? And since he get paid for the whole year, why would he care if he gets fired mid-season or at the end. Truth is that he knows he will have a job as a coordinator if he gets fired here no problem. he is doing what he things he should to win not who was easy. Jackson wanted the job and would have been the easy choice. The hard one was picking who he thinks is best and then having to defend it like he is doing now.

The logic that Shula had the best plan for the team is the fools gold one. History tells us that every time he was an OC the offence regressed. Rivera also chose to hire internally for ST as well. I guess that guy had a better plan than one of the best coaches in the NFL.