I think so. Getting benched in the Super Bowl definitely just dropped his price tag. He might have to sign a prove it deal now.
Perhaps Belichick found out that Butler wants to sign with the Jets once free agency begins? I read he played 98% of the defensive snaps for New England during the season & 100% of the snaps during the playoffs. Obviously the guy can play. If he had done something terribly wrong during the two weeks heading up to the Super Bowl the media would've been all over it. It made no sense. Was the game fixed?
This was beyond bizarre. He's not prime Revis but he's still a good player and with such a closely contested game and evenly matched teams, how can you not play him? Belichick is not going to sacrifice a damn Super Bowl to send a message about breaking curfew or whatever rule he broke. Maybe you get benched a possession or even a quarter. To get benched for the game randomly like that, it must've been pretty severe. I'm thinking drug related
Well not necessarily. Supposedly this was a late decision. He could'be been involved or doing something for a while that was brought to Belichicks attention by another coach or trainer
If that's the case why all the secrecy about his benching? It seemed personal either that or the game was fixed.
I just don't know. It makes zero sense why Belichick would bench him and then not put him in when his replacement was playing poorly. And Belichick is outstanding at making adjustments and changing things around. But he never did it here. One day the truth will come out. This guy is a starter, practicing with the first team and you just randomly play the backup for the entire game. In the Super Bowl. In this situation, if you're Robert Kraft you walk up to Belichick and say Malcolm's playing.
This isn't the first time Belichick needlessly benched a player. Remember when Wes Welker made some footy jokes before our playoff game against them? Belichick benched him for the first series, and David Harris intercepted Brady. That gave us confidence it wouldn't be repeat of when they blew us out in December, and we went on to win.
Remember it well. But it was an appropriate punishment for the situation. A series. Not the whole game. I remember Harris did a nice job sniffing that play out and couldn't believe Alge Crumpler of all people chased him down. Folk missed the FG actually on that possession so it was "here we go again" Brady was so incredibly frustrated all game. Until we went into prevent late he never established any rhythm
It wasn't appropriate at all. You don't bench your best receiver in a playoff game because he joked about the other team's coach. Fine him but don't do anything that will hurt your team. If anything Belichick trashed and motivated the Jets more than Welker because he basically said I'm so confident we'll win that I can bench my top receiver and it won't matter.
It was for a possession though. The punishment fit the crime. It was a token punishment that he had to enforce
Reports are he was sick, had a really bad week of practice and then a team rules violation. Browner tweeted that the violation involved weed and a female in his room after curfew.
well bellichick did flat out say it wasn't a punishment and he wans't sick or injured. he said it was "gameplan related" not that he isn't a filty liar but covering for a player isn't a very bellichick move
He actually just said no and yes to, is it disciplinary , and was it game plan related. Butler was still sick all week and reportedly had a really bad week of practice. Belichick never gives the press anything period. Just grunts alot. Lol
LMAO he is a shady MFer for sure. butler could have been pretty sick or just missed too much practice from being sick really. we'll likely never fully know unless butler blabs
That possession may have cost the Pats the game. That's the real crime, not a footy joke. And Belichick didn't have to enforce anything.
Don't tell anyone. It ruins the theories that Belichick lost the game on purpose. That the Patriots players are going to mutiny against Belichick. And the media will force him to retire by asking him questions about it and not being nice to him anymore....
