Dear Bill - Thanks for Giving Away the Super Bowl.

[IllegalContact]

If we apply the same criteria to you the answer comes back as both.

lol......ARRRRRRR!!!!

fricking dog barking at a parked car

 

[neuronet]

if true, then there would be no reason to leave the world hanging.......

Umm...you do know who you are talking about right?

 

[PatsDeb]

Butler was either benched because the coaches didn't think he would make a difference based on what they saw in practice, or because of disciplinary reasons.

If it was the former, then they screwed up by not putting him in when they saw that his replacements were getting crushed. He literally could not have been any worse than they were, and given that he had played 97% of snaps in the regular season, and has come up huge (understatement) in past Super Bowls, it's very likely that he would have done better.

If it was the latter, then their rigid adherence to discipline could very well have cost the Patriots the Super Bowl. Obviously they might still have lost, but even if replacing Rowe or Bademosi with Butler leads to the Eagles converting 9 third downs instead of 10, then our chances of winning go up dramatically. Nobody's giving Butler a pass, but Belichick could have still held him out for a quarter or something and gotten his point across. Also, benching him right before the game, after warmups, had an obvious effect on team chemistry and morale, and was sloppily handled. If you're OK with trading a Super Bowl for adhering to the magical Patriot Way, that's fine, but you have to own that.

We wasted one of, if not the, best performances in Super Bowl history by a QB because of one of these two things, coaching incompetence or pride.

Well said, in fewer and less angry words than I have.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I wanna know based on what? I doubt it's his play. It's more on his attitude.

...and perhaps BB felt his ****ty attitude would have a profound impact on his ability to perform on Sunday?

Butler's one tough little guy. He didn't have a great year but he has made big plays for us when it counts. I will miss him as a player. Forever grateful for his big play in super bowl 49.

Agree completely. How his last game as a Patriot went down is tragic. It makes me sick.

 

[Observer]

Fixed that for you.

Putting words into people’s mouths seems to be a habit with you.

 

[VectorPrime]

Yeah the defense allowed 41 points and forced only one punt all night. But just imagine if Butler had blown a coverage. Boy we might have lost the game! Good call on Belichick to sit him.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Nope. He was pissed off at him and decided he wouldn't even let him try to help, even if it meant losing the Super Bowl. BB preaches and practices situational football, but he sure didn't use it on Sunday night, particularly in the 2nd half.

What do you think Malcolm did to piss of BB?

Your answer is how you view this issue.

 

[chumpchange]

Butler was either benched because the coaches didn't think he would make a difference based on what they saw in practice, or because of disciplinary reasons.

If it was the former, then they screwed up by not putting him in when they saw that his replacements were getting crushed. He literally could not have been any worse than they were, and given that he had played 97% of snaps in the regular season, and has come up huge (understatement) in past Super Bowls, it's very likely that he would have done better.

If it was the latter, then their rigid adherence to discipline could very well have cost the Patriots the Super Bowl. Obviously they might still have lost, but even if replacing Rowe or Bademosi with Butler leads to the Eagles converting 9 third downs instead of 10, then our chances of winning go up dramatically. Nobody's giving Butler a pass, but Belichick could have still held him out for a quarter or something and gotten his point across. Also, benching him right before the game, after warmups, had an obvious effect on team chemistry and morale, and was sloppily handled. If you're OK with trading a Super Bowl for adhering to the magical Patriot Way, that's fine, but you have to own that.

We wasted one of, if not the, best performances in Super Bowl history by a QB because of one of these two things, coaching incompetence or pride.

Especially considering the fact the two coordinators left and it's typically taken us a couple seasons to return to the Super Bowl after that happens. Unforgivable waste of Brady's dedication and commitment to the team. I'd be furious.

 

[lancerman]

This is becoming more complicated than it needs to be.

-Butler was on the sideline
-the defense couldn't get a stop all game
-the game was lost on the defenses inability to get a stop
-Belichick never bothered over the course of the game to see if the defense would be better if Butler was worked into the game when he could have done so at any point.

 

[IcyPatriot]

What do you think Malcolm did to piss of BB?

Your answer is how you view this issue.

Freelancing this year and especially in the Titans and Jaguars games where his play was horrendous.

Word is Belichick wanted to bench him in the Jaguars games but the coaches got him to give Butler another chance.

 

[RobertWeathers]

And the alternatives seemed to be so much better prepared

Agholor 9 catches on 11 targets for 84 yards.

Which, by the way, was the most catches he had in a game this year.

BB felt they were prepared to execute the game plan and they had trust and confidence in them doing so.

If you want to say that was a major miscalculation then I would support you in that.

The problem is Malcolm didn't do BB any favors and provide him with better matchups to take advantage of.

 

[IllegalContact]

You are assuming Rowe and Bademosi's poor play was due to their lack of preperation and not because they either had bad matchups or forgot how to friggan tackle.

or all 3....butler is a better tackler than either....eric rowe takes me back to the days of duane starks, and bademosi is a scrub

I think Malcolm did that job all by himself.

it's possible but that doesn't change the fact based on the season, they left a superior player on the bench

Of course. This entire thread is based on speculation and conjecture.

yup.....none of us knows the truth

I look at the situation and don't see the logic.....and if there was logic, that we would know what that logic was......it's his right not to say, but until he does, it look wrong more than it looks right

 

[VectorPrime]

This is becoming more complicated than it needs to be.

-Butler was on the sideline
-the defense couldn't get a stop all game
-the game was lost on the defenses inability to get a stop
-Belichick never bothered over the course of the game to see if the defense would be better if Butler was worked into the game when he could have done so at any point.

Yeah but he had a bad practice on Thursday! If he was on the field he might have cost the defense a key third down stop!

Wait, the defense didn’t get a single key third down stop? Oh well, who cares about details.

 

[IllegalContact]

Freelancing this year and especially in the Titans and Jaguars games where his play was horrendous.

you'd think if that was the case, that they would not have played him 100% of the plays

 

[IllegalContact]

Yeah but he had a bad practice on Thursday! If he was on the field might have cost the defense a key third down stop!

Wait a second...

exactly.....if it was because of ability, then there's the simple argument that he would not....no......he could not have done any worse

and with that in mind, 0 snaps seems like this really had nothing to do with quality of play

if it was quality of play alone, then I would say he could not be bad enough to not get a single snap......no, it was not quality of play

 

[chasa]

If we apply the same criteria to you the answer comes back as both.

kettle meet pot.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Well then he felt very very wrong and what is worse, didn’t even bother to check.

How do you know BB feels wrong about his decision? If anything hes doubled down hard.

How do you know if he or the coaches did not check on Malcolm? Why would they if hes already checked out?

 

[IllegalContact]

Umm...you do know who you are talking about right?

true......so here we are.......it's like arguing politics......people are dug in based on who they are talking about rather than what they are talking about

 

[TB_Helmet]

Well said, in fewer and less angry words than I have.

Thanks, trust me, there were some more angry words that were typed out and deleted!

 

[Snake Eyes]

Sure lets let Malcolm completely off the hook. Let's not make him accountable for his actions when the other 51 players and the entire organization are doing eveything they can to win the Super Bowl.

If you want a team in which the coach is selective and arbitrary pertaining which rules to follow and behavior is appropriate go root for the Steelers, Bengals or Ravens.

1) Discipline is a means to an end, that end is winning the SB, you don't sacrifice the end to uphold the means. Sorry but that does not make sense.

2) If you're going to be firm on him not playing because of s disciplinary measure why did he even suit up? Why play him on special teams? That seems like a pathetic half measure to me. Either let it go and fine him later or don't play him AT ALL.