Malcolm Butler Mega Thread

robertweathers said:

I'm starting to wonder if the lines between not playing because of a football decision or a discipline issue are blurred.

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More I think about it, seems as though it's not so much the lines being blurred, but that there is truth to both. Butler was behaving irresponsibly off the field and thus his on field performance suffered along with it. BB, knowing Butler is gone after this season, took the high road and declined to get into the off the field stuff. And if the disciplinary stuff is true at all, I think BB made the right call and it's Butler who let the team down.

TommyBrady12 said:

Benching Butler was selfish on so many levels. It made everyone in the secondary shift their assignment at the last minute. The fact that Rowe came out and said he was clueless that he’d start before the game is proof. Players study their assignments all week and then you switch it up at the last moment? That’s like telling a HS kid that he has a test on the Revolutionary War only to tell him the day before it’s going to be on WW2 instead. How are players supposed to “Do Your Job” this way?

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He took those practice reps all week. He was surprised he was starting, but that doesn't mean he wasn't prepared.

mosslost said:

Belichick caught him doing something bad, that for sure..

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If he did, he has to think about the rest of the team and how such a move affects everyone on defense. If he did weed, fine him after the game. Don’t rattle the boat at the last moment.

mike_usagisan said:

He took those practice reps all week. He was surprised he was starting, but that doesn't mean he wasn't prepared.

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Did you think Rowe looked prepared? He said he had no clue he was going to cover Jeffry.

TommyBrady12 said:

If he did, he has to think about the rest of the team and how such a move affects everyone on defense. If he did weed, fine him after the game. Don’t rattle the boat at the last moment.

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idk what the heck happened..

robertweathers said:

I'm starting to wonder if the lines between not playing because of a football decision or a discipline issue are blurred.

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Like i said, probably a combo. Starting to smell like even the flu thing was iffy. If bb made him inactive, fans would have flipped out before the game and it would a huge story before the game.

Sucks to think butler could be so selfish at the worst time.

TommyBrady12 said:

Did you think Rowe looked prepared? He said he had no clue he was going to cover Jeffry.

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Bb should have had harmon over the top all night with rowe on jeffery, like i said.

Funny how when i clearly state my gameplans, bb does not do it, and we lose. Bb is not perfect and this is one of those games.

Antdawg said:

More I think about it, seems as though it's not so much the lines being blurred, but that there is truth to both. Butler was behaving irresponsibly off the field and thus his on field performance suffered along with it.

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Yep.

I'm trying to be very careful about assuming Malcolm had off-the-field issues (missed flight, partying, smoking weed, etc) that pushed BB to the limit but if true then he really had no choice.

Now.....if those kind of lifestyle choices were impacting his practice performance and game preparations, then that was basically a "football decision"

Antdawg said:

BB, knowing Butler is gone after this season, took the high road and declined to get into the off the field stuff. And if the disciplinary stuff is true at all, I think BB made the right call and it's Butler who let the team down.

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Agree.

If all true, at the end of the day by labeling it a "discipline issue" I don't think BB wanted to destroy the guy's chances in FA.

Chris Stevenson said:

Like i said, probably a combo. Starting to smell like even the flu thing was iffy. If bb made him inactive, fans would have flipped out before the game and it would a huge story before the game.

Sucks to think butler could be so selfish at the worst time.

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Yea I'm in denial to think he was engaged in off-the -field stuff prior to the Super Bowl which hurt his ability to perform and jeopardized his standing with the club.

Just too dissapointing to think about....

PatriotsNumero1Fan said:

We will never know the truth but it hurt this defense big time.

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Oh... we will find out.... MB is a free agent. He will absolutely need to get a story out, instead of leaving teams guessing as to why the GOAT coach felt the need to bench him for the entire game on the sports greatest stage. That or teams will let it leak out, because this will be the 1st question asked by potential teams looking to bring him in. Either way, no way this stays a mystery for too long.

My suspicion is that he effed up big time, which is why the “busted for weed, missing meetings, melting down on coaches” rumors make more sense then anything.

Then it becomes did the punishment of sitting him for the whole game (and losing) fit the crime or whatever infraction committed. I refuse to beleive that the greatest coach ever would have kept him out all game long was the best for the team scheme wise.

Haven't seen this mentioned either, but him crying during the Anthem portends a player who is unstable emotionally, at least at that point in his life.

None of Butler's suposed transgressions explain dressing him, letting him warm up and then benching him. Leave him in the hotel or send him home. What could BB possibly have seen at the last minute to justify it?

Causing chaos in your team and public humiliation for Buttler is inexcusable. Then when your grand plan unravels before your eyes you do nothing to make it better???

Forget BB & Butler what about tearing the heart out of your weak D? The players were seen supporting Butler not avoiding him like he was a selfish rulebreaker.

How can you play for a man you don't trust? How can they know it won't happen to them? Do you think Gronk is talking about retirement due to a simple loss?? He was slagged by BB when they didn't throw to him the last game when all he needed was 1-2 to make his yearly bonus. He got it from being selected All-Pro no thanks to BB.

Did anyone read MMQB about the banquet that the Pats setup outside the lockeroom that was several yards long. Talk about hubris: benching Butler, ****ty game plan, poor calls, no adjustments and planning the celebration before its won. Those 8 SB appearances have gone to someone's head.

TB_Helmet said:

It was BB, not the player.

Belichick can bench him for a series or a quarter or a half, and the punishment is there. To bench your starting CB2 in the Super Bowl is extraordinary and gets your point across, and nobody will ever think that they can break the rules and get away with it.

Put Butler back in at some point to save your season and win a title. Not doing so may have been the reason we lost.

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Butler is not doing anything. Whoever was on torrey smith took him out, so that had little do wih why we lost. Butler was benched numerous times this year and now it is clear he was a problem all year. Sb 49 got to his head, obviously. He played that pro bowl year in 2015 and expected 12 mil per. His agent is some friend from home who isn’t even a real agent, who let butler down.

How is 8 mil per not more than a fair offer to him? Butler just could not check his ego like welker.

Chandler Jones was caught frekin nude hillucinating off of drugs in a police parking lot and still ended up playing. You want me to believe Butler committed a worse offence that led him to ZERO defensive snaps? I’m not buying it. Bill screwed the team, the fans big time with this one. As a player who is asked to sacrifice so much how do you go and play for this man again? I would have zero trust and respect for this man going forward.

Antdawg said:

Haven't seen this mentioned either, but him crying during the Anthem portends a player who is unstable emotionally, at least at that point in his life.

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I agree. Big heart player, but sort of emotionally delicate.

slash83 said:

Chandler Jones was caught frekin nude hillucinating off of drugs in a police parking lot and still ended up playing. You want me to believe Butler committed a worse offence that led him to ZERO defensive snaps? I’m not buying it. Bill screwed the team, the fans big time with this one. As a player who is asked to sacrifice so much how do you go and play for this man again? I would have zero trust and respect for this man going forward.

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I forgot about that one!

There were questionable coaching decisions besides the Butler call.

3rd and 5 send Brady out to be a WR. Then go for it on a 4th and 5. Only down 6 at that point.

Brady is hitting receivers and drives 68 yards. Then three straight run plays result in a 4th down. The Eagles showed no ability to stop Brady. The only failed drives were when the coaches took the ball out of Brady's hands.

Timeout with 9 minutes left on a 2nd and 6.

slash83 said:

Chandler Jones was caught frekin nude hillucinating off of drugs in a police parking lot and still ended up playing. You want me to believe Butler committed a worse offence that led him to ZERO defensive snaps? I’m not buying it. Bill screwed the team, the fans big time with this one.

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Butler playing does not likely change the outcome. Torrey smith did nothing. The mistake was not giving rowe help with harmon and moving chung off ertz to agoholor.

Gilmore would have taken out agoholor from snap 1, flowers on clement (great coverage on the incomplete pass ruled an0 td), chung on ertz, mccourty moved all around and play more at the line for blitzes, help in support, etc.

Bb is the greatest ever but he and patricia over-analyzed (sometimes a bb flaw), and it cost them.

slash83 said:

Chandler Jones was caught frekin nude hillucinating off of drugs in a police parking lot and still ended up playing. You want me to believe Butler committed a worse offence that led him to ZERO defensive snaps? I’m not buying it. Bill screwed the team, the fans big time with this one. As a player who is asked to sacrifice so much how do you go and play for this man again? I would have zero trust and respect for this man going forward.

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Which is why it only makes sense if Malcolm was dogging it in practice and his pre-game preparation was sub-standard.

It was never argued or discussed that Chandler Jones had bad practices leading up to the KC game. Nor was it argued he did some illegal.

Keep in mind, BB was DC for the greatest OLB of all-time and who repeatedly showed up drunk, stoned and with women panties on. The difference is he always practiced hard, played hard and knew the game plan.

The man will cut players slack as long as they are doing their job.

Something tells me Malcolm wasn't doing his job.

moosekill said:

If, and it is a big if, but ifButler
a. missed the team plane
b. practiced like **** all week
c. was out partying after curfew Saturday night
d. was benched for the game for breaking team rules
e. The Patriots lost the game because he wasn't out there

I would say it was pretty much all on Butler, not on BB.

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then he would have been inactive in favor of someone who may actually contribute....

so, no.......the fact that he was active but did not play is ALL on BB