Shula

That's just how he is. It's sort of like a wife who hasn't been touched by her husband in several years. You got to warm it up a bit.

 

It is odd to criticize a team that has had so much success, but it's easy to imagine that the success could have been so much greater. Cutting Smitty was clearly a mistake. Ignoring left tackle was clearly a mistake. Many of the draft picks were clear mistakes. Hiring Shula was clearly a mistake. The Panthers went from the most explosive offense in the league to the least explosive offense in the league. It's only because of the defense and occasional Cam brilliance that this team is relevant.

 

The Panthers are one of four teams to reach the divisional round each of the last two seasons. I wouldn't jump into a time machine and try to replicate that.

 

I am sort of looking at it like the "Phil Jackson Approach." I know you guys can rip me to shreds on this...because obviously Shula doesn't have that kind of mind...but if maybe he is letting Cam be Cam...running...calling audibles or plays from the line scrimmage... and Cam...mistakes and all...can be successful because they are not trying to make him a "pocket passer" or trying to make him be the prototypical drop back qb...then maybe the intangibles plus the execution can continue a winning trend. Not saying I believe in magic, but we've all watched enough sports to know that sometimes winning teams defy convention and that the winning "formula" doesn't always conform to the fans' and pudits' expectations on how it all happens.

I'm not very smart and I drink IPAs frequently so I thank you all beforehand for indulging me...

 

We're gunshy, like whipped dogs. 7-9 is the motto, people have been conditioned to expect the worst.

 

He's had some nice stretches of play calling. Some of the designs are strange, like the misdirection plays from shotgun that take forever to develop and usually result in stewart getting hit in the backfield.


We have been down 10 points to both the Saints and the Seahawks and most years with Shula I'd say that would be an insurmountable deficit, but give him some credit there. A lot should go to Cam and of course the defense. Things look good when you are winning.


The defense has helped put the offense in some nice situations but the last three games we've scored 27,37 and 27 points. We've had 66% TD conversion in the red zone over those games which has helped.