Let's get this Party Started. How do we Beat Seattle?

[panthers55]

I personally think that looking at what Shula did a decade ago and saying he will do more of the same is ignoring that people grow and change. Who would have hired Belicheck in new England if all they did was look at how he did in Cleveland? Shula did not have the experience he has now nor did he have a great playbook courtesy of Chud like he now does.

What experience does he have calling plays? From what I have read, Chud relayed plays into Shula who then relayed them to Cam. He was involved in every play call last year. Sure it was Chud calling the plays themselves but lets be honest. After being intimately involved in the process and working with Chud every day, you really think he didn't learn anything from it??

Shula was instrumental in working with Cam all last year and had quite a bit to do with him improving. Why do you think he would abandon that and revert back to what didn't work a decade ago?? Rivera is on the hotseat and honestly has a much better feel for who will be the best person for the job and chose Shula. Jackson and Shurmur wanted the job and were not picked because they didn't know the offense like Shula does. I really believe that not only will Shula do well this well but it will be better than Chud's offense which tried to be too cute and wow everyone with how smart he was. Shula wants to vindicate himself and will work very hard to get it right.

[panthers55]

the best chance for this offense to not suck with shula as the OC is for shula to stay out of the way and out of cam's ear while he's on the field. if this offense does well it will be in spite of shula and because of the strength and ability of cam and the other players on the field.

Yet by all accounts Shula being in Cam's ear and working with him every day was a big part in why Cam improved over the last half of the season. People are giving Shula no credit for being a big part of Newton's success yet everyone on the staff, Chud and Newton himself sing his praises and say they are very confident with him calling the signals. I don't know why people won't accept their word at face value. Sure you can say that people had to say that but they really don't. Rivera had other choices and most times when players don't agree with something they simply defer or say lets wait and see.

[MadHatter]

Not play-calling, just audibles.

I can buy that.

I hope that what he has seen and absorbed (pre-snap reads of defenses) over the past 2 years has him ready for that. But, the only way to know is to give him a some flexibility and see what he does.

[rayzor]

Not play-calling, just audibles.

this. other than shula showing very little creativity in his past experiences, the problem was in the amount of time it took to get the play to the field. i would rather trust cam to make audibles on the field rather than waiting forever on shula to decide what he wants to do and having to burn out a time out or take a delay of game.

and i trust cam's instincts and playmaking and decision making more than shula. so what?

[rayzor]

Yet by all accounts Shula being in Cam's ear and working with him every day was a big part in why Cam improved over the last half of the season. People are giving Shula no credit for being a big part of Newton's success yet everyone on the staff, Chud and Newton himself sing his praises and say they are very confident with him calling the signals. I don't know why people won't accept their word at face value. Sure you can say that people had to say that but they really don't. Rivera had other choices and most times when players don't agree with something they simply defer or say lets wait and see.

shula was in cam's ear on the sidelines...not on the field. i don't trust shula's playcalling and ability to make quick decisions.

and i take player's assessments of their own coaches and teammates with a grain of salt. i don't doubt cam and the others like shula. i don't doubt that they think he will do well, but they are working from a position of bias, just like everyone. I'm working from a position that i haven't seen success as a playcaller and OC from him. being good at being a QB coach and having your team believe in you doesn't make you a good OC. until i see results and see him bunk his history and track record,I'm not going to believe.

[SCP]

I'm going to save my optimism for a coaching staff that hasn't disappointed and only been able to succeed in making excuses, bad decisions, and leaning on the whole "rome wasn't built in a day" trite saying to justify their continuing to coach here.

i hope it works out, but until i see that they can coach to win the games, I'm not buying it. shula and the rest of the coaching staff have to prove they don't suck because until they can do that, that's all they've been able to show in their current roles.

I'm hoping for the best and I've got enough A1sauce to mask the flavor of crow if I'm wrong, but I'm not expecting that to be the case.

This. Nothing about this coaching staff says "Can out coach a more talented team if need be". Anybody can coach up a team at the end of the year when games don't mean poo and the opposing team has thrown in the towel. We've see what happens when we play healthy, talented, well coached clubs.

[TheRumGone]

This. Nothing about this coaching staff says "Can out coach a more talented team if need be". Anybody can coach up a team at the end of the year when games don't mean poo and the opposing team has thrown in the towel. We've see what happens when we play healthy, talented, well coached clubs.

The question remains: we were in the same boat as those other teams, why didn't we throw in the towel? That means something.

[rayzor]

The question remains: we were in the same boat as those other teams, why didn't we throw in the towel? That means something.

we've had talent on the team before. we've won late in the season before....many times in fact and didn't throw out the towel, yet we still have a team with only 4 winning seasons ever.

[TheRumGone]

we've had talent on the team before. we've won late in the season before....many times in fact and didn't throw out the towel, yet we still have a team with only 4 winning seasons ever.

Yes, but anything I say you will refute because you have an opinion and I have one. We could run circles for pages, but I'll leave it at that.

[SCP]

The question remains: we were in the same boat as those other teams, why didn't we throw in the towel? That means something.

It does mean something. It would have been easy for our team to quit the last two years for sure. Losing season, shitty home field atmosphere, lame duck coach.... But they kept playing. Personally, I think that speaks more to the quality of the individual player attitudes than the coach.

[rayzor]

Yes, but anything I say you will refute because you have an opinion and I have one. We could run circles for pages, but I'll leave it at that.

i have 0 problem with that. i hate those pissing matches that go on forever about matters of opinion on matters that really don't matter. i try to avoid them....unless I'm bored and feel like getting someone else to waste their time in a pointless endeavor and then it's just a matter of how long i can keep it up until i get bored or have something else to do.

[TheRumGone]

I think it speaks volumes about Cam and Rivera, personally. I remember seeing the "Cam wired up" video against Oakland. He kept telling everyone this was for pride. And the last game against the Saints, when those bastards tried to rip his leg off. He came back in the game, with nothing to play for but pride. I think Rivera is a really good coach who had a learning curve, from what I've heard the players love and respect him. It sucks for us, but I believe in him 100%.

[rayzor]

It does mean something. It would have been easy for our team to quit the last two years for sure. Losing season, shitty home field atmosphere, lame duck coach.... But they kept playing. Personally, I think that speaks more to the quality of the individual player attitudes than the coach.

agreed and it makes me wish they had better coaching. imagine what they'd do with someone that knew what they were doing.

[TheRumGone]

i have 0 problem with that. i hate those pissing matches that go on forever about matters of opinion on matters that really don't matter. i try to avoid them....unless I'm bored and feel like getting someone else to waste their time in a pointless endeavor and then it's just a matter of how long i can keep it up until i get bored or have something else to do.

Truth.