Malcolm Butler Mega Thread

[IllegalContact]

Wait, what?

“Intentional?” I’m not understanding your point.

I don’t believe that, but it’s not like it hasn’t happened before

 

[Chris Stevenson]

Malcolm Buter Mystery: Not even Robert Kraft knew

See, this is why I don't like Albert Breer. He's a smarmy little dork from Sudbury who never played sports and whose daddy got him his first job.

This is an outright lie that tries to make BB look bad:

"The Patriots did trade for Cooks, but it was the 32nd overall pick going to New Orleans, not Butler. So at that point, Butler knew not only his value to another team, but that his current employer was keeping him from reaping it."

^^This is 100% FALSE. BB and Kraft offered the guy a long term deal (likely not as long as he wanted), this past offseason at around 8 mil per. He turned it down. The poor kid hired some hack from Alabama who knows nothing about the NFL market or how to negotiate. And, since then? Butler got worse and worse and had a real up and down season this year.

Lastly, I really think BB sent Butler down to NOs for a few reasons:

1. He is obviously friends with Payton.
2. He wanted to show Butler and his agent, he's not worth 8 mil per, especially if a draft pick is involved due to the rookie cap and superior CBs about to come out of the draft. NOs then smartly drafted Lattimore.
3. The Saints are obviously right there near Mississippi, so BB was trying to get the kid back home.

In no way, shape or form, is this ANY of BB's doing. Nothing.

This is a kid that I honestly believe thought he was going to NOs, and when it didn't happen, he sort of shut down.

When does BB send a player to another team to interview, while still technically under contract??!!

That's how BB saw Butler's demise coming! I mean, the kid literally couldn't keep it together one more week?

Stunning, really, and a massive, massive red flag for other GMs and teams.

 

[supafly]

I don’t believe that, but it’s not like it hasn’t happened before

Belichick has intentionally lost the game for us?

 

[Ring 6]

That's effectively what BB did. How does this help anyone's argument who is advocating that BB was justified for what he did to the Patriot's defense in the Super Bowl?

Who is arguing he is justified?
I see a lynch mob at his door believing they know what was in his mind and a few people standing in front of them saying you don’t know all the facts.

 

[IllegalContact]

Belichick has intentionally lost the game for us?

I believe Parcells undermines the packers superbowl

 

[upstater1]

Mayo and ninkovich, like you and I, do not know the reason
If you want to run around judging things without facts that’s up to you but it only means you are guessing wildly.

Given all the support Malcolm is getting from teammates and ex-teammates, we pretty much know the reason why. He was upset at being demoted, so Belichick benched him. Belichick wanted to go with ex-Eagle Rowe, and it blew up in Belichick's face, and even Ninkovich and Mayo and his own teammates are backing Butler on this. Hell, Hightower liked a very critical comment by Brandon Brownner. You are totally missing what the current players are saying as well as the ex-players.

I mean, we are talking about Ninkovich and Mayo here. These two are not Ty Law and Richard Seymour.

 

[SVN]

Yes and no.....613 yards but only 25 minutes of possession ... gave the Eagles 35 minutes to work over a defense that could not stop anything. Ball control would have worked better

A team which is good at stopping the run wouldve caused us to punt. We didnt even punt once. The disparity is really because of the 7 min drive in the end from eagles and our defense to get off the field.

 

[RobertWeathers]

See, this is why I don't like Albert Breer. He's a smarmy little dork from Sudbury who never played sports and whose daddy got him his first job.

This is an outright lie that tries to make BB look bad:

"The Patriots did trade for Cooks, but it was the 32nd overall pick going to New Orleans, not Butler. So at that point, Butler knew not only his value to another team, but that his current employer was keeping him from reaping it."

^^This is 100% FALSE. BB and Kraft offered the guy a long term deal (likely not as long as he wanted), this past offseason at around 8 mil per. He turned it down. The poor kid hired some hack from Alabama who knows nothing about the NFL market or how to negotiate. And, since then? Butler got worse and worse and had a real up and down season this year.

Lastly, I really think BB sent Butler down to NOs for a few reasons:

1. He is obviously friends with Payton.
2. He wanted to show Butler and his agent, he's not worth 8 mil per, especially if a draft pick is involved due to the rookie cap and superior CBs about to come out of the draft. NOs then smartly drafted Lattimore.
3. The Saints are obviously right there near Mississippi, so BB was trying to get the kid back home.

In no way, shape or form, is this ANY of BB's doing. Nothing.

This is a kid that I honestly believe thought he was going to NOs, and when it didn't happen, he sort of shut down.

When does BB send a player to another team to interview, while still technically under contract??!!

That's how BB saw Butler's demise coming! I mean, the kid literally couldn't keep it together one more week?

Stunning, really, and a massive, massive red flag for other GMs and teams.

Interesting how Malcolm admitted to having a ****ty year.

I hate Breer too. Hes a silver-spooned elitist who thinks he knows everything

 

[SVN]

 

[patsfan13]

Mayo and ninkovich, like you and I, do not know the reason
If you want to run around judging things without facts that’s up to you but it only means you are guessing wildly.

And you’re not guessing wildly??????

 

[Ring 6]

Given all the support Malcolm is getting from teammates and ex-teammates,

None have come out and said belichick was wrong to sit him that I saw.
Supporting a guy when he is down doesn’t mean agreeing with your belief it was unjustified.

we pretty much know the reason why. He was upset at being demoted, so Belichick benched him. Belichick wanted to go with ex-Eagle Rowe, and it blew up in Belichick's face, and even Ninkovich and Mayo and his own teammates are backing Butler on this.

Show me a quote from a player who was on the practice field saying they think B.B. screwed up.
Nink and mayo were not there.

Hell, Hightower liked a very critical comment by Brandon Brownner. You are totally missing what the current players are saying as well as the ex-players.

Omg he liked a tweet. That is about as meaningless as can be.

By all means show me rhe thungs the players on the team are saying.

I mean, we are talking about Ninkovich and Mayo here. These two are not Ty Law and Richard Seymour.

Look it’s pretty simple. If there was no reason and in a whim belichick decided the guy who played every snap since 11/18 because he was the best guy for the job, for no reason, no longer is, then it’s a stupid move.
Clearly you can’t believe that’s the case.
So citing people who have no idea what the reason was is no better than you judging the move yourself while ignoring you don’t the reason.

Bill Belichick really wants to win SBs. He dedicates his life to it. Bill Belichick on the eve of the Sb said “we have gotten here partly because Malcolm butler has been a big kart if our defense. Each week I chose to put him on the field and not take him off. But this week I am going to replace him at cb2, and also not pkay him at all in sub packages”
That is a drastic move. If you want to believe butler did nothing to change his coaches judgment of him and lead to that drastic decision you are kidding yourself.

 

[Ring 6]

And you’re not guessing wildly??????

Not at all.
I’m the guy saying we don’t know why.

 

[Deus Irae]

That turnover is partly on him. How is that foolish? Not saying Brady played poorly in general: he had an overall great game, especially second half.

Blaming Brady for a free rusher on the inside is asinine.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Defense continuously made a mess that Brady almost single-handedly cleaned up perfectly time after time, a mess so large that every other quarterback in SB history has wilted when faced with such a mess. When asked again to do it, he gets stripped and there are people here and in the media who effectively say, "You missed a spot."

As Fitzy's sign off says...

Regards,
Chris

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Yes and no.....613 yards but only 25 minutes of possession ... gave the Eagles 35 minutes to work over a defense that could not stop anything. Ball control would have worked better

Exactly!! The offense definitely played a role in the final outcome of the game. Their inability to get off to a strong start meant the Patriots were never the team in control.
How do you put up over 600 yds in offense yet score only 3, 9 and 7 pts in 3 of the 4 quarters and lose the time of possession by 8 minutes??
They couldn't do that again if they tried.
The offense never went on a 5 minute drive the entire game. The Patriots needed to employ a game plan where keeping their own defense off the field was a priority but because the offense got off to a slow start once again and the team fell behind by 2 scores once again they were never in control. The defense stunk from the first minute of the game. The offense, the strength of the team, did not do enough to limit the D's exposure by staying on the field and holding the ball. It's a team game. Final stats never tell the story of what really happened within the game. and this SB is a classic example.

 

[Deus Irae]

Exactly!! The offense definitely played a role in the final outcome of the game. Their inability to get off to a strong start meant the Patriots were never the team in control.
How do you put up over 600 yds in offense yet score only 3, 9 and 7 pts in 3 of the 4 quarters and lose the time of possession by 8 minutes??
They couldn't do that again if they tried.
The offense never went on a 5 minute drive the entire game. The Patriots needed to employ a game plan where keeping their own defense off the field was a priority but because the offense got off to a slow start once again and the team fell behind by 2 scores once again they were never in control. The defense stunk from the first minute of the game. The offense, the strength of the team, did not do enough to limit the D's exposure by staying on the field and holding the ball. It's a team game. Final stats never tell the story of what really happened within the game. and this SB is a classic example.

If you're going to troll, have something that's not ridiculous as a take.

They scored 3 points in the first because the Eagles opening drive took up half the quarter, the Patriots then scored a field goal and the Patriots next drive in that quarter rolled over into the second quarter (where Gost a/k/a NOT THE OFFENSE missed the FG) just for one example of the "How do you...".

They scored 9 points in the second quarter because the ST blew an extra point and a gimme field goal.

They scored only 7 points in the 4th because the Eagles had a 7 minute drive after the Patriots scored a TD with 9:22 left, and then had the strip sack when they finally got the ball back.

In other words, the scoring was limited in the first and last quarters largely because the defense couldn't get the Eagles off the field, and the scoring was limited in the second quarter because the special teams cost the team 4 points.

 

[Boomer B]

That my friend is what we call a double standard.

Tom is the GOAT and he gets a pass for ****ty ball security (Note: I am ok with giving him a pass).

Shaq Mason skates by too.

BB doesn't get a pass for a football decision even though hes the GOAT.

That’s BS. The fumble is a split second action on the field. That’s a little bit different then Belichick watching over the course of 3 hours his defence get raped while his CB who played 98% of the snaps during the year sits on the bench.

 

[RobertWeathers]

That’s BS. The fumble is a split second action on the field. That’s a little bit different then Belichick watching over the course of 3 hours his defence get raped while his CB who played 98% of the snaps during the year sits on the bench.

Its still a mistake.

 

[upstater1]

"If I were still on the team, I'd be angry [that butler didn't play]."

Nink thinks Belichick was wrong.

Mayo said something similar.

The tweet that Hightower liked said there was diseension in the locker room prior to the Super BOwl. Hightower is a captain of the team!

I get the feeling that if Belichick copped to the error (and I would be fine with him if he did) you'd still be out here saying it wasn't an error.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Blaming Brady for a free rusher on the inside is asinine.

Blaming Brady for the fumble is not