He was focused on winning that game. It was close until the very end, despite the lack of talent (and key reg season injuries) on D. I suspect you are blaming the benching of Butler on that loss ? Firstly, we don’t know the specifics, secondly we can’t be sure his mere presence would’ve made the ultimate difference.
He may have been focused on winning the game but he was utterly determined to do with Butler squirming on the sideline. He was trying to humiliate a player that he had a problem with. True, we don't know exactly what the problem was, but it wasn't sickness related, it wasn't performance related... it was personal and there's no doubt about that because Butler was in uniform and he played in the game.
Other than me, at least two other people think Butler would have made a difference in the game... Butler himself and Belichick. Butler because he said as much immediately after the game and Belichick because he had Butler on the field for nearly 100% of the defensive snaps for three straight years running up to that Super Bowl.
Butler was ready to play, he knew it, Belichick knew it, Brady knew it, and anyone not twisting themselves into a pretzel making excuses for Belichick knows it.
Belichick lost Super Bowl 52... not Butler, not Brady, not the players... the head coach lost it. A more costly decision has not been made by any other head coach in the history of the league.
I’m perfectly fine with « moving on » from Brady. It’s an oversimplification to uniquely blame BB for Brady’s departure. First, NE wasn’t going to win the SB this season, w or w/o Brady.
You're right... Brady's not a winner.
No way a 6th round draft pick is going to make any difference whatsoever for a team who just lost their $100 million dollar veteran quarterback and is stuck in a 5-13 rut.
No way a quarterback is having the greatest single season of all-time and going 16-0 with a washed-up diva and an unheralded kick returner.
No way a quarterback is coming back from down 10 in the 4th quarter to the Legion of Boom.
No way a quarterback down 28-3 is orchestrating the greatest comeback in the history of professional sports.
No way a quarterback can pass for a combined 971 yards and 67 points in back-to-back Super Bowls.
No way a quarterback with the highest winning percentage of any player in the four major professional sports is going to completely turnaround a franchise with the lowest winning percentage of any team in the four major professional sports.
No way the greatest player in the history of the NFL with 34 postseason wins, 14 postseason game-winning drives, 7 Super Bowl rings and 5 Super Bowl MVP's is going to make a difference for a 7-9 team with a sh*tty quarterback. Oh wait... THAT JUST F*CKING HAPPENED!!!