Patriots Rumor Once and for all... [Malcolm Butler benching revisited]

[bakes781]

Those DBs couldn't tackle to save their life that night.

 

[fnordcircle]

Things like this were the other side to the Belichick Double-Edged Sword of +10 Obstinance.

Everyone will have their own theory, the one that I've heard 2nd or 3rd hand (can't remember) that Butler was stoned/drunk the night before and had a physical altercation with Steve just fits. Doesn't mean it's right but it makes the most sense.

But this is the same Bill who benched Welker for foot puns. Delicious, sexy foot puns. Which, by the way, if a foot joke earns you a benching for a quarter what would joking about Ryan sharing his wife with players net you as a punishment? A quarter being benched while having to sit in a hotel **** chair?

The things that made Belichick great were also some of the same stuff that made him essentially punish the entire team and fanbase for the actions of one player. If Belichick isn't the kind of guy to do this he's probably not the kind of guy to run a program that nets us 6 Super Bowl victories in the first place.

 

[Ring 6]

I think the Titans got both sides. BB telling Vrabel and Robinson what happened and Malcolm telling Vrabel what happened. Whether they BS'ed Vrabes is a different question.

Yep. I do believe he was sick (from what who knows) and that put him behind. Hell, he said publicly he wasn't as dialed in as he should have been. The coaches knew which is why he rode the pine. I don't think there is any more to it.

The sensationalism that has been speculated seems like it’s all ********.
Pretty much the dude had a bad week and his coach didn’t believe he could play well. Butler doesn’t dispute he had a bad week, he just thinks he could have toughed it out.

BB made a tough decision and did what he thought was best. There are a lot of pelts on the wall that came from him making tough decisions. I don’t know anyone who gets everyone of them right.

 

[Sect140]

There is no guarantee that Malcolm being on the field that day would have led to a Win. That's what people don't want to accept. And neither does Butler.

True but he would’ve of given them a better chance of winning than Jordan Richard’s or what ever his name was. As Malcom said all that was needed were a few plays defensively to be made.

 

[PP2]

Macolm does not agree he should have kept off the field on D.

Just one of those things where you just can't point the finger at one thing as the sole cause of the benching. It was ultimately a perfect storm of all the little detrimental things adding up at the wrong time: his reduced role in the game plan BB conceived to deal with Philly's bigger receivers, leading to a week of half-ass practicing, on top of his illness, which led Fatty Patty to confront him aggressively over his attitude, and the ensuing blowup which led to BB benching him. He also may or may not have missed curfew, may or may not have attended a Rick Ross concert (per Rapaport's uncorroborated report).

Just an unfortunate turn of events that snowballed rather quickly.

 

[XLIX]

This is what? The 10th “once and for all” thread started on this subject?

 

[rainmaker]

This is what? The 10th “once and for all” thread started on this subject?

Outside of being in the Epstein files, there is no reasonable excuse for sitting your CB1 in the Super Bowl especially after your secondary was getting torched the entire game.

 

[Grogan14]

I know common wisdom is that if only Butler had played, the Pats would have won...but the truth is Foles played out of his mind at that Super bowl and was fantastic. I am not convinced Butler would have made a difference. Foles and the Eagles offense were pretty much unstoppable.
Foles deserves more credit for his clutch performance.

 

[DaBruinz]

True but he would’ve of given them a better chance of winning than Jordan Richard’s or what ever his name was. As Malcom said all that was needed were a few plays defensively to be made.

Eric Rowe is who took Butler's snaps. Not Jordan Richards.
Jordan Richards saw snaps because of the injury to Patrick Chung.

There is no telling whether or not Butler would have made ANY defensive plays. It's pure speculation on his part. For all anyone knows, he could have blown his knee out on his first defensive play.

 

[DaBruinz]

I know common wisdom is that if only Butler had played, the Pats would have won...but the truth is Foles played out of his mind at that Super bowl and was fantastic. I am not convinced Butler would have made a difference. Foles and the Eagles offense were pretty much unstoppable.
Foles deserves more credit for his clutch performance.

The truth is that the Eagles and Foles got a ton of help from the league.

Foles should have been flagged for illegal formation on his TD catch because he was not lined up properly.

Don't forget that the league used the rule change for receptions the benefitted the Eagles on both the Corey Clement and Zach Ertz TDs.

So, this idea that Foles played out of his mind is exaggeration.

 

[Wozzy]

The Patriots lost because Donta Hightower, Alan Branch, Martellus Bennett, Shea McClellin, Jon Jones missed the game and Chung missed the second half after breaking his arm. They had no chance.

Malcolm Butler sucked in 2017, he signed with the Titans and they benched him for Adoree Jackson. Titans fans looked at the signing as a mistake. He never played at a high level again.

Eric Rowe who replaced him in that Super Bowl was a better player going forward. And frankly once they manned Gilmore up on Alshon Jeffrey, the Eagles WR’s didn’t do much in the second half. TE Zach Ertz went off because Chung was injured.

Butler sucked, he peaked in 2016 and never played at that level again. The Pats had no chance. The defense was too injured. This conversation ranks as peak Patriot fan stupidity.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

Butler SUCKED against big, down the field outside the numbers receivers which is what PHI used. Rowe was genuinely better at it. First half they had Rowe and Gilmore play sides. That did NOT work. Second half I recall they had Gilmore shadow Jeffrey and Rowe on Torrey Smith. That did work. That was their mistake IMO. Not benching Butler, but not going right to shadowing. I think that was a genuinely fine coaching point.

I don't understand how BB saw Richards get abused over and over n the second half though and not at least TRY Butler. It was a pretty obvious adjustment to try.

 

[Since1960]

Ask yourself this simple question. If LT did the EXACT same thing (whatever the hell it was and no matter how bad/stupid it was), does ANYONE believe LT would have been given the day off??

 

[Wozzy]

Ask yourself this simple question. If LT did the EXACT same thing (whatever the hell it was and no matter how bad/stupid it was), does ANYONE believe LT would have been given the day off??

Butler sucked in 2017 and beyond.

LT was the greatest LB in history…

Just silly.

 

[upstater1]

The truth is that the Eagles and Foles got a ton of help from the league.

Foles should have been flagged for illegal formation on his TD catch because he was not lined up properly.

Don't forget that the league used the rule change for receptions the benefitted the Eagles on both the Corey Clement and Zach Ertz TDs.

So, this idea that Foles played out of his mind is exaggeration.

This is the craziest thing I ever saw in my 50+ years of watching NFL games.

It was so beyond that Collinsworth was openly cackling at the absurdity of it all. He was literally out of his mind that the NFL was doing this.

 

[sb1]

Outside of being in the Epstein files, there is no reasonable excuse for sitting your CB1 in the Super Bowl especially after your secondary was getting torched the entire game.

Sitting your CB1 who took 97% of the team's snaps that season.

 

[h0c2000]

Sitting your CB1 who took 97% of the team's snaps that season.

Just trying to do what's best for the team.

 

[lancerman]

Ask yourself this simple question. If LT did the EXACT same thing (whatever the hell it was and no matter how bad/stupid it was), does ANYONE believe LT would have been given the day off??

Butler isn't LT. That said, Belichick thought enough of Butler to let him take 97% of the snaps that year, then benched him in the biggest game, then didn't go back to him when they were getting torched.

That's a decision that deserves all the criticism and skepticism it's gotten and there's a reason it still pops up nearly 10 years later.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Sitting your CB1 who took 97% of the team's snaps that season.

Malcolm was CB2 that year. Gilly was CB1.

 

[sb1]

The problem with your theory of Butler gambling (whether it was on the NFL or not) is that the league would have punished Butler when they found out. Look at players who have been suspended for Gambling. There have been a slew since 2019.. Both for betting on the NFL and for gambling otherwise. Why would you think Goodell wouldn't make an example of Butler after SB49 if the Belichick told the league?

The league absolutely would. I'm just saying that's one of the very few valid reasons why Bill would sit Butler. But if Bill even had the slightest reason to suspect it he would have kept Butler far away from the building anyway and not let him dress at all.