Butler doesn't play end, tackle, or linebacker. And that was where the team's biggest problems were against the Eagles. And Rowe and Gilmore played well in the 2nd half. Maybe Butler makes a play that Rowe doesn't. Or maybe Butler gives up the same play.
It was a curious decision. And one I deep down have trouble agreeing with given the lack of information we have at our disposal. But there were lots of causes of the defeat; this one decision may have been a factor, but it's hardly the only or even the biggest cause of the defeat. Biggest reason: Eagles were just better.
Butler doesn't play end, tackle or linebacker, but he also does a lot more than just cover, and a lot of folks keep ignoring this. Butler is arguably the best tackler in the entire secondary. I would argue he is, some would argue McCourty, but he is without a doubt, one of the top two. So let's say he doesn't make a single play in coverage that Rowe or Bademosi or Richards also failed to make. I find that highly unlikely, but I'll grant it. What I won't grant is that he would have missed every single tackle in an important spot that those guys missed throughout the game. And the way this game went, one, just one tackle on third down resulting in a punt could have changed the outcome.
I was screaming five minutes in the game about the decision to put Rowe on Jeffery. He was getting burnt until he made a play in the end zone, and they held them to a field goal, but it's already been reported by Philly players that their game plan was to "pick on #25." And they did, over and over again. Like I said in the game thread, it doesn't even matter if they completed every pass or not, the fact is the Eagles found their matchup, and were going to continue to exploit it until they couldn't anymore. The point where they couldn't was when BB finally addressed it and put Gilmore on him. The problem is they still had Rowe, Bademosi and Richards out there running around in circles, when they weren't running into each other, so every single time they pressed up, they got beat over the top, every time they backed up, they got beat underneath, and then when the receivers made a catch or a running back broke through the first line of defense, there wasn't an open field tackle to be made. Butler is the guy that addresses all of this, and they left his ass on the bench.
I don't give a fuck if he showed up drunk, high or with a cane. After the first half, you have to come back to him and see what happens at least for one series. To not do that is absolutely unforgiveable.
And once again, I'm not saying BB should be fired. He's the greatest coach of all time. But IMO, he cost us another Super Bowl yesterday (I still believe he cost us one in 2015 with his bonehead decisions down the stretch of the regular season that cost us home field advantage, umm, I want to defer in overtime, umm), and I don't believe that is a very controversial opinion to hold right now.