Once and for all... [Malcolm Butler pick revisited]

PP2 · Jan 29, 2026

Huckleberry1 said:
They ran it 11 times in practice and Butler made the wrong decision and went outside Browner, opening the gap for the receiver to catch the TD pass. In the game Butler once again lined up outside of Browner and Browner turned around and moved him to the inside of him, at which point butler realized " I know what this play is, and ran right at Wilson the second the ball was snapped, and after faking to the inside Wilson turned and fired it right into Butler's chest. IMO it's the greatest defensive play call of all time. Belichick baited Carroll into running that play, they were ready for it, and Butler finished it with the interception to win the game.

I found it. At the 2:26 mark.

fnordcircle · Jan 29, 2026

Belichick defended the call. He said it was about clock management. 26 seconds left, you're about to hike on 2nd down with one timeout. An incomplete there guarantees two more plays to try to score. You pass there because you expect either a TD or an incomplete which stops the clock and then you can hand it off to Lynch again.

You don't coach afraid that your QB will throw an INT.

It also eats up more time if you don't get a TD there and you can run again. The Patriots would have had two timeouts and about 20 seconds needing a TD. It's why Bill deliberately doesn't call a timeout - because it forces the Seahawks into a time crunch there as well with only one timeout.

Honestly Belichick's defense was stuff I never thought about and it sounds like its a deeper layer of the football chess match than many of us fans consider. Including me.

PatsFanNM · Jan 29, 2026

Many people blame Wilson for throwing the pass. When he throws the pass his receiver is relatively open, and Malcolm's appearance in just the right place is far from predictable. A possible pass breakup is definitely predictable, but the interception was basically a miracle.

Simpelton · Jan 29, 2026

Just gonna say this, I felt it at the time, I feel it now.

The problem with the play wasn't so much the decision, but the execution.

A pick play in short yardage like that can absolutely work. It's a pretty high percentage play, and there are practical reasons to resort to a pass when you've just tried a run play to Lynch and been kept out.

People forget, it was second down, the Patriots had their jumbo package out there, and they'd already stopped Beastmode once.

The real mistake was Carroll letting all that time run off the clock so he felt he had to risk a pass in order to maximize his chances to score. That's what people should be blasting Pete for. He wasn't disciplined when it mattered most.

If you're going to risk a pass, doing one on second down after Hightower kept Lynch out isn't particularly unreasonable.

However, the execution by the players themselves was abysmal.

Wilson could not have been more obvious about a potential throw to the right if he had a neon sign on his forehead. He doesn't look to the left even once in the presnap. There's no attempt whatsoever, either before or after, to sell a possible run play to the left. Those are the damning aspects of the play.

The fact of the matter is that Carroll's big failure is not the playcall, it's not managing his men and getting them to calm down and line up like professionals. They're all pumped about the Kearse catch, they're full of adrenaline, and Carroll failed to calm his troops down and ensure they played with discipline, and as a result the disguise failed and playcall could not possibly be more obvious. That's what allowed Browner to identify the offensive gameplan, pick Kearse and spring Butler. The Seahawks were acting like this play was a formality, and the Pats had more than enough information, and discipline, to punish them for it.

Oh, and Wilson's throw was itself slightly off target, he led Lockette by just a little bit too much which allowed Butler to muscle him out and get the ball himself. It wasn't an absolutely awful throw, but it was an imperfect one, and it helped the Patriots do what they needed to do.

This is why it's actually pretty darn rare for a "player's coach" to win Superbowls. There's times when you've gotta be the one to go in there and crack that whip, and you've got to have the credibility when you do to make dozens of pumped up, egotistical young men listen to you. Pete Carroll lost control just a little bit, couldn't keep his men's heads cool, and the result was an undisciplined play that led to disaster..

NovaScotiaPatsFan · Jan 29, 2026

Yeah, like I tried to talk about it in another thread a couple of weeks ago and showed video evidence of how much time they had left when the play before the INT happened ended and someone argued with me about that, so I doubt we'll ever hear the end of it.

I'll always believe the Pats would have stuffed Lynch.

Grogan14 · Jan 29, 2026

Butler’s interception literally changed history. If they had lost that game they would have gone TEN years since their last SB win against the Eagles.
Could this have ushered in changes with Brady or Belichick?

TheRainMaker · Jan 29, 2026

Former players including Lynch said Seattle was trying to prop up Wilson as the hero and they had a grudge with Lynch. Against the Cardinals that year they did the same thing not running Lynch near the goal line and they scored with a passing play from Wilson, so he flipped off the coaching staff. They could've done a lot at the goal line by running it or getting Wilson in space where he was a pain in the ass to defend. With that said, the play actually worked, but Lockett was soft on the play and/or unaware Butler beat him to the spot.

But BB not calling a TO and trusting Butler was arguably the baliest move over starting a 6th round QB over a newly signed $100M QB. In fact, this was the most important play of the 2nd dynasty and another reason why BB not making the HOF as a 1st ballet is BS. Had the Seahawks scored, the media and fans would've gone nuclear on BB. Also, I think Brady would've started planning his exit/ask for Bill's exit or Bill gets ready to replace Brady with Jimmy G. I think Kraft would've chose Brady in this situation with BB's defenses now having 3 straight Super Bowl collapses including playoff collapses in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2012 with the drought going on 10 years now. Pats had no business not winning multiple Super Bowls prior to that.

jal · Jan 29, 2026

The call was perfectly fine as pointed out above, for a multitude of reasons - Lynch wasn't great on the goal-line, timeout situation, etc

The Patriots played the snap perfectly - Browner destroyed the pick attempt by pushing his guy way clear allowing Butler to beat the receiver to the spot with zero traffic.

My only issue with the play is Wilson's decision to throw it given how the Patriots played it, and even that is understandable given it's supposed to be a bang-bang play for 1 yard.

End of the day, it was just an all-time play by the Patriots. 99% of the time even perfectly played defense there results in a PBU not a pick. Football gods decided to give us some luck that time (reversing the all-time bad luck on the play that got the Seahawks down there - yeesh)

Hugepatsfan · Jan 29, 2026

Sam Bam Cunningham said:
Butler’s interception literally changed history. If they had lost that game they would have gone TEN years since their last SB win against the Eagles.
Could this have ushered in changes with Brady or Belichick?

Well, that was the year they drafted Jimmy G. So there were already maybe some whispers of that. That was the year Belichick got asked about possibly benching Brady after the MNF loss to KC. But to be fair he mocked the question and laughed at it.

I don't think there was any real serious talk of changes. No one in NE was saying that BB was on the hot seat, not even the Felger and Mazz's of the world. Brady was getting older and they took a QB high but rookie contracts are 4 years and I don't think anyone outside that one question that got laughed at was serious asking about Jimmy G taking over on the early side of that deal.

I highly doubt a loss in that game would have really ushered in any changes.

UGAPatsfan · Jan 29, 2026

Gumby said:
100% True analysis. Good write-up, but that won’t stop it being debated, even on this board- just look at how we had „Spygate“ re-litigated this week.

A certain poster from Ghooorgia will hate this, but….. this was pure BB genius on display.
A. Totally 180-degrees out from accepted doctrine to not burn any timeouts (& thereby put pressure on Carroll) ( intentional BB-Level decision per multiple Bb & DC interviews)
B. Total preparation: he told team this was a goal-line favorite. IIRC (what Butler said) they practiced it multiple times and scout team beat them every time with it..
C. Forcing the O to a known play call: BB said in a recent interview, ‚I knew if I sent in GL linemen D, they would respond with this (or a similar) pass play.‘ (based on Carroll‘s yar-long tendencies.

Actually my fav play in any Superbowl, and if you go back a few seconds before it…when Bill DIDN’T call timeout, that was one of his most brilliant game decisions ever.

Some of you struggle to understand the difference between disliking a PERSON vs having a ton of respect for them professionally. BB for many years was the best HC in the NFL. Full stop.

I’ll never forget that play because it was so zero sum. Don’t make it, Pats lose. Make it, Pats win. Not many like that in SB history.

UGAPatsfan · Jan 29, 2026

jal said:
The call was perfectly fine as pointed out above, for a multitude of reasons - Lynch wasn't great on the goal-line, timeout situation, etc

The Patriots played the snap perfectly - Browner destroyed the pick attempt by pushing his guy way clear allowing Butler to beat the receiver to the spot with zero traffic.

My only issue with the play is Wilson's decision to throw it given how the Patriots played it, and even that is understandable given it's supposed to be a bang-bang play for 1 yard.

End of the day, it was just an all-time play by the Patriots. 99% of the time even perfectly played defense there results in a PBU not a pick. Football gods decided to give us some luck that time (reversing the all-time bad luck on the play that got the Seahawks down there - yeesh)

I’ve thought about that…issue is if he DOESN’T throw it, not a lot of time or other options to make a play other than throw it out of the endzone.

TomPatriot · Jan 29, 2026

patfanken said:
I want to get this out of the way once and for all. For the next 10 days we are going to inundated with replays of the Malcolm Butler interception, with the side bar that this is the single DUMBEST play call in Super Bowl history, which I believe diminishes the play and disrespects the Patriots and their accomplishment.

First of all everyone simple assumes that giving the ball to Lynch was an automatic TD. It wasn't. Now these are some of the things the Seattle OC was thinking about as he made his call. First he saw the Pats make a substitution to a GL defense that was not only one of the best in the league that year, it was designed specifically stop Lynch and Seattle knew it. What few people ever mention is that during that season Lynch had something like a 1 in 6 or 8 success rate on GL attempts that season. Everyone was expecting the run and if it failed, they would still have 2 more chances to run it. In other words, it was the perfect time to try a pass play and that pick play had been successful several times that season.

Sure there was risk, but quite frankly, the risk of a pick was REALLY low, and if you look back at the play, the ball literally sticks to Butler's arm one handed, he almost does a double take realizing it was still in his arm. That Butler successfully defends that pass was probably a 30-40% chance. That he pick it off, was a 1 in a 100 chance. The other CB did a marvelous job keeping the pick guy off of Malcolm and Butler did a great job driving to the ball. But getting the pick was as lucky as the deflection catch that set up the play in the first place

Bottom line, this just wasn't the absurdly dumb call that it has come to be known. There was solid reasoning behind it. Can you question the call? Of course you can. I'd be complaining that there wasn't a hand off fake involved with the play. I've been making that complaint with Josh for close to 20 years, even though I understand why he sometimes doesn't do it, (your QB doesn't turn his back to the LOS, the ball comes out quicker, etc) BUT the point is the play call does NOT come close to being the historically stupid call it's come to be known as by the narrative makers.

It is Butler's and the rest of the defense's play that should be celebrated and NOT the uniformed 2nd guessers who get create the full narrative of that play, and the Play should be considered one the greatest clutch plays in Superbowl history, and NOT one of worst calls, because it simply wasn't. Sean Payton made a worse on last Sunday,

Plus, iirc, ex-Seahawk Brandon Browner was aware of this play and helped motion Butler into position.

TommyD4207 · Jan 29, 2026

Simpelton said:
Just gonna say this, I felt it at the time, I feel it now.

The problem with the play wasn't so much the decision, but the execution.

A pick play in short yardage like that can absolutely work. It's a pretty high percentage play, and there are practical reasons to resort to a pass when you've just tried a run play to Lynch and been kept out.

People forget, it was second down, the Patriots had their jumbo package out there, and they'd already stopped Beastmode once.

The real mistake was Carroll letting all that time run off the clock so he felt he had to risk a pass in order to maximize his chances to score. That's what people should be blasting Pete for. He wasn't disciplined when it mattered most.

If you're going to risk a pass, doing one on second down after Hightower kept Lynch out isn't particularly unreasonable.

However, the execution by the players themselves was abysmal.

Wilson could not have been more obvious about a potential throw to the right if he had a neon sign on his forehead. He doesn't look to the left even once in the presnap. There's no attempt whatsoever, either before or after, to sell a possible run play to the left. Those are the damning aspects of the play.

The fact of the matter is that Carroll's big failure is not the playcall, it's not managing his men and getting them to calm down and line up like professionals. They're all pumped about the Kearse catch, they're full of adrenaline, and Carroll failed to calm his troops down and ensure they played with discipline, and as a result the disguise failed and playcall could not possibly be more obvious. That's what allowed Browner to identify the offensive gameplan, pick Kearse and spring Butler. The Seahawks were acting like this play was a formality, and the Pats had more than enough information, and discipline, to punish them for it.

Oh, and Wilson's throw was itself slightly off target, he led Lockette by just a little bit too much which allowed Butler to muscle him out and get the ball himself. It wasn't an absolutely awful throw, but it was an imperfect one, and it helped the Patriots do what they needed to do.

This is why it's actually pretty darn rare for a "player's coach" to win Superbowls. There's times when you've gotta be the one to go in there and crack that whip, and you've got to have the credibility when you do to make dozens of pumped up, egotistical young men listen to you. Pete Carroll lost control just a little bit, couldn't keep his men's heads cool, and the result was an undisciplined play that led to disaster..

Yep, ball needed to be low. Tried to hit him in the numbers. Wilson was just a 2nd year QB in a huge spot, playing in what was probably the best Super Bowl of all-time, made a mistake.

Simpelton · Jan 29, 2026

TommyD4207 said:
Yep, ball needed to be low. Tried to hit him in the numbers. Wilson was just a 2nd year QB in a huge spot, playing in what was probably the best Super Bowl of all-time, made a mistake.

Also, to add one final thing. Wilson has always held the ball a little bit long as premium QB goes. As much as the Seahawks' OL has a reputation for sucking donkey balls, part of that reputation is because Russ didn't do them many favors

Asking THAT guy to make a snap shot like a pick play with everything on the line was, perhaps, not the way to put him in best position to succeed. It could have worked out mind, but it wasn't exactly playing to Wilson's strength. A play action pass play to buy time for the play to develop would probably have worked better.

RobertWeathers · Jan 29, 2026

I wonder if we'll see Malcolm SB week on press row making the rounds.

StockingAnarchyNumber12 · Jan 29, 2026

It was my first Super Bowl I ever watched the team win. I watched them lose 07 and 2011. I was so happy that day

1960Pats · Jan 30, 2026

Gumby said:
100% True analysis. Good write-up, but that won’t stop it being debated, even on this board- just look at how we had „Spygate“ re-litigated this week.

A certain poster from Ghooorgia will hate this, but….. this was pure BB genius on display.
A. Totally 180-degrees out from accepted doctrine to not burn any timeouts (& thereby put pressure on Carroll) ( intentional BB-Level decision per multiple Bb & DC interviews)
B. Total preparation: he told team this was a goal-line favorite. IIRC (what Butler said) they practiced it multiple times and scout team beat them every time with it..
C. Forcing the O to a known play call: BB said in a recent interview, ‚I knew if I sent in GL linemen D, they would respond with this (or a similar) pass play.‘ (based on Carroll‘s yar-long tendencies.

Just what the team needed. A genius with big balls.
A. Seattle blew two TOs after the big catch. That forced their hand.
B. The biggest influence on the Lynchies and millions of others was the immediate and continued crying by Collinsworth. It makes it hard to believe CC was a player.
C. I really liked the way BB calmed the coaches down when they started panicing.
Butler's play and Bill's coaching is the real story.

Dexter · Jan 30, 2026

Patricia is not getting enough credit...

NFL Mystique · Jan 30, 2026

Throwing it to Lockett (4th receiver) did not make sense to me. Why not throw it to Baldwin or Kearse?

stinkypete · Jan 30, 2026

BobDigital said:
The thing no one talks about enough on this play is the decision making of Russel Wilson. He should have either placed the ball more defensively (making the catch harder but the pass safer) or thrown it away. He took a high risk tight pass in a situation he didn't have to.

Lost in the narrative is how poor the mechanics of Wilson's throw were. He threw off of his back foot didn't follow through in his motion. It was more a short toss than a full throw. That extra fraction of a second could have been the difference in the game.

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