Malcolm Butler Mega Thread

[archstanton543]

Joe Montana's defenses gave up 21, 16, 16, 10. (average 16.5)
Brady's defenses gave up 17, 29, 21, 17, 21, 24, 28, 41 (average 24.75)

Okay, dude. The game in Joe Montana's day is much different than the brand of football they play today. But just keep telling yourself it's the same.

 

[TennisBallHead]

And it's not great QBs that light them up, it's buckets of crap like Foles, Eli, Sanchez, Flacco. I could understand Brees or Rodgers.

They start like **** on both sides of the ball, and the defense more often than not has a fourth quarter meltdown. They've never played 60 minutes.

 

[lancerman]

Okay, dude. The game in Joe Montana's day is much different than the brand of football they play today. But just keep telling yourself it's the same.

Sure it is, but everyone played that game back then so it evened. Montana would not have won in Brady's position tonight. No QB in the history of the NFL would have

 

[archstanton543]

Yes, and I'm pretty sure at this point, everybody in the country knows benching Butler and then casually letting the rest of the D know, "Hey, the guy you've played and practiced and built chemistry with all season? He's out. Hope y'all click with this other guy. Everybody processed this total, out-of-the-blue change and regained complete focus? Okay, great, time to line up for the coin toss in the most pressure-filled game you'll ever play" was a grave mistake. I'm seeing countless articles speculating on how/why Belichick could have done something so profoundly stupid, and not one peep in support of the decision.

And defensive backfield communication was a huge issue for this team this year and you don't play Butler who's been back there all year?

 

[StockingAnarchyNumber12]

Yes, and I'm pretty sure at this point, everybody in the country knows benching Butler and then casually letting the rest of the D know, "Hey, the guy you've played and practiced and built chemistry with all season? He's out. Hope y'all click with this other guy. Everybody processed this total, out-of-the-blue change and regained complete focus? Okay, great, time to line up for the coin toss in the most pressure-filled game you'll ever play" was a grave mistake. I'm seeing countless articles speculating on how/why Belichick could have done something so profoundly stupid, and not one peep in support of the decision.

He made a terrible decision and we'll never know if it cost us a ring. I'm in the camp it did.

 

[supafly]

Yes, and I'm pretty sure at this point, everybody in the country knows benching Butler and then casually letting the rest of the D know, "Hey, the guy you've played and practiced and built chemistry with all season? He's out. Hope y'all click with this other guy. Everybody processed this total, out-of-the-blue change and regained complete focus? Okay, great, time to line up for the coin toss in the most pressure-filled game you'll ever play" was a grave mistake. I'm seeing countless articles speculating on how/why Belichick could have done something so profoundly stupid, and not one peep in support of the decision.

Again though, we don’t know all of the details but can safely assume that there was some type of acceptable line of thinking.

Butler has marched to the beat of a different drummer before, showing up late to TC the summer after his GW INT. It sounds like he was close to leaving this past summer, had he agreed to the terms offered by N.Orleans. He had a mediocre season here at best, and if he really did show up late again, then I can at least understand (maybe not agree with it) that Belichick didn’t want to add a distraction to the team by announcing his benching ahead of time.

All of the players are expected to prepare as starters, so let’s stop with the “Rowe was just too surprised to play well” thinking. He gave up some huge plays in the first half and repeatedly gave up good chunks of yardage all game long, even after settling down.

 

[ATippett56]

Again though, we don’t know all of the details but can safely assume that there was some type of acceptable line of thinking.

Butler has marched to the beat of a different drummer before, showing up late to TC the summer after his GW INT. It sounds like he was close to leaving this past summer, had he agreed to the terms offered by N.Orleans. He had a mediocre season here at best, and if he really did show up late again, then I can at least understand (maybe not agree with it) that Belichick didn’t want to add a distraction to the team by announcing his benching ahead of time.

All of the players are expected to prepare as starters, so let’s stop with the “Rowe was just too surprised to play well” thinking. He gave up some huge plays in the first half and repeatedly gave up good chunks of yardage all game long, even after settling down.

The worst playoff defensive performance during the Belichick era and it wasn't even against Peyton Manning.

 

[archstanton543]

Sure it is, but everyone played that game back then so it evened. Montana would not have won in Brady's position tonight. No QB in the history of the NFL would have

It's not the same game. There's free agency and the offensive rules (and defensive for that matter) have complete change to favor the offense.

 

[BradyFTW!]

How's he gonna do that, since nobody who knows seems to be willing to explain why?

Butler had already made his opinion on the matter known, he isn't exactly keeping quiet about it. Nor should he, I would be doing the same in his position

 

[supafly]

He made a terrible decision and we'll never know if it cost us a ring. I'm in the camp it did.

It certainly factored into the loss of a ring, but I don’t think it was the main cause, as is being suggested, either.

There was no pressure whatsoever. The LBs were crap, aside from Van Noy. The DL gave up 6.1 YPC on the ground, something that plagued them at various points for stretches this season. Foles kept his uniform totally clean, without concern with being pressured. The scheme there sucked at times. They looked like they hadn’t prepared for this offense, at any point, which coincidentally (or not) was very similar to some of the other offenses like KC and even JAC, which caused glaring issues.

DMcC didn’t particularly play well, neither did Rowe— at least for good chunks of time, anyway. Jordan Richards decided to Jordan Richards at one of the crucial moments of the game. Wise either didn’t play or hardly played. Gilmore wasn’t moving to follow Jeffrey until halftime adjustments. The offensive line picked the worst time of the season to allow Brady’s strip sack at the end, and 3 of the Eagles’ TDs were controversial calls that didn’t go our way.

Much more than just Butler.

 

[lancerman]

It's not the same game. There's free agency and the offensive rules (and defensive for that matter) have complete change to favor the offense.

Do you think there is a chance in hell Montana wins tonight in the same scenario? Cause there isn't.

 

[archstanton543]

Do you think there is a chance in hell Montana wins tonight in the same scenario? Cause there isn't.

Wait a minute. You're putting this loss on Brady?

 

[Wrath Mania]

It certainly factored into the loss of a ring, but I don’t think it was the main cause, as is being suggested, either.

There was no pressure whatsoever. The LBs were crap, aside from Van Noy. The DL gave up 6.1 YPC on the ground, something that plagued them at various points for stretches this season. Foles kept his uniform totally clean, without concern with being pressured. The scheme there sucked at times. They looked like they hadn’t prepared for this offense, at any point, which coincidentally (or not) was very similar to some of the other offenses like KC and even JAC, which caused glaring issues.

DMcC didn’t particularly play well, neither did Rowe— at least for good chunks of time, anyway. Jordan Richards decided to Jordan Richards at one of the crucial moments of the game. Wise either didn’t play or hardly played. Gilmore wasn’t moving to follow Jeffrey until halftime adjustments. The offensive line picked the worst time of the season to allow Brady’s strip sack at the end, and 3 of the Eagles’ TDs were controversial calls that didn’t go our way.

Much more than just Butler.

The defense was trash across the board, I agree--but a lot of defensive headscratchers--the prominence of Richards and Bademosi, Gilmore not on Jeffrey till the second half--might have been different if Butler was at any point an option in the game. I would certainly trust Butler to make a crucial open-field tackle more than Rowe or Richards or Badmsi....

More I think about it, more I feel horrible for Butler. This feels like putting a dog down or something. One last drink then bed. Man.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Wait a minute. You're putting this loss on Brady?

Sounds like he's doing the opposite, and saying this loss was on basically everyone but Brady

 

[chumpchange]

Again though, we don’t know all of the details but can safely assume that there was some type of acceptable line of thinking.

Butler has marched to the beat of a different drummer before, showing up late to TC the summer after his GW INT. It sounds like he was close to leaving this past summer, had he agreed to the terms offered by N.Orleans. He had a mediocre season here at best, and if he really did show up late again, then I can at least understand (maybe not agree with it) that Belichick didn’t want to add a distraction to the team by announcing his benching ahead of time.

All of the players are expected to prepare as starters, so let’s stop with the “Rowe was just too surprised to play well” thinking. He gave up some huge plays in the first half and repeatedly gave up good chunks of yardage all game long, even after settling down.

I'm no coach, but the element of surprise--on your own players--seems like not really something you want before they play in the most hyped circus-like atmosphere of the year. I would think suddenly learning the guy with the experience of saving the Super Bowl, and the guy I've learned to communicate with all season, in favor of a backup I never played in a game with would rattle me somewhat.

 

[Wrath Mania]

I'm no coach, but the element of surprise--on your own players--seems like not really something you want before they play in the most hyped circus-like atmosphere of the year. I would think suddenly learning the guy with the experience of saving the Super Bowl, and the guy I've learned to communicate with all season, in favor of a backup I never played in a game with would rattle me somewhat.

That's why it's so ****ing bizarre. The Welker foot benching thing seems like a minor joke in comparison. It's the god damn Super Bowl. You can't upend the table right before game time.

 

[luuked]

I've watched malcom play all year. Is he all of a sudden, in the biggest game of the year, not good enough to play anymore? Lol, ok. You keep telling yourself that. That benching our best corner was in the best interest of the team.

If you watched all year and though Butler is our best corner then you have some kind of problem. Because he below average since Thanksgiving. People where whining about him since then all of the time and now suddenly he would have been a saviour and the convenient excuse. Brilliant.

 

[Todd Bradley]

He handicapped his own team in the ****ing Super Bowl.

There is not a football mind on gods green earth that truly believes Johnson Bademosi and Jordan Richards derserves to see the field over Malcolm Butler in the goddamn Super Bowl.

After your defense gives up 22 points at the half, that’s pretty much clue that whatever the hell you're doing, is not working in the least. To not make an adjustment is asinine.

Did you guys watch the College Football Playoff game? Did Nick Saban stubbornly stick with Jalen Hurts? Exactly.

This loss is squarely on the shoulders of Bill Belichick.

 

[archstanton543]

If you watched all year and though Butler is our best corner then you have some kind of problem. Because he below average since Thanksgiving. People where whining about him since then all of the time and now suddenly he would have been a saviour and the convenient excuse. Brilliant.

He still would have been better than Rowe or Bademosi. And it wouldn't have hurt to at least try him out after the backfield was getting roasted over and over.

 

[luuked]

Maybe spend more time figuring out how to win instead of going to a ****ing Timberwolves game.

Yes, I also heard he slept during the night. What the **** is wrong with him ? Those are even more hours to gameplan and watch film.

Jesus this is getting stupid quickly.