Malcolm Butler Says Super Bowl Benching Documentary/Book Coming

[venecol]

Belichick is the head of all football operations and makes all personnel related decisions.

Richards and Badmostly.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

We won a ring with Troy Brown starting at nickel corner. Football is won in the trenches. Alan Branch would have helped substantially more than Butler… Butler sucked all season.

Troy Brown at CB and Alan Branch's injury seem like relevant discussion points on why a head coach would bench one player for a lesser player in the Super Bowl.

If the Patriots had a prime Lawrence Taylor and had drafted Aaron Donald, it would have helped them even more and probably put them over the top. Also, they've converted a WR to CB due to necessity (years ago.) Ergo, it was the right decision to put the team at a self-imposed competitive disadvantage in a game decided by razor thin margins.

Wozzy gonna wozzy.

 

[venecol]

Yeah… the best defenders on the team were injured is an excuse.

Try breathing through your nose instead of your mouth, you get more oxygen to the brain that way.

The best defenders? Are you saying there's a difference between the players? That some are more valuable than others?

 

[Stu Pidassle]

We have so many faux "experts" here who think they know enough from a fan's 30,000-ft. view to conclude (A) not playing Butler is why the Patriots lost and (B) BB had no good reason for benching him.

A few things:

(A) Malcolm Butler did not have a dominant season in 2017 and New England's pass defense sucked in general, ranking 30th out of 32 teams in yards allowed. That trend continued vs. Philly in the Super Bowl where the Patriots surrendered 374 passing yards yet had a pick while one of Foles' three touchdown passes should have been overturned. Perhaps the biggest shortcoming in that game was NOT who played corner and safety but the woeful lack of pressure up front. The Patriots registered ZERO SACKS while Foles had all day to throw. This notion that Butler would've made a decisive difference is questionable, given the absent pass rush and overall non-aggressive defensive game plan. EVEN THEN, New England's season-long formula for success almost pulled it out: ride the Brady-led offense, which out-gained the Eagles 618 yards to 538. And it almost worked. Had the one Philly non-touchdown catch been correctly overturned and/or Brady not been strip-sacked late (the Pats' only turnover), Butler's benching would've become a forgotten footnote.

(B) People can theorize, guess, draw conjecture, ***** and moan 'til the cows come home, but the simple fact remains that WE DO NOT KNOW why Butler was benched. There are just as many justifiable reasons being floated as bad ones, but all the hysterical negativity condemning BB's decision assumes Malcolm could have made THE difference -- far from a sure bet given the above. Part of me believes Butler is invested in stoking this thing for personal gain, we'll see what other shoes drop with the forthcoming book and documentary. He's been playing coy for a reason and never seemed terribly bright to begin with, at least IMO.

The bottom line for me in all this is I'm not sold on Butler's absence being the difference-maker in that game regardless of whether his benching was justified.

Brady was so good that the team over-relied on him to win on his own. The defense sucked in general and the offense was too pass oriented. This burned the Pats in the super bowl. The Pats could not stop the run which made it easier to pass. The Eagles controlled the clock and held the ball for 9 minutes more than the Pats. This prompted BB to draft Sony and sign Rex Burkhead to balance the offense which was successful before the wheels fell off the wagon Brady's last year.

 

[Boomer B]

You clearly find yourself involved in every conversation on this site that allows you to say "BB screwed up" but still pretend you aren't a hater.

Tell us how BB could have prevented Hightower, Branch, Chung and Jon Jones from getting hurt... otherwise stop pretending.

Butler sucked all season, he sucked on the Titans after he left... but somehow he would have helped as the Eagles were rolling up almost 200 rushing yards on our injury depleted defense.

BB sucks... it's what you, Venereal and Crawdaddy really want to say.

Can you guys show us on this doll where coach Belichick touched you?

Butler sucked so bad that Belichick played him 96% of the defensive snaps that year

 

[Boomer B]

They didn’t. Before Wentz got hurt he was the front runner in Vegas to win MVP. Foles didn’t miss a beat, they were a great team.

It takes a great team to win a ring. In the history of pro football there are numerous examples of average/good QB’s winning rings… there’s not one example of an average team winning a ring.

One CB who gave up the most passing yards and TD’s among all starters in the league wouldn’t have prevented the Eagles from rolling up almost 200 rushing yards on us. But the whiners gotta whine…

So you say they didn't have any major injuries in one sentence, and then in the next sentence you confirm they lost their starting QB who was a frontrunner for MVP.

You can't make this **** up.

 

[Kontradiction]

So you say they didn't have any major injuries in one sentence, and then in the next sentence you confirm they lost their starting QB who was a frontrunner for MVP.

You can't make this **** up.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don’t know about you guys but, if I’m coaching in a Super Bowl, and I’m already bringing in a run D that’s a liability, the first thing I do is also make the pass D a liability. Chess over Checkers.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I don’t know about you guys but, if I’m coaching in a Super Bowl, and I’m already bringing in a run D that’s a liability, the first thing I do is also make the pass D a liability. Chess over Checkers.

Wozzy would like to interview you for a management position. (Wozzy is Bill Belichick’s fluffer’s fluffer.)

 

[Kontradiction]

Wozzy would like to interview you for a management position. (Wozzy is Bill Belichick’s fluffer’s fluffer.)

His man crush on BB is pretty sus.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Anyone else still think what Brandin Cooks did on that early reception that got him knocked out was weird? Had he stayed in the game, he certainly would've helped.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Anyone else still think what Brandin Cooks did on that early reception that got him knocked out was weird? Had he stayed in the game, he certainly would've helped.

Seemed like he was trying to do too much and put himself in a vulnerable position.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

BB has players take a **** in a different hotel toilet to try to gain every miniscule advantage, but benching a guy who played 98% of the snaps wouldn't possibly move the needle in a game where the team set historic records for yards allowed against a backup QB.

Exactly so doesn't it stand to reason their might, I mean just might be another explanation? That's what most of us are arguing is that we don't know the behind the scenes and we aren't drawing conclusions based on heresy and keeping an open mind.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Exactly so doesn't it stand to reason their might, I mean just might be another explanation? That's what most of us are arguing is that we don't know the behind the scenes and we aren't drawing conclusions based on heresy and keeping an open mind.

Sure. The burden is on Bill to provide the explanation, rather than the typical stonewalling that no other coach would get with. “No one died” “It’s the NFL” “We did what was in the best interest of the football team.” All this is great until you **** up with all your power and no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Noexcusesfornumber5]

Credit and blame are not the same thing. Get a dictionary before you say anything else stupid.

Then make your ****ing point. We are all waiting. BB sucks, and then? Corral your team. It'll get ugly fast. Speaking for no one else, the actions of certain people on this board have encouraged me personally to realine my Mt. Rushmore. I would never have Larry Bird behind a guy that went behind his owners back.
That's how I see Tom Brady.

 

[Tunescribe]

I agree you did say that after the fact but you also attacked many posters that called into question Bill's decision from the get go, so no, you weren't even close to being the first.

Total lying ******** and you know it. Never -- not once -- did I "attack" ANYONE criticizing BB's appointment of Patricia/Judge. I defy you to produce ONE post where I "attacked" someone on that subject, let alone "many posters." I suggested Patricia/Judge be given a chance to prove themselves. By midseason the verdict was in.

You are what your posts say you are.

Well established? By your agenda-driven narrative to label posters as haters? Yes, that's what I've been saying. Glad you agree.

You see, this is what you do when exposed and backed into a corner, gaslight and make things up. When Ian schooled you on your anti-Mac Zappe nonsense he remarked time and again "I know you hate the guy [Mac]." You never corrected him, at least not that I could see. In light of that I asked multiple times if you hoped to see Mac succeed for good of the team and your silence was telltale.

Unlike you, I have no such agendas. I take no pleasure calling out haters like yourself, FCB, Triumph, Crawhammer, etc. I simply get sick and tired of the constant negative drumbeats dragging this place down. Criticizing players, coaches, etc. is fine, incessantly pushing condemnation is not. It needs to change, I know Ian agrees with that. And making "homer" a dirty word on a freaking FAN SITE is sadly, outrageously, beyond pathetic.

THIS idiotic meme -- which you've posted multiple times -- is how YOU respond to Patriots fans who dare offer a hopefully optimistic take:



I could ask you to explain how that's not being a hater, but the last thing I'd expect is an honest response.

 

[Kontradiction]

Total lying ******** and you know it. Never -- not once -- did I "attack" ANYONE criticizing BB's appointment of Patricia/Judge. I defy you to produce ONE post where I "attacked" someone on that subject, let alone "many posters." I suggested Patricia/Judge be given a chance to prove themselves. By midseason the verdict was in.



You see, this is what you do when exposed and backed into a corner, gaslight and make things up. When Ian schooled you on your anti-Mac Zappe nonsense he remarked time and again "I know you hate the guy [Mac]." You never corrected him, at least not that I could see. In light of that I asked multiple times if you hoped to see Mac succeed for good of the team and your silence was telltale.

Unlike you, I have no such agendas. I take no pleasure calling out haters like yourself, FCB, Triumph, Crawhammer, etc. I simply get sick and tired of the constant negative drumbeats dragging this place down. Criticizing players, coaches, etc. is fine, incessantly pushing condemnation is not. It needs to change, I know Ian agrees with that. And making "homer" a dirty word on a freaking FAN SITE is sadly, outrageously, beyond pathetic.

THIS idiotic meme -- which you've posted multiple times -- is how YOU respond to Patriots fans who dare offer a hopefully optimistic take:



I could ask you to explain how that's not being a hater, but the last thing I'd expect is an honest response.

Criticizing players and coaches actually isn’t fine around here. That’s why people who do so get labeled “haters.” This is the biggest homer pro football board on the net. Or at least the “homerfied” board I’ve ever come across.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Why didn't he play after it was obvious the likes of Richards, Bademosi, and Rowe weren't cutting it?

I don't get that part. How did Belichick possibly think Butler could be worse?

Bill likes to actively, intentionally go against conventional wisdom.

Sometimes it's worked, and sometimes we've gotten burned badly.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

To the tune of 6 rings as a head coach, eventually the most wins in history, and 2 more rings as a defensive coordinator.

Easily the suckiest take in Patriot Nation. Congrats!

In his defense, the guy whose record he's trying to break (Foola) sucked too. In a different way.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Criticizing players and coaches actually isn’t fine around here. That’s why people who do so get labeled “haters.” This is the biggest homer pro football board on the net. Or at least the “homerfied” board I’ve ever come across.

I don't hate Tony Eason, or Drew Bledsoe, or Mac Jones.

I'm a lover.