Darius Butler

[BradyMossWelker]

100 and 10 percent disagree. The defense improved dramatically when Butler was benched and Arrington replaced him in the starting lineup. The Patriots defense the past two weeks ( Miami & Baltimore ) were huge upgrades.

Further, Arrington just turned 24 and this is his first real action in an NFL defense. Not only is there reason to believe he will learn and improve each week, I feel he is already better than Wilhite was as a starter last season or Butler was as a starter this season.

And btw, Arrington started against Buffalo, and it proves you right, perfect defensive game.
In 5 games played, 3 started, Arrington has zero pass defended.
And Butler faced Ochocinco and Braylon Edwards.

 

[groundgame]

....Surely Butler is better than Arrington.

Arrington: C
Butler: F

 

[shirtsleeve]

Add up all the comments here and we have the answer. Butler is physically much more talented. good hips, shadows his reciever well, but just hasn't grasped the skills to turn and find the ball for the break up. That means the reciever will just catch the ball over him. And his tackling is lacking. Arrington has fewer talents but tackles, wraps up and supports the run better.

I blame coaching. The position coach (boyer? brown?) should be putting extra time in with both of these kids, especially Butler. I see a similar problem with McCourty too. Early in the season, I mentioned to a friend during a game that I had never seen so many passes completed over such closely covered recievers as when Butler and McCourty were out there. Both were in the pocket of the reciever and neither was finishing the play.

McCourty however is playing the rest of his game at a much higher level, and I saw a highlight yesterday of him getting his head around and breaking up a play. That is a big step.

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

It sucks, I thought Butler and Bodden were going to be killing it as our DB's. It's funny how things change when the season starts.

I hope Butler gets his confidence back and comes back better than ever.

One thing I said right after Bodden's injury was that there was a possibility that Butler or McCourty could play poorly from being rushed onto the field and lose their confidence. Butler has played poorly and I hope that he hasn't lost his confidence as a result of this.

I blame coaching. The position coach (boyer? brown?) should be putting extra time in with both of these kids, especially Butler. I see a similar problem with McCourty too. Early in the season, I mentioned to a friend during a game that I had never seen so many passes completed over such closely covered recievers as when Butler and McCourty were out there. Both were in the pocket of the reciever and neither was finishing the play.

You blame coaching, yet you have no idea that it is even the coach's fault. What makes you think that they haven't spent many extra hours with Butler and McCourty trying to prepare them and to get things right? Some Players just have a hard time getting things right and Butler may be one of them.

 

[sieglo]

McCourty however is playing the rest of his game at a much higher level, and I saw a highlight yesterday of him getting his head around and breaking up a play. That is a big step.

Getting hit in the back by a fast moving football will tend to make people more aware after a while.

 

[WhiteWesWelker88]

Arrington is PhysicalButler is playing sloppy and he cannot hit

 

[Synovia]

I blame coaching. The position coach (boyer? brown?) should be putting extra time in with both of these kids, especially Butler. I see a similar problem with McCourty too. Early in the season, I mentioned to a friend during a game that I had never seen so many passes completed over such closely covered recievers as when Butler and McCourty were out there. Both were in the pocket of the reciever and neither was finishing the play..

ALL of the Pats DBs do this. Its clearly a coaching issue, and has been for a while.


The only one I've seen who doesn't do it is Bodden, and he didn't get trained up by this staff.

 

[crowell33]

And btw, Arrington started against Buffalo, and it proves you right, perfect defensive game.
In 5 games played, 3 started, Arrington has zero pass defended.
And Butler faced Ochocinco and Braylon Edwards.

Yes, you are correct. The Patriots are undefeated, 3 -0 with Arrington as the starting cornerback.

 

[BradyMossWelker]

Yes, you are correct. The Patriots are undefeated, 3 -0 with Arrington as the starting cornerback.

You're right. He's our MVP, All-Pro corner right there. Which defensive player gives 3 wins to his team all by himself? I can say Arrington is a once in a lifetime player.

 

[Deus Irae]

Butler seemed to lose all confidence at a time when the team simply couldn't afford that in the defensive backfield, and he wasn't playing sound football in either technique or scheme. This defense isn't good enough to train talent on the job if there's a better player that can be plugged in. Arrington isn't a better player, but he's playing within the scheme and isn't getting beaten deep and wide with the frequency that Butler was.

Butler was in the doghouse for a portion of last year, too. In all likelihood, he'll get another chance to prove himself as a starter before the season is over.

 

[groundgame]

......In all likelihood, he'll get another chance to prove himself as a starter before the season is over.

Which, if we are relying on him, means our season will be over.

 

[BradyMossWelker]

Which, if we are relying on him, means our season will be over.

Is that... funny?
Just because our second year corner, which we drafted in the beggining of the second round had a bad start this season, you're already making Wilhite kind of statements about him?
He looked promising in the end of last season, it's just that his confidence is down.

 

[groundgame]

Is that... funny?
Just because our second year corner, which we drafted in the beggining of the second round had a bad start this season, you're already making Wilhite kind of statements about him?
He looked promising in the end of last season, it's just that his confidence is down.

Not trying to be funny, or picking on the young player, but if we are relying on him to win, our season will be toast.

 

[Deus Irae]

Not trying to be funny, or picking on the young player, but if we are relying on him to win, our season will be toast.

That's kind of a silly thought, given that he's the more talented player. As BB just pointed out on his WEEI interview, albeit not in these exact words, the Patriots were getting beaten at the CB position enough that they switched up their defensive style in the game and went to a lot more cover 2 in order to protect those corners.

 

[groundgame]

That's kind of a silly thought, given that he's the more talented player. As BB just pointed out on his WEEI interview, albeit not in these exact words, the Patriots were getting beaten at the CB position enough that they switched up their defensive style in the game and went to a lot more cover 2 in order to protect those corners.

To paraphrase BB: It is what it is

 

[shirtsleeve]

You blame coaching, yet you have no idea that it is even the coach's fault. What makes you think that they haven't spent many extra hours with Butler and McCourty trying to prepare them and to get things right? Some Players just have a hard time getting things right and Butler may be one of them.

I look at many of the corners here doing the same thing. Thats a coaching failure, either to teach or to enforce. One kid flunks the math test, blame the kid. Lotsa kids fail, blame the teacher.

Arrington is PhysicalButler is playing sloppy and he cannot hit

Arrington gets flat out beat. Butler usually had tighter coverage and better position. But Arrington is more physical.

ALL of the Pats DBs do this. Its clearly a coaching issue, and has been for a while.


The only one I've seen who doesn't do it is Bodden, and he didn't get trained up by this staff.

Not all, but yes, it does seem endemic. Like I just said, time to ask the teacher some questions.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Arrington is PhysicalButler is playing sloppy and he cannot hit

Butler is an outstanding tackler, and yes he can hit.

 

[upstater1]

Not trying to be funny, or picking on the young player, but if we are relying on him to win, our season will be toast.

Then our season is toast now because the guy out there in his place is worse than he is.

 

[upstater1]

To paraphrase BB: It is what it is

You have to realize something about BB and DBs. He will play who we wants when he wants whether the fans like it or not, or whether there's an apparent reason for doing so. We've seen this over and over and over. Bodden wasn't even starting at the beginning of last year. It was Wilhite and Springs. Wilhite played most of the year, and people thought this was totally inexplicable.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

That's kind of a silly thought, given that he's the more talented player. As BB just pointed out on his WEEI interview, albeit not in these exact words, the Patriots were getting beaten at the CB position enough that they switched up their defensive style in the game and went to a lot more cover 2 in order to protect those corners.

There is an easy way to avoid getting beaten at the corner position

Sign a decent veteran corner with a solid resume in the offseason,to backup any possibility of a starter like Bodden going down since it has been our biggest problem on defense for years now