Malcolm Butler Mega Thread

[XLIX]

I think we just assume butler was to start but the fact he was crying during the anthem sprt of shows it was more of a “not starting” issue, but a “we are sitting you down unless we have to play you due to injury”.

That display of emotion makes me believe that Butler had just recently found out he was not playing, i.e. that same day. If he had found out the prior day (or earlier) then the emotion would have occurred sooner - and in private.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Butler to Houston or Butler to San Francisco = star corner on revitalized franchises with Patriot connections. He was our best corner THIS year, our best secondary tackler, leader in pass deflections, who cares if he was 2 inches shorter !?

Gilmore is so much better overall than Butler it isn't even close. That said, it's hard to fathom the logic of not having Butler in there and having Richards on the field at any point.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

Butler made a key stop on 3rd down that kept Atlanta out of field goal range and allowed the Pats to get the ball back for Brady to tie it up.

If Butler makes even one stop in this game, just like he did last year, we win this game.

He couldn't have played any worse than Richards and Bademosi, so ragging on Butler is nonsense.

Bademosi played fine other than that miss on 3rd down where he sort of overran the play. Again, gilmore should have been on agoholor. Clearly, he is heir best wr, as i kept trying to say all week. You put your best man cover guy on their best all around wr who runs all the routes.

 

[Tb12goesinya]

If it is discliplinary reasons.. then is it fair to say that Belichick doesn’t believe special teams is as important?

 

[Ring 6]

Butler to Houston or Butler to San Francisco = star corner on revitalized franchises with Patriot connections. He was our best corner THIS year, our best secondary tackler, leader in pass deflections, who cares if he was 2 inches shorter !?

He wasn’t our best corner this year.

 

[Pats1989]

You know what let us down? Another slow start to a postseason game, almost like they are half asleep.

I don't know why that keeps happening to them. It's a mystery. Eventually it would catch up to them.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

People are so desperate to grasp at straws that Butler had to have broken a rule or did something illegal when the reality is that it was likely just a poor game plan that backfired and screwed us.

I can't imagine a scenario where your game plan does not include the defensive player who played 98% of the defensive snaps this year, more than any other player.

The game plan included him. The game preparation included him. It was changed right before the game. Likely within 90 minutes of playing the game, or else he'd have been inactive.

He did something very late, or (and more likely) he did something wrong at some earlier point that BB only heard out about very late.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

That display of emotion makes me believe that Butler had just recently found out he was not playing, i.e. that same day. If he had found out the prior day (or earlier) then the emotion would have occurred sooner - and in private.

Fair point, but i also think if chung did not come back in and a cb went down, butler would have had to have gone in.

I think the shock of people seeing him not start, and then not play at all, masks the real problem, which is bb and patricia botching the gilmore and rowe/harmon bracket aassignments.

 

[supafly]

someone who might play....Branch, Gillislee, Britt, Reedy, Harris, Holliston, Croston......had 10M or so in salary sitting there inactive and one guy who was active but did not play.

I gotcha. I suppose it may have depended on what Belichick thought of a ST decrease in talent, but either way it certainly was an odd situation.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

I don't know why that keeps happening to them. It's a mystery. Eventually it would catch up to them.

I said that going into this game. Right again. If we had a better start on offense and defense, i think we absolutely win that game.

 

[GorBelSer]

Bademosi played fine other than that miss on 3rd down where he sort of overran the play. Again, gilmore should have been on agoholor. Clearly, he is heir best wr, as i kept trying to say all week. You put your best man cover guy on their best all around wr who runs all the routes.

Absolutely, and Rowe on Jeffery all 60 minutes. That guy is a bust, Rowe could have had a field day.

 

[mosslost]

Honestly, if I didn't know better, the only reasonable explanation for such unprecedented ineptitude was that Bill was trying to lose the game.

um.. no.

The only reasonable explanation is that Butler did something bad enough to warrant it in Bill's eyes. I would speculate it is at least a 50/50 that we would agree if we knew the details..

 

[Sfpat]

Butler to Houston or Butler to San Francisco = star corner on revitalized franchises with Patriot connections. He was our best corner THIS year, our best secondary tackler, leader in pass deflections, who cares if he was 2 inches shorter !?

I'm guessing Butler to Detroit, based on who their new coach will be.

 

[mosi]

I doubt he is an addict, just made bad decisions, stemming from an attitude problem. I think bb tried to trade him in the offseason and who knows, maybe at the deadline, but it didn’t make enough sense, so he rolled the dice, hoping butler would just stay the course.

I think we just assume butler was to start but the fact he was crying during the anthem sprt of shows it was more of a “not starting” issue, but a “we are sitting you down unless we have to play you due to injury”.

Oh I agree, I am not suggesting that he is an addict, but the only person that would be hitting the smack after having the flu would be an addict.

After 2014, there were two people on the Pats that I thought would never have to buy a drink in Boston. Brady and Butler. Brady showed why he belongs on that list but Butler never even got the chance. I just don't understand how he is worse than Richards or Badmosi. I just don't.

 

[Pats1989]

I said that going into this game. Right again. If we had a better start on offense and defense, i think we absolutely win that game.

I shouldn't feel awful about the loss. But I do..... Who knows, maybe if they had been blown out, it wouldn't hurt as bad.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

I gotcha. I suppose it may have depended on what Belichick thought of a ST decrease in talent, but either way it certainly was an odd situation.

The only name there is branch. But, if bb sniffed out branch being an issue and quitting, too, then why would he change course with how he leads the team?
Here are the names on the field last year, not on the field this year:

Nink
Branch
Butler
Hightower
Sheard (guy has played well all year though)
Logan ryan
Shea mcclellin
Chris long

That is a lot talent and scheme specific versatility there.

 

[upstater1]

I said that going into this game. Right again. If we had a better start on offense and defense, i think we absolutely win that game.

The defense didn't stop anyone in the 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, or 4th quarter. They did have one stop in the 3rd.

I mean, all game for the Eagles.

Poor start really had nothing to do with it.

The defense was poor all game.

As for the missed FG, what can you do?

 

[mosslost]

Right again

"lol"

 

[mosi]

I'm guessing Butler to Detroit, based on who their new coach will be.

Maybe but do you think Patricia had a hand in his benching?

 

[50-yard-line]

Hard to draw conclusions with so little evidence...BUT, since that's what message boards are for:

I don't even give a **** if they thought they would have a better package out there with Rowe as #2, Richards and Bademosi. Something happened that caused a distraction in the locker room before the game.

Butlere may not have friends in the Patriot front office, but he has them on the team, and doing that to him in this game - not even giving him a chance when they were getting roasted - probably didn't sit well with a lot of his friends in that locker room.

There's no reason for that. Start him - IF he's not getting it done, pull him and go with Plan B (which sucked).

Just MHO with the limited info we have.