Content Post Dear Bill - Thanks for Giving Away the Super Bowl.

[Kontradiction]

Super Bowl LII Film Review: Where Patriots Missed Malcolm Butler

A little film review to hopefully take the thread in that direction.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Ivan, I’m a big fan of your posting from your knowledge to taking a dump on the chicken littles in amusing ways but honest question:

You really don’t think the domino effect of playing Malcolm Butler gets us one stop?

Butler bench to CB2
Rowe CB2 to slot CB (role he’s been playing all year)
Chung slot CB to Ertz

Comeon. You know that gets 1-2 more stops.

Patsinthesnow, appreciate the comments but I just don’t buy the premise that Butler would have made a stop that would have changed that game or defensive performance. And while I think that Butler healthy and in the right frame of mind could have helped them I don’t believe that was the case. Like Collins I think he had tuned the coaches out and he had become a problem, but that’s just my take on it. I think people claiming he would have been the difference are talking out of their asses because they have no information on how he was performing and behaving leading up to the game, and then projecting him as some MVP performer in it. I don’t think Belichick took this lightly in any way or that he was being arrogant or cavalier about it. I think it was a decision he put a lot of thought into, and that he consulted with his defensive coaches and Scar about it.

I think the much bigger problem, both in that game and going forward is that the Patriots have real trouble with RPO offenses and mobile quarterbacks, and it’s going to take changes in personnel and schemes to completely address those issues. I don’t think Butler is the difference maker in those games, and their defensive performances against teams like KC and Carolina demonstrate that. And without much much much more knowledge about how Butler performs against those offenses, as well as his performance leading up to the Super Bowl, I find it impossible to say that Belichick’s decision to bench Butler cost them the game.

I understand why people are upset about losing a Super Bowl, my problem is the extreme overreactions we are seeing.

 

[mosslost]

D

He’s the greatest coach, possibly ever.

But his machine grew too strong on Sunday.

The machine is going to take out anything and everything in it’s path.

Sometimes, it’ll break off something that’s vital to the machine working the right way. And Butler was that piece.

so you do about about a runaway rogue cyborg like all power machine?

 

[grux]

The weed angle would answer why Butler does not have a contract. His play was great so that cannot be it.

That is so puzzling more than the benching.

Malcolm himself stated that he has not been happy about his performance this season. I personally think he has played average this season. I am not going to get into the discussion about whether or not we win or loose if he is on the field. I need to wait for more information to come out.

 

[RobertWeathers]

If the bb "code" is so sacred MAKE HIM A HEALTHY SCRATCH. WHY waste a precious roster spot.

This isn't that complicated.

Name another deactivated player what would have won the game.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

I'm waiting to hear what the reason was. I'm not sure what he could have done that made BB bench him on defense but not special teams.

 

[Observer]

The coach who has built the best, most successful NFL franchise of all time (taking into account salary cap/free agency) all of a sudden decided to intentionally throw a Super Bowl due to his ego?

GTFO with that crap. Belichick has had unparalleled success due to an unwavering commitment to his rules and his method of everyone buying in 100%. That unwavering system has given you a lifetime of great memories and the best team of the modern era.

Now, all of a sudden, that methodology and coaching style is inconvenient for you because the other 20 some odd defensive players who got snaps all crapped the bed?

Furthermore, it's nice to say "the Pats D would have gotten more stops with Butler because he's better than Bademosi, Rowe or Richards" but that's just your speculation. The same type many mock other team's fans for. "We would have won if...." means nothing and is entirely unprovable. Putting Butler in changes many things which alters the entire sequence of the game. Maybe for the better, maybe for the worse. Just because his replacements performed poorly doesn't mean Butler would have been the difference between a win and a loss.

You want a system which churns out AFCCG appearances yearly? Then you should be backing the idea of benching a guy your HOF coach deemed unworthy to play.

The idea that Belichick "gave the game away" or "blew it" is laughably entitled and stupid sounding. None (or very few) of the Butler apologists whined about Belichick cutting or benching other guys for various performance or disciplinary issues as long as the team won. You want the wins but you want to pick and choose when Belichick should stick to his methods. It's ridiculous.

Answer honestly, how many superbowls does Belichick win without Brady?

 

[mosslost]

Super Bowl LII Film Review: Where Patriots Missed Malcolm Butler

A little film review to hopefully take the thread in that direction.

Anger is the right and more interesting direction. Carthartic and appropriate.

 

[Ring 6]

I said essentially. Meaning I don't believe he got benched for anything other than their game plan. Meaning speculating that Malcolm was a rule breaker or was caught with drugs/drinking is pointless because it didn't happen according to our own coach.

Believe what you want.

He said it wasn't discipline. His own words, "We put the players and game plan out there that we thought would be the best, like we always do".

Same thing he says n matter what happens.

Some of you choose to believe everything Bill says until he says something you don't like or makes no sense to you and now he suddenly is in coverup mode. Maybe it's really exactly as he ****ing said.

I would buy that as a reason for diminished snaps. Not for zero. Bademosi hasn’t played defense in months. There is no realm or reality where B.B. could have decided a normal butler is worse.

They picked a game plan they thought would work. It didn't and we lost. And they screwed up. It happens in literally every game to at least one team. We just happened to be on the wrong side this time.

This is true but butler not being part of it is for different reasons. Obviously.

 

[Huckleberry1]

BB felt Malcolm was not prepared to play in the game, be there for his teammates and help the team win. He was not ready to do his job.

If Bill felt he was prepared and would be a player his teammates could count on and coaches could trust carry out his assignments, hed be out there.

What people are not comprehending is Malcolm's behavior and actions went far beyond a simple rule violation smoking a little weed.

And they are trying to make their case without any real knowledge whatsoever.

 

[Ring 6]

If the bb "code" is so sacred MAKE HIM A HEALTHY SCRATCH. WHY waste a precious roster spot.

This isn't that complicated.

Depth.

 

[mosslost]

I dont follow.

Like Bill Russell.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

Malcolm himself stated that he has not been happy about his performance this season. I personally think he has played average this season. I am not going to get into the discussion about whether or not we win or loose if he is on the field. I need to wait for more information to come out.

He has looked average much of the season. Average would have been a significant upgrade in the Eagles game though.

 

[Observer]

For the "Butler's absence had no impact" crowd:
Super Bowl LII Film Review: Where Patriots Missed Malcolm Butler

 

[Simpelton]

I would say that that is precisely the reason why it must be discussed because right now there is simply no reason to not have played Butler and that is just idiotic.

"Right now" the game has played out and all the reasons there eve were to bench Butler exist. They just may or may not have leaked to the media or the fans yet.

To claim that he was benched for "no reason" when the truth is we simply don't KNOW the reason is foolish.

 

[Ring 6]

The Big Nickel wasn't working. They stuck with it anyway. That's still on the coaching. That's still on Belichick. And that's without even commenting on the Butler situation.

The only alternative was Bademosi.
The nickel with Bademosi would have failed worse than the big nickel.

 

[TB_Helmet]

I agree 100% with the OP which I thought was great and spot on (except that Brady shook hands with plenty of Eagles players, don't believe the fake news going around that he didn't).

The only thing I would add is if you have to punish him, then bench him for the first quarter or something. That sends a message to everyone else if you have to send it. Don't throw the Super Bowl to prove your point.

We'll be talking about this for years, if not the rest of our lives, so get ready.

 

[Ring 6]

If this is all true he should have been sent home. He had no business being at the game.

If it happened Saturday night it was too late. Couldn’t make a roster move and couldn’t go into a game with2 1/2 corners.

 

[mosslost]

Give me a break.

No ones sitting here and saying Malcolm Butler is LT. Don’t bring such a garbage comparison to the table.

The fact of the matter is this, Butler could’ve made the one single solitary stop that Rowe or Bademosi couldn’t. Brady only needed one stop to win that shoot out and he never got it.

End of story. Any other rediculous comparison or narratives you try and bring to the table are irrelevant. You play your best players to win a game, especially a game as big as this.

Belichick screwed the pooch and cost the team a title. Period.

@Ivan ’s point ludicrous on this one

 

[patsfan13]

Depth.

Then the assumed violation wasn't serious enough to kick him off the roster, but serious enough to have 3 players playing out of position in the secondary?

What happened to putting players in a position to be successful?

BB owns the loss.