Malcolm Butler released by the Titans

[ashley]

Even when Malcolm Butler went to the freaking pro bowl as a Patriot you had irrational haters here. We have a Superbowl Ring all because of what Butler did on the goal line. The Seahawks win that game no question without the greatest miracle play in Patriots history.


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I wouldn't call it a miracle play, it's been highlighted multiple times that the Patriots practiced that play quite a few times. Malcom was prepared and he made the play the way he practiced it.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I wouldn't call it a miracle play, it's been highlighted multiple times that the Patriots practiced that play quite a few times. Malcom was prepared and he made the play the way he practiced it.

It was heavily practiced but going from near certain death/loss to Superbowl Winner was a miracle.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm starting to warm up to, I think @robertweathers suggestion of even moving on from existing older guys like High, Chung, Cannon, etc. to free up even more cap space.

Imagine having $90M going into a free agency and being able to fill in DL, DE, LB, WR, TE, S, with younger veteran talent. Full on rebuild but with proven talent. Then team would only be a QB away from another SB run.

To clarify I did not suggest moving on from Chung and High. Chung's cap situation makes him advantageous to cut in 2022.

High should be a short-term extension.

Cannon should move on.

 

[venecol]

To clarify I did not suggest moving on from Chung and High. Chung's cap situation makes him advantageous to cut in 2022.

High should be a short-term extension.

Cannon should move on.

I'm suggesting it. Get rid of all old players from previous dynasty. Let's get younger, faster with same or better talent now that we have the cash to fill up the grocery cart.

i don't expect Bill will do this since it's too bold a move and would require him not to be cheap for a change.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm suggesting it. Get rid of all old players from previous dynasty. Let's get younger, faster with same or better talent now that we have the cash to fill up the grocery cart.

i don't expect Bill will do this since it's too bold a move and would require him not to be cheap for a change.

I think it depends. There is a reason Bill likes to keep guys like Slater, DMC, Chung, etc around. They can still get it done on the field AND be a strong voice in the locker room and carry BBs water.

High strikes me as that type of player. If he isn't, I agree he'll be gone.

 

[venecol]

I think it depends. There is a reason Bill likes to keep guys like Slater, DMC, Chung, etc around. They can still get it done on the field AND be a strong voice in the locker room and carry BBs water.

High strikes me as that type of player. If he isn't, I agree he'll be gone.

I agree that all those players have the intangibles you mention. However, with Brady gone I'm not sure any of that matters as much anymore.

If this is a new era, and we want to win with a 10-15 type QB, then team should be faster, younger, more athletic because the days of elite QB play may be over.

Think of the team with Matt Milano, Jon Johnson II, Trey Hendrickson, Jonnu Smith, Corey Davis or Samuels or Fuller will look like.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I agree that all those players have the intangibles you mention. However, with Brady gone I'm not sure any of that matters as much anymore.

If this is a new era, and we want to win with a 10-15 type QB, then team should be faster, younger, more athletic because the days of elite QB play may be over.

Think of the team with Matt Milano, Jon Johnson II, Trey Hendrickson, Jonnu Smith, Corey Davis or Samuels or Fuller will look like.

I'll disagree here. Without a presence like Tom it matters even more to have strong veteran voices distributed throughout the locker room.

Think 2001. Brady wasn't that authoritative voice yet but having voices like Mac, Bru, Law, Lawyer, Woody, Troy, etc. were critical.

 

[venecol]

The #1 defense in the NFL last year allowed 18.5ppg.

The standard for elite isn't very high.

Apparently, neither is the standard for very good.

 

[goheels22002]

You're not serious. Are you?

Completely serious. Without a competent offense to keep the opposing team's offense off the field, the Patriots defense finished 8th in points per game allowed, and 14th in yards per game allowed. The defense finished 15th in turnover differential at +3 and 13th in total takeaways. The turnover differential is meaningful because the offense, especially the QB, turned the ball over a lot, most painfully in the red zone.

It was a solid defense and good running game that kept them in most games in 2020.

 

[goheels22002]

Can we count the week that Sanders agreed to the Pats' RFA offer before the Steelers matched it as Sanders being a former Patriot?

Good point. The fact of the matter is that Sanders was on the active roster when Belichick decided to sign Antonio Brown, the biggest disaster in the Belichick era in terms of money, wasted energy and cap hit for playing in a single game. In 2019, the Patriots would have gotten a lot more out of Sanders over an entire season.

 

[oldrover]

Without a presence like Tom it matters even more to have strong veteran voices distributed throughout the locker room.

 

[goheels22002]

Even when Malcolm Butler went to the freaking pro bowl as a Patriot you had irrational haters here. We have a Superbowl Ring all because of what Butler did on the goal line. The Seahawks win that game no question without the greatest miracle play in Patriots history.


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Thank you. Any opportunity to post this is a treat:

 

[Rob0729]

Good point. The fact of the matter is that Sanders was on the active roster when Belichick decided to sign Antonio Brown, the biggest disaster in the Belichick era in terms of money, wasted energy and cap hit for playing in a single game. In 2019, the Patriots would have gotten a lot more out of Sanders over an entire season.

You are confusing Emanuel Sanders with Demariyus Thomas. Thomas was a Patriots. The Pats made an one year contract offer to Sanders when he was a RFA which the Steelers matched sending him back to Pittsburgh. That was the closest Sanders came to being aPatriot.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think it depends. There is a reason Bill likes to keep guys like Slater, DMC, Chung, etc around. They can still get it done on the field AND be a strong voice in the locker room and carry BBs water.

Slater and DMac, even at their ages, can still fly down the field. (Reminder: DMac had the fastest speed on a touchdown run in 2018.)

 

[venecol]

Completely serious. Without a competent offense to keep the opposing team's offense off the field, the Patriots defense finished 8th in points per game allowed, and 14th in yards per game allowed. The defense finished 15th in turnover differential at +3 and 13th in total takeaways. The turnover differential is meaningful because the offense, especially the QB, turned the ball over a lot, most painfully in the red zone.

It was a solid defense and good running game that kept them in most games in 2020.

OK but how is the above defined as a "very good" defense? I guess it's a subjective term anyway so it doesn't matter.

 

[GaryfromTO]

pass. Butler's 15 minutes was up a long time ago.

 

[fnordcircle]

These are some pretty serious unsubstantiated allegations you're claiming. Reminds me of the same wild posts during the Superbowl saying Butler was on drugs with zero proof. What a smear campaign.

Ok but hear me out:

What if the coach in question was actually Josh McD?

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I wouldn't call it a miracle play, it's been highlighted multiple times that the Patriots practiced that play quite a few times. Malcom was prepared and he made the play the way he practiced it.

Well, I'm pretty sure they didn't practice him holding onto the ball as the receiver is slamming into him the moment the ball arrives. That's the miracle aspect of the play.

Regards,
Chris

 

[LuRkeR1978]

The benching of Butler was stupid, but even if he played there was no guarantee the Pats would have won. Butler wasn't playing well that season and the Pats and the Pats gave up 10 points in the last 2:30 minutes of the game and only had to give up a field goal to lose the game. And the Pats gave up 164 yards and 6.1 YPC on the ground.

Butler playing would have given the Pats a better chance of winning, but there were a lot of problems on defense other than the CB play in that game.

One 3rd down stop. Just one...

Well, I'm pretty sure they didn't practice him holding onto the ball as the receiver is slamming into him the moment the ball arrives. That's the miracle aspect of the play.

Regards,
Chris

Browner did a great job of setting up that miracle by taking away the pick play.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Ok but hear me out:

What if the coach in question was actually Josh McD?

See that's where your post backfires. You're telling me we lost another Superbowl on top of 2007 because our best CB Butler didn't play because of him? Ok sold, let's add it to the list.

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