Malcolm Butler Mega Thread

[sambam94]

You don’t win championships by not having standards, principles and rules.

You act like you want to win more than belichick and you are more invested in it than him and he let you down because he Durant care as much as you.
Is that really what you want to portray?

It's the last game of the year...having principles had nothing to do with whether they won or lost last night. Middle of the season,..yes....but not the last game...especially when he's gone next year.

 

[lancerman]

I repeat: torrey smith was taken out. The d made numerous stops on 3rd and short. Credit philly’s loose and aggressive play there.

I have already stated my disagreements with the matchups and do feel my analysis is sound.

So you honestly think the best players were out on the field and that Butler wouldn't have made a difference?

 

[lancerman]

This is a great point. Dumb news articles are saying Rowe replaced Butler and that was the sole problem. What they don't mention is that benching Butler put three people out of position and as you mentioned brought bench warmers onto the field. Rowe isn't bad, the problem is that everyone moved up a spot on the depth chart.

This. It's not just one match up. It's what it did to the whole secondary literally minutes before kick off.

 

[Ring 6]

Do you know how much this sounded like "if the President does it, then it's not illegal".

Yes, not at all.

My argument is that Butler is clearly our second best CB, he didn't play at all, nobody on the team expected it to go down like that, the Eagles torched our secondary and we couldn't get a single stop, and they still didn't even bother to give Butler a single snap to see if he would be a better option.

And i am saying that a team is built upon principles and if butler violated them to the extent he was benched I don’t think you come back at halftime and say never mind.

And part of being a leader is knowing when, and how, to stand behind your principles.

Of course.



[/quote]I didn't speculate. I made it abundantly clear what my post was targeted at.[/QUOTE]
Saying it was wrong to stand behind pronciples without know which principle and how it was violated is speculating.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I thought it had been established that he missed the flight because of the flu.

It has been reported that he missed the flights b/c of the flu. I was also reported he looked to be drained on Wednesday's practice.

I'm wondering if that is actually true. Especially if you believe he went out boozing Wednesday AND Friday night.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

I am not buying that story with the drugs. He would have been inactive.

Chandler jones was not. Bb does not care about drugs. He cares about commitment to the goals of the time.

If these stories are true, you anti-bb brainwshed felger and mazz types are being disingenuous.

 

[Soliel]

So missing flights and curfews and allegedly having weed on him was worth not having your best players out on defense and being unable to get a stop?

Yes it’s worth it. You make that sacrifice and we’re the Steelers. No thanks

 

[Ring 6]

This is a great point. Dumb news articles are saying Rowe replaced Butler and that was the sole problem. What they don't mention is that benching Butler put three people out of position and as you mentioned brought bench warmers onto the field. Rowe isn't bad, the problem is that everyone moved up a spot on the depth chart.

But that isn’t true. The game plan called for 2 corners and 3-4 safeties.
The only change was butler out Rowe in. If butler played Rowe wouldn’t.

Not that I like that game plan but it’s the one they had.

 

[Bubba]

maybe BB doesnt want to reveal whatever malcom butler's violation was because BB doesnt want to damage Butler's value because BB knows that Butler's free agent departure will be factored in to the compensation draft picks down the road. I dont know if Butlers value will be determined based on his draft position which cannot change or if it is more based on his "present value" which is something that could change based on whatever the violation was. Sorry if this has already been discussed here. I confess that I did not read all 67 pages of posts.

 

[sambam94]

But that isn’t true. The game plan called for 2 corners and 3-4 safeties.
The only change was butler out Rowe in. If butler played Rowe wouldn’t.

Not that I like that game plan but it’s the one they had.

a safety on agholor is stupid..look what happened on last drive

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm not speculating with the following statement. I'm just responding to your "accommodation" comment:

My definition of commitment to team doesn't include needlessly pissing away your best opportunity to win a SB because you have a hair across your ass about a player who you can move on from in about 12 hours. If Bill's definition does include that, he needs to change his definition.

Valid point. Suck it up and play the man. I get it.

There are those who are struggling with "why" he benched him and what I said is my speculation as the reason.

The "should he have" is a different question.

I probobly would have pulled a Calipari and played him while I turned the other way.

 

[Ring 6]

Who knows what happened. All I know is that from now on when people talk about Bill Belichick's legacy as a coach... there is going to be a portion in there of

"Despite his defensive genius his defense got obliterated in Super Bowl 52 by a back up QB, while everyone questioned why his Super Bowl hero starting QB was informed right before the national anthem that he wasn't playing. And even though his star HOF QB played the best statistical Super Bowl of his career and broke the record for most yards a year after setting it, the team couldn't overcome his defense allowing 41 points on the board".

No.

 

[PatsFan98117]

I can't believe BB didn't put Butler on the field for the 4th quarter. The point would have been made, re: strict disciplinarian, and you would have had a fresh, highly-emotional PROVEN SUPER BOWL WINNER coming in with a monster chip on his shoulder. The whole D could have been ignited.

I want to live on the timeline where that happened.

 

[RobertWeathers]

He can believe that. But he has current and former players pissed at him. So much for fearing cracks in the foundation. Cause I see a lot of cracks today.

Very possible.

I'm sure Tom is not pleased.

 

[Soliel]

Yes. Basically from my understanding is they thought a loss in the bowl is better than watching Brunel cry again for seventeen hours whining about dope smoking cheaters. I agree.

Who cares if spice is technically legal? It is not legal in nfl football.

Hgh can be bought at gnc

 

[lancerman]

Yes it’s worth it. You make that sacrifice and we’re the Steelers. No thanks

Good because today we're not the Steelers. The Steelers have 6 Super Bowls, we have 5. Today our HOF coach who was largely considered the greatest coach ever just had something happen that when people talk about his legacy will always be brought up when people compare him to Lombardi or Halas.

Have fun with your moral stand and "not being the Steelers", who incidentally are probably ecstatic that we elected to not be like them.

 

[mosslost]

Either way you play the guy. He wasn't coming back to this team. BB made a decision and his defense paid the price.

Still would have won if they drive down the field but Eagles made the strip sack. As bad as the D was we were one drive away. Sux

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

But that isn’t true. The game plan called for 2 corners and 3-4 safeties.
The only change was butler out Rowe in. If butler played Rowe wouldn’t.

Not that I like that game plan but it’s the one they had.

I think that's oversimplified. I get what you are saying that they would play mainly nickel and dime packages. However, every team lines up safeties as cornerbacks all the time, depending on the play and scheme. You'll see McCourty, Chung, and Harmon all play "corner" as in they are matched up man to man on someone. Regardless, there's no way that the gameplan alone was the reason for benching Butler. I'm pretty sure that, as a smartest coach in the league, Belichick would have used Butler over Richards or Bademosi in coverage even though his official position is CB and not S.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

So missing flights and curfews and allegedly having weed on him was worth not having your best players out on defense and being unable to get a stop?

Is that a serious question? Yes, i think it was a punishable offese for a demotion.

Go back and read my pregame analysis...i said gilmore on agoholor and butler on torrey smith. SMith was taken out.

It is delusional to think missing butler would have guaranteed one stop.

 

[Antdawg]

So missing flights and curfews and allegedly having weed on him was worth not having your best players out on defense and being unable to get a stop?

Honestly, if all of the above quoted is true, I think it's valid to question just how far off the grid Butler had gone this past week. It's easy to sit here and say "ah well, BB should have just played him. Yadda yadda yadda" when we really don't know how receptive Butler was to instruction, considering the mass of infractions leading right up to the most important game of the year.