Do you trust Butler to take on Antonio Brown? And if not, what adjustments do you make in coverage?

[BobDigital]

Usually you put Butler on the #2 but they don't really have a #2 worth worrying about too much. Ryan/Rowe should be able to handle the #2 and #3.

So yeah put Butler on Brown and have the safety play back and shade to that side. I would play it so Butler is 1 on 1 within 15 yards so to speak and when it goes deeper he gets help. You need go go man to man with people sometimes no matter how good they are or the offense will adjust and fine the weak part of your D. Even a JAG can catch a wide open pass and turn it up for 20 yards if you put too many resources on the top guys. However I would say if Brown goes deep and it is 1 on 1 I am not a fan. That is where you get in deep trouble with Brown. In 1 on 1 deep he has a lot of room to get open.

We need to keep our safeties back as much as possible. I am not saying be in cover 2 all game but certainly a large part of it.

 

[Ring 6]

I think the game plan will be different this time. Brown is the only WR or TE they have that is a threat, unless you count Bell. I think they double Brown, Ryan and Safety help. Then put Butler on someone else. Of course, Butler will get his fair share of Brown but not exclusively. I think Butler can shutdown everyone else so it would be a waste to have him with safety help on Brown. The rest of the D will be containing Bell. Don't expect to see many blitzes in this game. Probably more zone than man to man just to eliminate big plays. I think Ben isn't sharp so he'll make the odd mistake. It would be funny if BB does a LeBeau and use some zone blitzes.

I think the answer to what we will do on defense is a little bit of everything.
Brown will not see Butler every play. He will not see zone every play. He will not see a double every play.
Bell won't run against an even front playing 2 gap every play. He wont see run blitz every play. He probably will see blitzes designed to keep him in the backfield.

Gameplanning isn't just how do you handle player X all day long. There will be mixing, disguise, trend breaking, aggressive, conservative, personell grouping, situational and down and distance (to name some) facets of the game plan. And there will be adjustment.

 

[lurker1965]

Sometimes. Sometimes zone. Some times the #2 CB with a safety. Mix it up.

 

[Edelmania]

First, do what you have to do to stop bell and the running game. Stack the box if you have to on running downs.

Second, their only real receiving threat is is Brown. Behind brown is Eli Rogers (594 yards this year), and TE Ladarius Green if he plays (304 yards in 6 games). Putting Butler 1 on 1 with Rogers or anyone else they have would be a waste, Ryan can handle Rogers 1 on 1. Chung/McCourty cover Green if he even plays and that leaves Butler on Brown, with safety help on throwing downs (long yardage or 3rd down).

Of course, you cant just do the same thing every play but that is how I expect it generally to be handled most of the game.

 

[nabwong]

I think the answer to what we will do on defense is a little bit of everything.
Brown will not see Butler every play. He will not see zone every play. He will not see a double every play.
Bell won't run against an even front playing 2 gap every play. He wont see run blitz every play. He probably will see blitzes designed to keep him in the backfield.

Gameplanning isn't just how do you handle player X all day long. There will be mixing, disguise, trend breaking, aggressive, conservative, personell grouping, situational and down and distance (to name some) facets of the game plan. And there will be adjustment.

Definitely it's never just 1 thing. Unless you're the colts. Just run it up the gut.

 

[neuronet]

Butler got all pro nominations for a reason. I have faith in him completely as one of the most underrated corners in the game. Although i don't know why the hell he is if you'd watched the SB a few years ago

He's amazing, with great quickness against slot receivers. I think his main weakness is against the x-receiver he has a tendency to get beat on pure speed on the deep routes (the "go" or "fly" or "fade" routes), where he will often be a couple steps behind the really fast guys. That's something, for instance Revis had in his prime, or Deion Sanders, that really made them a true island you just didn't ever want to go near (unless you had Randy Moss).

His time in the 40 was ok: 4.6, while Revis was 4.38, Sanders 4.27. Randy Moss? 4.25. Antonio Brown was 4.47, so not up there with the elites.

Obviously 40 times are not the end-all-be-all measure when it comes to real football, but when you watch him play, it does tend to translate into being one step behind on deep routes. Which is probably why he isn't solo covering the x-receiver consistently. BB knows what's up.

Will Fuller ran a 4.32 in the 40. This is Butler covering him this weekend. Really freaking close, but a step behind:
Will Fuller drops touchdown catch after perfect throw (Video)
Luckily Fuller dropped the bread out of the basket.

So if he plays man against Brown, I expect a lot of fly routes. Thing is, Brown is better on shorter routes. Should be interesting battle...I think this is why they have a lot of respect for each other: their strengths kind of match up well against each other.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

He's amazing, with great quickness against slot receivers. I think his main weakness is against the x-receiver he has a tendency to get beat on pure speed on the deep routes (the "go" or "fly" or "fade" routes), where he will often be a couple steps behind the really fast guys.

Will Fuller drops touchdown catch after perfect throw (Video)
Luckily fuller dropped the bread out of the basket.

9 times out of 10, Antonio Brown doesn't drop that ball

Butler has to have safety help on those kinda deep routes

 

[luuked]

Gameplanning isn't just how do you handle player X all day long. There will be mixing, disguise, trend breaking, aggressive, conservative, personell grouping, situational and down and distance (to name some) facets of the game plan. And there will be adjustment.

Nailed it. Personally, I think finding the right mix and switching things up at the right time is also one of the key strengths of Patricia as a DC. This is what I would be most concerned about if he were to leave. BB will be around with whoever is going to follow (Flores ?) as DC to setup schemes and whatnot but in-game defensive adjustments/playcalling would be an unknown.

 

[Ring 6]

Nailed it. Personally, I think finding the right mix and switching things up at the right time is also one of the key strengths of Patricia as a DC. This is what I would be most concerned about if he were to leave. BB will be around with whoever is going to follow (Flores ?) as DC to setup schemes and whatnot but in-game defensive adjustments/playcalling would be an unknown.

Good point, and something that goes unnoticed. Often the defense will be playing great, and then will allow a couple of drives (like the Miami game) where it looks like they stopped doing what worked.
That's because you can't just do the same thing, the opponent reacts to it. How many times are the adjustments what keeps the defense ahead of the opponent, and it just goes unnoticed?

 

[Ring 6]

9 times out of 10, Antonio Brown doesn't drop that ball

Butler has to have safety help on those kinda deep routes

It wasn't a perfect throw. The receiver was running, ever so slightly to the post. Osweiler threw the ball over his outside shoulder. (you could argue due to the presence of the safety) which meant he did have to turn back and the ball dropped in straight over his head. That is not a simple catch that is dropped. The hardest way to catch a pass is when it come in straight over your head and you lose sight of it during flight.
Doesn't make the coverage any better, but a) does tend to imply the safety had an influence, and b) wasn't the easy catch its being made out to be.

 

[1960Pats]

My only concern about Butler is the same as I always have with him, and it isn't about coverage. I don't want to see him get worked up too much and draw a taunting penalty after a great play. Sometimes he scares me that way

 

[neuronet]

It wasn't a perfect throw. The receiver was running, ever so slightly to the post. Osweiler threw the ball over his outside shoulder. (you could argue due to the presence of the safety) which meant he did have to turn back and the ball dropped in straight over his head. That is not a simple catch that is dropped. The hardest way to catch a pass is when it come in straight over your head and you lose sight of it during flight.
Doesn't make the coverage any better, but a) does tend to imply the safety had an influence, and b) wasn't the easy catch its being made out to be.

That's a good point. How many of us, running at a full sprint, would catch a ball in the bread-basket like that? As far as perfectly thrown...it doesn't get much better on a long ball like that.

 

[neuronet]

My only concern about Butler is the same as I always have with him, and it isn't about coverage. I don't want to see him get worked up too much and draw a taunting penalty after a great play. Sometimes he scares me that way

He and Edelman get pretty jacked up. I'd like to see Butler v Edelman in practice.

 

[Patstopia]

I would play it as usual with Butler 1/1 and McCourty over the top.

But if we can apply pressure with our front 4 without blitzing, that leaves a whole bunch of options.

 

[Ring 6]

That's a good point. How many of us, running at a full sprint, would catch a ball in the bread-basket like that? As far as perfectly thrown...it doesn't get much better on a long ball like that.

Agree it was a good throw but the fact that it was too far outside made it harder to catch. But again the safety's presence says err on that side.

 

[Peachhead]

While I trust Butler to cover Brown effectively if tasked with him. I'd rather see Butler spend most of his time blanketing Heyward-Bey or whoever the Sleers play opposite Brown. Then have Ryan/Rowe double team Brown with McCourty over the top. Additionally, if Rowe can get physical at the line (or elsewhere without getting flagged) it'll piss off Brown and throw him off his game.

 

[jimnance]

His time in the 40 was ok: 4.6, while Revis was 4.38, Antonio Brown was 4.47,

Wrong. The Patriots clocked Malcolm Butler at 4.4. They made him run it several times to confirm. The 4.6 was from his pro day. It is not accurate. There can be a lot of reasons why a player runs below his normal time at a pro day; could be nerves, not warmed up properly, whatever. What matters is the Patriots clocked him at 4.4 repeatedly. Sorry I give that much more weight.

MB is slightly faster than AB so yes he has elite speed.

 

[neuronet]

Wrong. The Patriots clocked Malcolm Butler at 4.4. They made him run it several times to confirm. The 4.6 was from his pro day. It is not accurate. There can be a lot of reasons why a player runs below his normal time at a pro day; could be nerves, not warmed up properly, whatever. What matters is the Patriots clocked him at 4.4 repeatedly. Sorry I give that much more weight.

MB is slightly faster than AB so yes he has elite speed.

I remember hearing something like this thanks for pointing it out I had just googled his 40 time and copied it. Here's one source for the story you are talking about:

Bill Belichick Details Scouting Malcolm Butler To Duke’s Coach K

Still, he does tend to be a step off on the go routes I've noticed. In the sense that on those rare instances when I see he's been beat, it's almost always on the go routes. Like I said, performance on the 40 isn't the best measure of football speed. There are other reasons you can be a step off as a corner, besides being slower in a foot race.

 

[jimnance]

AB is the best wr in the NFL, IMO. At 5'10. There's not a cb in the league who can completely shut him down. But MB plays him better than anyone else according to AB.

Tall cbs(6'1""+) get roasted by AB - they're not quick enough to handle the dekes, jukes and stop on a dime changes of direction in ABs repertoire. So Rowe is a bad fit to cover AB w/o help. Ryan's not fast enough unless its an underneath throw, where he's excellent. As far as 1 on 1,MB is the only option. Of course the Pats will mix it up. They always do.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Tall cbs(6'1""+) get roasted by AB - they're not quick enough to handle the dekes, jukes and stop on a dime changes of direction in ABs repertoire. So Rowe is a bad fit to cover AB w/o help. Ryan's not fast enough unless its an underneath throw, where he's excellent. As far as 1 on 1,MB is the only option.

I totally agree. They just gotta find a way to give Malcolm help