Malcolm Butler Mega Thread

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

If the Butler practice story is the truth, I think the Patriots need to come up with a better scheme. Butler was benched in Week one against a similar scheme, and they allowed over 40 points against KC. That is one bad scheme.

That was week one. Idk care about schemes. I rather go down in flames with butler and not Rowe or bademosi. You saw it throughout the game how they exploited those matchups.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Report: Belichick will place franchise tag on Butler, bench him for entire 2018 “penalty” season

 

[EddardSnow67]

To cope with the loss, some posters are imagining a version of Malcolm Butler that obviously did not exist in Bill Belichick’s mind, and then further imagining that their imagination is a more accurate representation of the reality of Malcolm Butler than Belichick’s practice observations of the real Malcolm Butler.

Certainly some are doing this. My issue is that you flat out had nothing to lose by putting him in. He played 98% of the snaps this season. He isn't inept, he's not a rookie, he isn't lacking in personal pride. If he sucks, you say "I told you so" and and it's not an issue. To me, it's like losing a game seven of the World Series without using your dominant closer because you never had a save situation present itself.

That's not to say Butler is comparable to Mariano Rivera, my point is from a risk vs. reward standpoint. What reward can you possibly expect from keeping him on the bench when you literally can't stop the other team's offense? It wasn't as if the defense was just bad, they were pretty much as bad as they could have possibly been. There's also no risk at that point.

I just don't feel like there's any way around that logic. Belichick *had* to have thought exactly what I just posted at some point in this game and something caused him to uncharacteristically disregard his typically risk/reward focus thought process.

Something overrode Bill Belichick's ability to make the rational decision in the Superbowl. It's not the end of the world, but there's no way to spin it otherwise.

 

[RobertWeathers]

High profile current Patriots players are coming out in support of Butler. High profile ex-Patriots are coming out in support of Butler. The whole thing is a clusterf**k that frankly, cost them a Super Bowl.

Leadership is not a popularity contest.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Butler is amazing on special teams. This was a brilliant move to keep him fresh.

 

[IllegalContact]

Talk about thin-skinned, insecure and probably a little puzzy in real life.

Internet tough guy wetting himself

 

[RobertWeathers]

That was week one. Idk care about schemes. I rather go down in flames with butler and not Rowe or bademosi. You saw it throughout the game how they exploited those matchups.

Scheming is the core of how this team wins games. That and players that know, and can execute the scheme vs the matchup.

 

[Triumph]

Malcontent Butler.

Im waiting for the whole story. BB does not work 18 hours a day 7 days a week to deliberately lose a championship. The whole coaching staff should quit if that is the case. Butler can say he was a little late because he was driving his mother to church, but there is more to this story and BB never airs dirty laundry.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Look, BB wants to bench him for a poor week of practice, fine. But he definitely should’ve been inserted after giving up 22 pts. No ones going to move me off of that stance. And I don’t even think butler had a great season, mediocre at best. But he was definitely the best option coming off the bench once it became obvious that crap gameplan wasn’t going to work.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Certainly some are doing this. My issue is that you flat out had nothing to lose by putting him in. He played 98% of the snaps this season. He isn't inept, he's not a rookie, he isn't lacking in personal pride. If he sucks, you say "I told you so" and and it's not an issue. To me, it's like losing a game seven of the World Series without using your dominant closer because you never had a save situation present itself.

That's not to say Butler is comparable to Mariano Rivera, my point is from a risk vs. reward standpoint. What reward can you possibly expect from keeping him on the bench when you literally can't stop the other team's offense? It wasn't as if the defense was just bad, they were pretty much as bad as they could have possibly been. There's also no risk at that point.

I just don't feel like there's any way around that logic. Belichick *had* to have thought exactly what I just posted at some point in this game and something caused him to uncharacteristically disregard his typically risk/reward focus thought process.

Something overrode Bill Belichick's ability to make the rational decision in the Superbowl. It's not the end of the world, but there's no way to spin it otherwise.

I can't believe this crap about practice. Does he honestly believe that Rowe and bademosi give him a better shot than butler? That's ridiculous! Butler's a tough little guy. For one lousy play he makes another good one. He also gives you the ability to play some man.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Source????

It was on weei, someone called in and said he has a friend on the staff. They laughed at the caller and I was too but who the fook knows.

 

[aluminum seats]

It was a football decision.

If so, an unspeakably awful one. You get that, right?

 

[SilverSeven]

We always make jokes about Belichick and the Pats destroying potential dynasties like the Rams, Seattle and Atlanta. I hope the New England Patriots aren't the latest franchise he destroyed with his Butler decision. Heavy on the hyperbole I know and I don't mean to be disrespectful the the GOAT of the coaching ranks but he absolutely owns this loss and it seems like it's heavily divided the locker room and fanbase.

Ultimately I'm frustrated with Butler potentially doing something to warrant punishment, and I'm frustrated with Belichick doling out punishment to an absolute extreme. The other players on this roster deserved better.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Malcontent Butler.

Im waiting for the whole story. BB does not work 18 hours a day 7 days a week to deliberately lose a championship. The whole coaching staff should quit if that is the case. Butler can say he was a little late because he was driving his mother to church, but there is more to this story and BB never airs dirty laundry.

Well there's not drugs involved. BB needs to give a good answer and quit saying "for the good of the team". Butler has come out and defended himself. It's time for bill to come out of hiding and say what he has to say.

 

[JackBauer]

I don't know what to tell you. The coaching staff saw Malcolm having ****ty practices and knew he would have problems with Philly's scheme. Even though Rowe and Badman were sucking BB felt because Malcolm was going to have problems regardless he kept him on the pine.

Again, criticize away . It was a football decision.

That decision is defensible, I suppose.

What seems indefensible to me is leaving him on the bench the entire game while the players replacing him get taken to the woodshed. Or watching the entire second half when all the defense needed was a stop and deciding, nah, these guys who are embarrassing the living **** out of our defense are a better option than the guy who made one of the most clutch plays in team history.

Butler was not as good this year as he should have been. But someone like Richards was nothing but a liability pretty much every time he saw the field.

And now there’s the real question of how this decision affects team chemistry. Not beneficial, if I had to speculate.

Normally I’m inclined toward in BB we trust but this one is hard to take.

 

[RobertWeathers]

If the Butler practice story is the truth, I think the Patriots need to come up with a better scheme. Butler was benched in Week one against a similar scheme, and they allowed over 40 points against KC. That is one bad scheme.

Agree.

If it sucks vs the RPO offenses then its needs to be torn up.

The other problem this year was average talent on the front 7.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Scheming is the core of how this team wins games. That and players that know, and can execute the scheme vs the matchup.

Well butler gives you a much better chance than Rowe and bademosi. Much better player. Bill saw the results blow up in his face!

 

[mosslost]

That isn’t going to work. Belichick would never go for that, and besides, what difference would a GM have made in terms of benching Malcom Butler? None, whatsoever.

Bill Belichick has always run a tight ship in terms of what he believes in, and it’s gotten us very far. This decision didn’t work out. It’s as simple as that. It looks like he may have made a mistake, and it cost us a chance at having better odds to win the SB. It doesn’t mean that changes should be made or that anyone should try and run him out of town. He made a decision and it didn’t work out. I’m pissed too, but I would be devastated if he left.

the idea is to get him out of here with him not having the right to coach elsewhere. That is the idea of putting a GM/Football boss over him. And if he quits under that scenario he can't go elsewhere.

He has lost it anyway, he would not likely hurt use elsewhere anyway. Brady made him what he is..

 

[RobertWeathers]

If so, an unspeakably awful one. You get that, right?

That is faith-based question with a fan-based opinion as an answer.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Look I think BB's a heck of a coach. No ifs or ands but there's a BUT, he had the greatest defensive player in football history with Lawrence Taylor when he was a DC with the Giants. Was a below 500 coach without LT when he was with the Browns. He was also 5-11 his first year and 0-2 before having the greatest offensive player of all time take over at quarterback. He also had a bunch of Parcells guys at the beginning. Over the years our D really hasn't been much to write home about. IT WAS BRADY that was allowing this team to compete for championships and he almost pulled it off Sunday. Again, BB's a good coach but he's lucked into having the GOATs on both sides of the ball playing for him when he was successful.

That's Dumb, of course great coaches have great players, it' been that way since they played with leather helmets. It's what you do with those players that separates you from the pack.