This play is forever immortalized. THE IMMACULATE INTERCEPTION

ZoisKing said:

Question-if Butler had gone down in the end zone after making the catch, would that have been a safety? It looks like he had full possession in the end zone, but the same could be said when he was in the act of catching it at the half yard line.

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No, it's a touchback. The only way it can be a safety is if any of the Patriot player incur a penalty during that play.

It's been a couple days but I just saw the video again and thinking about that play and about how it made me feel and how I ran through the house screaming after it happened gave me goosebumps all over again.

I still can't believe it.

PatsFanInVa said:

I believe Butler even said they practiced defending that rub route.... and you can tell from him jumping it, he was 100% aware of time on the clock and TAKING THAT CHANCE to jump the route.

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Butler was not "taking a chance." He knew exactly what was coming. He read Wilson's eyes, and BB is always telling the DBs that the last offensive player the QB looks at in a catch and throw situation, prior to receiving the snap, is nearly always the target.

He said that he saw that Wilson's last look was at Lockette.

I'm no expert at this but once Kearse comes out playing patty-cake with Browner if Wilson's eyes are on his side of the field it's to Lockette... But I do take back the "taking a chance" (all caps) part, after watching this 3 or 4 places. Business Insider of all places has this... I like it for the video from same angle as page 1 but tighter focus on butler, and the slow-mo on the hit-then-interception....

http://www.businessinsider.com/malcolm-butler-interception-2015-2

This int. just gets more amazing. He's simultaneously putting the shoulder into the much bigger Lockette and going for the ball. Hell, if he loses the play on the the ball, it just occurred to me, and otherwise uses his body the same way, Lockette doesn't get in (although they get their two more shots). But he's making the play on the ball, not Lockette, Lockette's collateral damage. Butler takes his impact from that collision (the one that sends Lockette splaying backwards) and a split second later makes the catch, that's the beauty part.

mosi said:

Where is the picture of Lockette under the bus?

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The Seahawks threw him there, but he wasn't hurt. Turned out that the bus's tires were deflated.

So, when the dust settles, is this going to be the consensus greatest play in Patriots history? I mean, before now our highlights were walk off field goals.

Sticky Caulk said:

So, when the dust settles, is this going to be the consensus greatest play in Patriots history? I mean, before now our highlights were walk off field goals.

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Forever 21! I truly think each and everyone of us should buy his jersey and show the love. I live in California and I'm going to fly out with my #21 jersey opening day.

Brady_2_Moss said:

Forever 21! I truly think each and everyone of us should buy his jersey and show the love. I live in California and I'm going to fly out with my #21 jersey opening day.

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If he is still on the roster after TC. BB giveth, BB taketh..

the ball seems to go right past lockette's hands before it gets to butler

SammyBlueCat said:

I was going to post something similar. Bonus points for the interception and knocking that other team's kid on his ass...

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We physical, they finesse.

"A lot of times I find that people who are blessed with the most talent don't ever develop that attitude, and the ones who aren't blessed in that way are the most competitive and have the biggest heart."

Tom Brady

I think "immaculate interception" sounds a bit derivative and awkward. How about, "perfect pick"?

too nasal....

Bella*chick said:

Every time I watch this I am just amazed by Malcolm Butler's play. He knew exactly what was coming, exactly what to do. This could have turned out so, so different. Unbelievable.

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Ditto! Everyone (except Pat's fans) have focused on the call. The defensive play was brilliant. Butler read the play, jumped the route, hung onto the ball, and had the presence to run forward (out of end zone) and go down. That's five things that happened in a split second. Bravo! Oh, and he was an undrafted rookie.

I must have watched this thing over a hundred times. Maybe more. And it still takes my breath away. This will go down as one of the all-time great defensive plays. I am also pleased to see that at least here on sport talk radio, Butler's play is starting to receive the attention it deserves. At first it was all about the call. And now it's all about the play. And he deserves it because DAMN. (Browner too! They both did everything right.)

Gumby said:

Watching the clip in this thread, one thing that wasn't so obvious in the live view was the OFFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE on #15 is horribly BLATANT. No flag was going to be thrown though as it was an end of game play- they would have let the hags get away with it. But he was just totally engaged with browner and effectively run blocking on a pass play.... There should have been a flag too.

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The rule in the NFL rulebook indicates pass interference includes:

Blocking downfield by an offensive player prior to the ball being touched.

I've heard that this means at least 1 yard downfield - but I know that offensive lineman can block up to 3 yards downfield without penalty. At any rate, Browner met him practically at the LOS so no penalty.

Joker said:

too nasal....

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The Titillating Theft?

In my head, I call it "The Ice Pick."

The "GWINT!"