Malcolm Butler Mega Thread

[maineman209]

A lot of that’s very different from “if only he put in the defensive player he had trusted to play the most snaps all year who had been at points over the last two years our number one corner, which would have allowed the rest of the secondary to play on position”.

Not really "different". They're all "ifs". Any one of them going the other way might have made a difference. It certainly seems like a few of them combined almost would have.

The Butler thing is merely the most proximate, timing-wise. It's also the most difficult to understand and accept because it was someone's conscious decision rather than happenstance. Thus, it's the easiest to cite as "the one and only determining factor", and the easiest cling to for folks who are so emotionally invested that they need someone to blame for their disappointment.

It is what it is, and I've moved on from my disappointment. However, if I was to blame any one thing, I'd blame the Eagles, collectively, for having a really, really good day on offense.

 

[maineman209]

That's the "leak" you're referring to?

Did Belichick somehow psychologically evaluate Butler prior to the game? How does he deem a player to be "locked in" or not?

How?

Observations of the player's performance in practice - his own plus those of other coaches - filtered through 42 seasons of NFL coaching experience. It's pretty much Belichick's job to be able to make those evaluations.

 

[Kontradiction]

So if our 5th corner and 3rd strong safety played better they would have made up for the enormous disparity in depth, talent and mass between the Philadelphia offensive front and New England's injury ravaged defensive front?

We played our best, it didn't matter, the Eagles were the better team. Mainly because they were healthy.

Leading up to the Super Bowl Butler was easily our weakest defender in the playoffs, he played like dog meat, in his own words.

Malcolm Butler would have been a fart in a hurricane against that offense.

Clearly the answer was to hang Chung cover Agholor, McCourty playing closer to the LoS, and Richards and Bademosi (now off the team altogether) on the field at all. That worked out swimmingly. Defense was STAUNCH.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Nobody knows that Butler committed any act besides getting sick. This is why I can’t stand this discussion. If it’s negative about Butler you’re willing to believe a no name dope on twitter, but if it’s avout Belichick no source is good enough

In case you missed it, there has been lots of negativity about BB surrounding this issue

 

[RobertWeathers]

That's the "leak" you're referring to?

Did Belichick somehow psychologically evaluate Butler prior to the game? How does he deem a player to be "locked in" or not?

It was reported. It's up to you what your definition of "reported"is.

So now BB isn't astute enough to know if a player is prepared to play a game?

 

[supafly]

Out of the first 5 threads on the main page, three of them involve getting screwed by the refs, the lingering questions surrounding Butler, and the possibility of Gronkowski retiring.

The threads are certainly worthy enough, but the subject matter blows. I can’t wait to move forward with the draft and have some closure and positivity with the rest of it, or else I’ll have to go back to ordering my antidepressants in bulk quantities from Canada, again, which actually doesn’t sound too bad at the moment.

 

[Soliel]

Out of the first 5 threads on the main page, three of them involve getting screwed by the refs, the lingering questions surrounding Butler, and the possibility of Gronkowski retiring.

The threads are certainly worthy enough, but the subject matter blows. I can’t wait to move forward with the draft and have some closure and positivity with the rest of it, or else I’ll have to go back to ordering my antidepressants in bulk quantities from Canada, again, which actually doesn’t sound too bad at the moment.

The draft will be a legendary disaster. Order the meds before the apocalypse

 

[SHOWTIME15]

So we have come to the conclusion that Butler himself cost us the SB?

 

[maust]

So we have come to the conclusion that Butler himself cost us the SB?

Apparently it was the Butler...on the sideline...with a 'tude.
Unless it was Belichick...under the hoodie...with a brain infarction.
But under no circumstances could it have been the Eagles...on the field...making fewer mistakes.

 

[Soliel]

So we have come to the conclusion that Butler himself cost us the SB?

That’s what I think. Butler blew it

 

[RobertWeathers]

So we have come to the conclusion that Butler himself cost us the SB?

No but him admitting he wasn't "locked in" sure didn't help matters.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

No but him admitting he wasn't "locked in" sure didn't help matters.

My guess is that he was thinking about free agency 2 weeks ahead of time...but Bill had some nice things to say about Butler last week so I don’t think he got into a fight with the coaching staff.

 

[PatsFan2]

Clearly the answer was to hang Chung cover Agholor, McCourty playing closer to the LoS, and Richards and Bademosi (now off the team altogether) on the field at all. That worked out swimmingly. Defense was STAUNCH.

Yep Stanch I see the sarcasm Kontra...though I have kinder words.

 

[RobertWeathers]

My guess is that he was thinking about free agency 2 weeks ahead of time...but Bill had some nice things to say about Butler last week so I don’t think he got into a fight with the coaching staff.

Malcolm had been thinking about his contract all year and his play suffered because of it.

 

[TBR]

Malcolm had been thinking about his contract all year and his play suffered because of it.

Wild assumptions again.

 

[TBR]

How?

Observations of the player's performance in practice - his own plus those of other coaches - filtered through 42 seasons of NFL coaching experience. It's pretty much Belichick's job to be able to make those evaluations.

41 points and 373 yards to Nick Foles.

His football related observations & evaluations were abysmal failures that week.

Did he not observe his defense hit rock bottom by the end of the 3rd Q? Might be time to suck it up and put in your 4 year veteran, 2x SB Champ, 98% snaps played #2 CB when the defense is getting shredded.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Apparently it was the Butler...on the sideline...with a 'tude.
Unless it was Belichick...under the hoodie...with a brain infarction.
But under no circumstances could it have been the Eagles...on the field...making fewer mistakes.

.

 

[Wozzy]

Clearly the answer was to hang Chung cover Agholor, McCourty playing closer to the LoS, and Richards and Bademosi (now off the team altogether) on the field at all. That worked out swimmingly. Defense was STAUNCH.

Chung was hurt, you must have missed that.

No problem his back up Nate Ebner would fill in admirably... oh wait, he was out with a knee injury also. Well our best corner after Gilmore all season seemed to be Jonathan Jones, we'll just put him in there... oh wait, he got hurt in the 1st round.

Well it's a good thing we had a stout defensive front made up of Branch, Valentine, Hightower, Derek Rivers, Harvey Langi, Shea McClellin... oh wait... nevermind...

 

[Kontradiction]

Chung was hurt, you must have missed that.

No problem his back up Nate Ebner would fill in admirably... oh wait, he was out with a knee injury also. Well our best corner after Gilmore all season seemed to be Jonathan Jones, we'll just put him in there... oh wait, he got hurt in the 1st round.

Well it's a good thing we had a stout defensive front made up of Branch, Valentine, Hightower, Derek Rivers, Harvey Langi, Shea McClellin... oh wait... nevermind...

You don't realize you're continuing to hurt your argument here. If Chung was hurt and Richards and Bademosi sucked throughout the season and continued to suck that night and they were thin in the secondary, you have to get out of the big nickel and insert Butler.

 

[Ring 6]

The outcome could've been worse with Wentz.

It easily could have been better too. Foles played better on the Sb than Wentz played in regular season.