![]() It’s not like ‘Woah, he’s doesn’t know how to play,’ that’s bull*&%*. ![]() And it’s not like Butler’s never played the nickel before. Even if he’s a B-minus, C-plus, the guys they had out there are D-plus, D-minus. ‘How about this? You won’t play.’ That’s the only thing that makes sense because there were two d-backs out there who are not even close to him as players. I think they told him this, and I think he reacted like a big baby and Belichick’s like (expletive) this guy. “I think they decided they were going to start the game with ( Eric Rowe) on ( Alshon Jeffery), and that they were going to bench Butler, but not for the whole game. “Here’s what I think happened, and he wasn’t that good this year, I’d say C-plus, B-minus,” Simmons said. In his eyes, Butler's attitude was his undoing. ![]() Fans want answers as to why Butler, a former Pro Bowl corner and 2016 All Pro, wasn't given a chance to turn the tide.īill Simmons of The Ringer has a theory (h/t Joshua Schrock of NESN). The Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles thanks in large part to the poor performance of their secondary. Fans have offered dozens of theories on why Butler didn't play, ranging from things as mundane as the illness he struggled with during the week leading up to the game to more extreme ideas of rules violations and arguments with the coaching staff. And thus, the speculation as to why one of New England's starting cornerbacks was a virtual no-show as well as the questioning of the decision will continue.Malcolm Butler being benched by the New England Patriots for the entirety of Super Bowl LII (besides one special teams snap) is one of the greatest mysteries in recent NFL history. Whatever the reasons are, they will likely remain locked away in the Foxboro vault for a long time. Other reports noted that the hero of Super Bowl XLIX was demoted last week and only was active as a last-string emergency option because the Patriots lacked cornerback depth in case of injury. Defensive captain Devin McCourty, for example, said after the game that the team knew Malcolm Butler was not going to be heavily involved if at all. Rapoport's report is nothing entirely new. ![]() All of this combined put Malcolm Butler not on the field with his teammates to win the Super Bowl but on the sidelines, watching. And then there's some attitudes, frustrations as well. There was a small, a minor violation of team rules that happened earlier in the week that is one thing. And I'm also told there were some other issues, disciplinary issues. That was one thing they had to consider in putting Eric Rowe out there instead of him. I'm also told that during practice this week he really struggled, had a rough week of practice perhaps because of illness but maybe because of other things. Among those: He showed up a day later than his teammates because he was sick – remember, he was not at opening night. According to a recent report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport it was a “perfect storm of issues” and “a complicated matter”:įrom what I understand, there are several factors that led Malcolm Butler, one of the team's top defensive players, to not be on the field during the Super Bowl. One thing Belichick did say is that a lot went into the decision. As usual, commentary from the Patriots on the matter is quasi non-existent, with head coach Bill Belichick calling it a “football decision” and one that fell under the oft-used category of “what's best for the team”. After he had been on the field for more than 97% of his team's defensive snaps over the course of the season, the veteran did not even play a single snap on defense in Super Bowl LII.Īlthough the unit was routinely getting torched by its opponent, Butler remained on the sidelines – even when just a single defensive stop in the fourth quarter could have sealed the game for New England. One of the questions remaining from the New England Patriots' loss against the Philadelphia Eagles that will linger for a long time is the benching of cornerback Malcolm Butler.
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