"At his season-ending press conference, coach Pat Shurmur said he will hire an offensive coordinator. He said he'd consider also allowing the coordinator to call the plays, something Shurmur did last season.
It was a mistake for team President Mike Holmgren to allow Shurmur -- a rookie head coach -- to also serve as the team's offensive coordinator and play caller. Yes, Holmgren always called his own plays when he coached. Some head coaches still do it, Shurmur estimated that it's "eight or nine." But there are 32 teams, so the vast majority don't.
This season, Shurmur probably fell into the same trap that snares many who are newly promoted. He tried to do both his old job and his new job. "