Is this why Malcolm Butler didn't play in the Super Bowl?

[oldrover]

Did We Just Get First Answer To Malcolm Butler Super Bowl Benching?

An explanation for the infamous Malcolm Butler benching in Super Bowl LII might have just been revealed by NFL insider Albert Breer.

nesn.com

I asked the oracle if it was true...



Now it's your turn.

 

[Simpelton]

I buy it. Combine the stress of the contract situation with a bad flu and Bill's cutthroat personality and I can completely understand deciding that Butler wasn't their best chance to win the game that day.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Believable. Still lost them the Superbowl.
The Eagles did not punt all game....
4 Dbacks played out of position all game.
.

 

[sb1]

Eagles drives:
2/2 on third down, FG
TD
Punt
1/1 on third down, TD
1/1 on third down, Foles intercepted at the Pats 4 yard line
1/2 on third down, 1/1 on 4th down, TD
3/3 on third down, TD
FG
1/3 on third down, 1/1 on 4th down, TD
FG

So keeping Butler on the bench all game at face value meant the coaches believed Jordan Richards and company and the guys playing out of position were more likely to make the one or two plays on third down that would have changed the outcome of the game than Butler who was our best tackling corner? He didn’t have to dominate, just make the one or two plays that flip the outcome, and he wasn’t the best guy to put in there that can do that? I have a hard time believing the GOAT head coach and the staff believed that.

If there was a problem with him you play him and tell him to clean out his locker when he gets back to Foxboro. The public humiliation of your Super Bowl 49 hero by making him a very noticeable presence on the bench tells me this was personal. That’s a lousy reason to throw away a SB and so are all reasons I can think of why it might have happened.

 

[Simpelton]

Believable. Still lost them the Superbowl.

.

If by that you mean "Butler not being at his best lost them the Superbowl" I might not disagree.

But the guy we had was not Butler at his best, which is why he sat. He wasn't ready to play, and in Bill's judgment wasn't ready to do his job. Playin him would be setting him up to fail. I'd rather trust my depth than leave a guy like Butler out there to die. He didn't deserve to be thrown to the wolves especially when it wouldn't have solved the other issues on defense in that game.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Playing Rowe as #2, Bademosi as #3 and switching to a heavy amount of 3 safety coverage (Richards) wasn’t risky to the team at all though. I guess playing horrible defensive backs is better than playing a competent defensive back because he might be horrible?

If this is the truth then, once again, Bill Belichick made one of the worst decisions in Super Bowl history. Whitewash it all you want. If it were another coach, you’d still be laughing four years later.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Then why dress him? Wasted roster spot if thats the case. Couldn’t pluck another garbage db like bademosi / richards off the street to ‘practice well ‘ and have ready like poteat in 04 for depth? Either way you look at it the staff screwed the pooch, Someone gets sick for a week out of 2 and thats the result?

 

[Sicilian]

I look forward to a lot of new and exciting opinions on this topic with this new information.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

If so, OK not to start him. But as game goes on and you see TFB playing LIGHTS OUT to keep up with the Eagles scoring against our Hot Mess pass D, put Malcom (Clutch) Butler in there and give it a go to see what happens.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

If by that you mean "Butler not being at his best lost them the Superbowl" I might not disagree.

But the guy we had was not Butler at his best, which is why he sat. He wasn't ready to play, and in Bill's judgment wasn't ready to do his job. Playin him would be setting him up to fail. I'd rather trust my depth than leave a guy like Butler out there to die. He didn't deserve to be thrown to the wolves especially when it wouldn't have solved the other issues on defense in that game.

Not playing him at all lost the Superbowl. Brady and the offense scored a ton of points. Patriots did not get ONE punt by the Eagles offense. Richards should have never played any snaps. Malcolm puking everywhere would have been better than Richards at 100%. Pats went from the #1 defense in points allowed to allowing the Eagles to score every single time they had the ball, all game.

 

[Ivan]

Did We Just Get First Answer To Malcolm Butler Super Bowl Benching?

An explanation for the infamous Malcolm Butler benching in Super Bowl LII might have just been revealed by NFL insider Albert Breer.

nesn.com

I asked the oracle if it was true...
View attachment 35324
Now it's your turn.

 

[GreenCow]

If thats the case, why not just say it? Why the shroud of mystery, Bill?

 

[TheRainMaker]

I voted no. This was a disappointing article as it states nothing new.

This was by far Bill’s worst game plan. In fact, Eagles leaked to the media that they were planning to attack Rowe whenever he was on the field during Super Bowl week. So Bill starts him on Jeffrey? Jeffrey abuses him badly early until Bill stopped that bleeding.

“They didn’t trust him”. Yet they trusted Rowe who was the worst graded CB in the NFL in 2017? They trusted the legend of Jordan Richards and Badmostly? They couldn’t trust the guy who subbed in for an abused Arrington with their team on the verge of another 4th quarter collapse who then ended the 10 year drought?

I still think the events led up to Butler talking down to Lil’ Stevie and he told on him.

And If players and/or Tom did not speak up demanding him to be put in the game, then they get blame as well. The leader of the team has to speak up even if Bill stands his ground and says no.

Oh and I believe it recently came out they Tom was seriously considering leaving the Pats after that game.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

If thats the case, why not just say it? Why the shroud of mystery, Bill?

He's covering Patricia's arse.

.

 

[venecol]

Even if all of that was true validating the decision not to start him, why not make adjustments after the half?

I see little Steven's (secondary coach) fingerprints all over this and Daddy backing him up. Nepotism is a lousy reason to lose a SB.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Who else cringed watching Blount rumbling for that long TD run?

 

[TheRainMaker]

He's covering Patricia's arse.

.

What do you mean? Sure seemed like the other way around with his horrible explanation of “not enough packages” nonsense.

 

[sb1]

That game by Brady should’ve gone down as the greatest championship performance in history in any sport. That wasn’t a tomato can defense that Brady lit up like a gas can that was a top 5 defense in the league.

They lost so nobody will remember that and give it the credit it deserves. Thanks Bill.

 

[Ring 6]

Then why dress him? Wasted roster spot if thats the case. Couldn’t pluck another garbage db like bademosi / richards off the street to ‘practice well ‘ and have ready like poteat in 04 for depth? Either way you look at it the staff screwed the pooch, Someone gets sick for a week out of 2 and thats the result?

Had to dress him
in case of injury.

 

[Wax Frog]

Then why dress him? Wasted roster spot if thats the case. Couldn’t pluck another garbage db like bademosi / richards off the street to ‘practice well ‘ and have ready like poteat in 04 for depth? Either way you look at it the staff screwed the pooch, Someone gets sick for a week out of 2 and thats the result?

This is precisely what has bothered me most!