Shula, Zod, and SCP

[panthers55]

I do see some changes over the past few weeks in playcalling but I don't think that was Shula figuring it out so much as watching film, deciding what the offense was doing well and gearing the offense to execute better. They do that each week.  When you combine that with good film work and seeing what the defenses are struggling with, you end up with a game plan that should work.  Seems to me that we have been successful in the second half as well building on what we did well in the first half.

 

So I don't know that the San Francisco and New England game will tell us if Shula can call a game but whether our players can execute against a tough defense.  Lets be honest here, what killed us against Seattle and Arizona was poor execution and mistakes not poor play calling.  Dropping wide open passes isn't a function of the play calling since they obviously got open, it is executing the play called.

[teeray]

Fans are almost always too hard on offensive coordinators. Except Davidson. He truly was teh suck.

[TheRumGone]

How about you just stop posting? I think everyone would prefer that.

 

so how many times do you have to be on your knees before you get cast?

[fieryprophet]

Did you watch the second half where we completely forgot about Greg Olsen?

 

 

It was a horribly called game.

 

Yep, but part of that was desperately trying to slow down the pass rush with Olsen chipping in as a blocker. It wasn't a well-called game by any stretch but the players blew their own feet off on a lot of plays.

[CRA]

He hasn't exactly refuted your concern over in-game adjustments (see AZ game), but he does seem to come up with decent game plans.

Players weren't executing when he was calling a heck of a first half half....what makes you think suddenly players showed up in the 2nd half and it was just a coach not adjusting that doomed us?

[PhillyB]

jury's still out until we see how shula gameplans against and responds to a top-tier defense like san fran.

[csx]

Did you watch the second half where we completely forgot about Greg Olsen?

 

 

It was a horribly called game.

 

You really think the coordinator makes the final decision of where the ball goes? Did you take into consideration that maybe Arizona took Olsen out of the game because of his effectiveness in the first half? This seems like a very simplistic way of judging a complex situation.

[Zod]

You really think the coordinator makes the final decision of where the ball goes? Did you take into consideration that maybe Arizona took Olsen out of the game because of his effectiveness in the first half? This seems like a very simplistic way of judging a complex situation.

 

You mean Arizona took away Olsen and the offensive coordinator was unable to counter?

 

 

Weird.

[Anybodyhome]

Not sold on Shula at all. Even against a weak Tampa Bay team he was lining up obvious run formations when the Bucs were putting 8-9 guys in the box. Carolina's offense is so predictable based upon formation it's almost elementary. 

 

In its second year, the Panther version of the zone read is all but dead and NFL defenses have made it very clear how to defend the formation. NFL defenses are attacking the QB regardless of where the ball goes, which subjects the QB to more hits and given the fact the zone read is not considered a QB-protected play in the eyes of the officials, why would you subject your QB to those unnecessary hits? Watched it play out over the past couple weeks in several games involving teams using the zone read. Even if the ball is handed off, there's still a defensive player getting a free shot at the QB as he is considered a RB in a zone read offense. 

[cptx]

 

 

In its second year, the Panther version of the zone read is all but dead and NFL defenses have made it very clear how to defend the formation. NFL defenses are attacking the QB regardless of where the ball goes, which subjects the QB to more hits and given the fact the zone read is not considered a QB-protected play in the eyes of the officials, why would you subject your QB to those unnecessary hits? Watched it play out over the past couple weeks in several games involving teams using the zone read. Even if the ball is handed off, there's still a defensive player getting a free shot at the QB as he is considered a RB in a zone read offense. 

 

I think that is why that little option toss they have been running has worked so well. Seems like Williams has gotten around 10 yards every time they have called it.

[fieryprophet]

Not sold on Shula at all. Even against a weak Tampa Bay team he was lining up obvious run formations when the Bucs were putting 8-9 guys in the box. Carolina's offense is so predictable based upon formation it's almost elementary.

 

That's not even remotely true. One of those 9 man fronts where we came out in a run formation was the goal-line pass play to Olsen, and it completely flummoxed Tampa's coverage as they were convinced we were going to run the ball, which is why it was a perfect time for the play fake. We had THREE players open on that play, with Hartsock and Nate Chandler sitting in the back of the end zone uncovered.

 

We flipped the script on that again in the second half when we spread the field with a three receiver set and actually ran Cam up the middle on a zone read. Again, we showed one thing formation-wise and did another.

 

And sometimes you're going to have to run the ball even if they show a heavy front; that Tolbert run for the first down on 4th and 1 was against a nine man box and it achieved exactly what it needed to do.

 

Playcalling looks elementary if you don't know what the hell you're looking at. Oftentimes an excellent play looks brain dead simple, because that's the beauty of them; they exploit a single matchup on the field and keep the chains moving. The best play we ran all night was that simple drag route to Ginn that used Olsen as a decoy down the seam to isolate Ted on Lavonte David. He had no chance to keep up with Ginn and a simple pitch from Cam turned into 35 yards. That's the opposite of poor playcalling.

[Your GFs favorite huddler]

OK Zod. You and I were pretty adamant all summer about Shula's lack of in-game adjustments and his inability to react to what a defense gives him. I'm still not 100% sold on him because the defenses we've beaten the last 3 weeks aren't really Steel Curtainesque. What will it take for you to eat some Shula Crow? I have to see him successfully call a game against the 9ers and Pats defense before I say I was wrong. What about you?

The SF game will answer a lot of lingering questions about our entire coaching staff...can Rivera and co out together a successful gameplan and bring the team in prepared and hype enough for a conference showdown and potential playoff preview....and can the coaching staff and players handle and respond to adversity during the game,which no doubt I think we can all agree that the 49ers will make plays....how will our team respond when that much is at stake against a top nfl opponent..if we go into that gam3 5-3 which I think we will, it will be a turning point for our franchise and this team, a true crossroad....it will serve to be the defining game of our season....but we have to take care of Atlanta first....lots of questions will be answered this next month....keep pounding panthers

[Jangler]

so how many times do you have to be on your knees before you get cast?

 

lol the backing always dries up...just like the producers.

[rko396]

That's not even remotely true. One of those 9 man fronts where we came out in a run formation was the goal-line pass play to Olsen, and it completely flummoxed Tampa's coverage as they were convinced we were going to run the ball, which is why it was a perfect time for the play fake. We had THREE players open on that play, with Hartsock and Nate Chandler sitting in the back of the end zone uncovered.

We flipped the script on that again in the second half when we spread the field with a three receiver set and actually ran Cam up the middle on a zone read. Again, we showed one thing formation-wise and did another.

And sometimes you're going to have to run the ball even if they show a heavy front; that Tolbert run for the first down on 4th and 1 was against a nine man box and it achieved exactly what it needed to do.

Playcalling looks elementary if you don't what the hell you're looking at. Oftentimes an excellent play looks brain dead simple, because that's the beauty of them; they exploit a single matchup on the field and keep the chains moving. The best play we ran all night was that simple drag route to Ginn that used Olsen as a decoy down the seam to isolate Ted on Lavonte David. He had no chance to keep up with Ginn and a simple pitch from Cam turned into 35 yards. That's the opposite of poor playcalling.

"Playcalling looks elementary if you don't what the hell you're looking at."

That may be the best/truest statement i've ever seen on this site since i joined years and years ago. You summed it up perfectly. It's actually kind of funny to be able to read some users posts on here and know they've never played one single snap of organized football in their entire lives.

Those uninformed, coach-wannabe's, saying "we ran when tampa had 8 in the box!!!" Or "we went away from Olsen in the 2nd half, therefore Shula is to blame!!!!", are exactly what makes reading internet forums somewhat nauseating. But I tend to believe there are enough smart people on here to keep those know-nothings at ease