If you aren't playing to win, whatfuckingdifferencedoesitmake who your #4 corner is?I'm pretty sure they tried McCourty at CB one time and he sucked. come on people
If you aren't playing to win, whatfuckingdifferencedoesitmake who your #4 corner is?I'm pretty sure they tried McCourty at CB one time and he sucked. come on people
It's pretty common that they dress a couple pure backups who barely see the field. Hoyer didn't play. Ted Karras and LaAdrian Waddle only played on FG/XP units. Dwayne Allen played 2 offensive snaps (9 on ST); Wise played 6 defensive snaps (0 on ST). They only deactivated two defensive players, period; there were no other options if they wanted to dress 8 DBs.I think Devin McCourty could play CB. If winning the game is the top priority, then Butler should have gotten a look. If keeping Butler off the field was the highest priority (over and above winning the game), then they should have dressed someone else. Special teams sucked, for example, and they happened to have a core-4 guy scratched.
And if McCourty plays CB, then it's your Jordan "Coach on the Field" getting snaps.He was atrocious, which is why he was moved to safety.
And when it comes to Belichick, you trust Giardi over Minnihane 5000% of the time. LOL @ Kirk Minnihane being a reliable news source. He’s pimping controversey for his shitty show.
Come on, man, this is getting ridiculous. In which ways was Special Teams bad? There was a bad snap (which really could have been handled) and a bad kick, right? Kickoff coverage was fine. Which inactive core Special Teamer was going to fix that?
It took you this long?I'm embarrassed that we've come to a point where Minihane's tweet has any value whatsoever in this discourse.
I'm not advocating that DM be used as a backup corner, however, he was an All-Pro his rookie year at CB, and was the only player besides Suh to get votes for AP Defensive ROY.He was atrocious, which is why he was moved to safety.
You nailed it. BB didn't want to win.If you aren't playing to win, whatfuckingdifferencedoesitmake who your #4 corner is?
Yeah, because he was playing mostly zone and staring at the QB. When he was moved to man and had to play form, he was beyond awful. Moving McCourty to CB would probably been a wash at corner and a massive downgrade at safety.I'm not advocating that DM be used as a backup corner, however, he was an All-Pro his rookie year at CB, and was the only player besides Suh to get votes for AP Defensive ROY.
He has lost three fucking Superbowls out of eight tries. So he has a 62.5% winning percentage in the big game. There are a ton of other coaches who have far better records in the big game including Doug Pederson who has won 100% of the Superbowls in which he has been HC.It's anyone who doesn't understand that he should be held accountable for having the worst record of anyone to be the head coach in eight Super Bowls
I'm on board with shredding BB for this decision, but I'm pretty sure that a 62.5% winning percentage in the Super Bowl puts BB way above average when it comes to Super Bowl coaches.He has lost three fucking Superbowls out of eight tries. So he has a 62.5% winning percentage in the big game. There are a ton of other coaches who have far better records in the big game including Doug Pederson who has won 100% of the Superbowls in which he has been HC.
In the NFL, you are what your record says you are. Based on winning percentage, BB is a below average Superbowl coach. I am so sick of his apologists not acknowledging this.
He's being sarcastic.I'm on board with shredding BB for this decision, but I'm pretty sure that a 62.5% winning percentage in the Super Bowl puts BB way above average when it comes to Super Bowl coaches.
Bad joke.I'm on board with shredding BB for this decision, but I'm pretty sure that a 62.5% winning percentage in the Super Bowl puts BB way above average when it comes to Super Bowl coaches.
Too bad the Belichick Pats missed their opportunity to push their Super Bowl win% back up above their regular season win%.Bad joke.
Still, my advice is to let it go. It does no good to ruminate over this shit. Its Celtics season (or "szn" as the internet kids call it) now..
I'm blaming it on time difference. Or Rio.It took you this long?
I'm not even sure that you will be able to let it go. I know I wont. What happened with Butler in that game is going to be on my mind for a while and even the most complete, sensible explanation for it will leave me with a lot of What Ifs.Bad joke.
Still, my advice is to let it go. It does no good to ruminate over this shit. Its Celtics season (or "szn" as the internet kids call it) now..
Note: Jordan "Coach on the field" did get snaps.And if McCourty plays CB, then it's your Jordan "Coach on the Field" getting snaps.
I'm embarrassed that we've come to a point where Minihane's tweet has any value whatsoever in this discourse.
Of course but they also didn’t want to pay Ryan $10M AV. Butler only made $4M this year.In retrospect i wonder if the patriots would have been better off resigning logan ryan and trading Butler for a couple of 2018 draft picks after last off-season. God knows we could use the extra draft capital right now.
If they had infinite cap room, yes. But it’s hard to see them retaining Ryan and signing Gilmore.In retrospect i wonder if the patriots would have been better off resigning logan ryan and trading Butler for a couple of 2018 draft picks after last off-season. God knows we could use the extra draft capital right now.
Does this mean that Patricia got to the stadium and B.B. told him Butler was out and Patricia was like ‘wait...huh?’
If true, that's a really bad look for Belichick. It is almost Grady-level stupidity. It also puts Patricia's non-answers in a different light.
Review this thread, yesterday’s entries.I only caught the tail end of an exchange on WFAN this morning where Boomer said something about Butler getting “high”. Any idea what on earth he is talking about? That is not something to just throw out there lightly.
Where's Will McSclusive when you need him? I fear the writers out there now can't find their own shadow. Did any of them discover anything significant on Deflategate, for example?Review this thread, yesterday’s entries.
We are in a pitch black room with the door closed on this. Why? Because there is no disincentive for “reporters” to throw half baked crap out there, or even to just make things up entirely. They pay no price for serial garbage twitter posts or on air fabrications.
I’ve quit jumping off the porch to chase these cars. When a reputable reporter comes with a well documented piece, I will pay some note.
if *what* is true? That "report" is so vague as to be meaningless. The only thing it rules out is that Belichick made up his mind more than a few days before the Super Bowl whether Butler would start or not. Has he ever done that (aside from Brady?). How is he even supposed to do that given Butler's availability during the week?If true, that's a really bad look for Belichick. It is almost Grady-level stupidity. It also puts Patricia's non-answers in a different light.
Almost certainly this.Or that Patricia was more like ‘well, I was hoping you would decide otherwise after our discussions this week...’
It would be a stunner beyond belief if all the coaches and players thought Butler was playing and then at the last moment, without anyone else really being in the know, Belichick just told Patricia and the team that Butler wasn't playing. There's no way that at least the coaches weren't aware of what was going on. They may not have liked it, but it's just not believable that they were taken completely unawares here.Almost certainly this.
Everyone here is way overreacting to the whole "We didn't know until game day" thing. The guy missed multiple days of work due to illness, and Rowe (apparently) got plenty of work with the 1s. Surely Butler's situation was communicated as something like a game-time decision - none of the quotes I've seen suggest otherwise.
A lot of NFL coaches have a rule that if you don't practice, you don't play. Technically Butler did practice, but it sounds like he was so ineffective that he probably shouldn't have.I can buy that the combination of Butler being sick and not practicing the game plan, plus a desire to get Rowe out there against the Eagles taller receivers led to the initial decision to start Rowe and not Butler. What I still can’t figure out is why they never adjusted once it was clear that Philly was picking on anyone not named Gilmore with great success. That’s the piece that I’ll never understand, other than if it was a disciplinary thing.
Or that Butler was dog shit in practice all week, wasn't as well versed in the schemes, and so putting him in was likely to be more disruptive to the Patriots than to the Eagles.I can buy that the combination of Butler being sick and not practicing the game plan, plus a desire to get Rowe out there against the Eagles taller receivers led to the initial decision to start Rowe and not Butler. What I still can’t figure out is why they never adjusted once it was clear that Philly was picking on anyone not named Gilmore with great success. That’s the piece that I’ll never understand, other than if it was a disciplinary thing.
Well yeah, but as you note, he did practice. And again, if it was working, fine, but it clearly wasn’t. I say this as someone who does not think that Butler not playing was the reason they lost. I just don’t understand the decision. It just seems so stubbornly wrong to me not to adjust, unless there was a discipline component.A lot of NFL coaches have a rule that if you don't practice, you don't play. Technically Butler did practice, but it sounds like he was so ineffective that he probably shouldn't have.
Who could forget?I keep thinking to the Do Your Job special that came out after SB 49, with Ernie Adams saying "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GAME DAY PLAYER."
I’m not saying it would have worked better, but it is hard to imagine it working worse. He played 98% of the defensive snaps all year long, how much different could the schemes have been that he wouldn’t have been able to pick them up even with a limited amount of practice.Or that Butler was dog shit in practice all week, wasn't as well versed in the schemes, and so putting him in was likely to be more disruptive to the Patriots than to the Eagles.
It's not a video game. Butler isn't an "83" rated CB that you can just slot in to replace a "71" CB and have your Defense work better.
Or Butler still wasn't 100%.Well yeah, but as you note, he did practice. And again, if it was working, fine, but it clearly wasn’t. I say this as someone who does not think that Butler not playing was the reason they lost. I just don’t understand the decision. It just seems so stubbornly wrong to me not to adjust, unless there was a discipline component.
Could he rush the QB?I’m not saying it would have worked better, but it is hard to imagine it working worse. He played 98% of the defensive snaps all year long, how much different could the schemes have been that he wouldn’t have been able to pick them up even with a limited amount of practice.
All I am saying it is inconceivable to me that they never decided to throw him out there for a series to see how he would do. The guys who were playing in his place were absolutely horrendous.
If he had the flu which caused him to arrive late, and then had a shitty week of practice, and THEN got caught up in some rule fraction (arriving to the hotel after curfew? Weed? Who knows?), then you can kind of see the reasoning there of "Hey, we can't depend on this guy on Sunday."Or Butler still wasn't 100%.
That information hasn't been confirmed, only person saying that was Minihane who's generally full of crapola.If B.B. wanted to bench him 2 weeks ago, can we move off the idea that this just came from a curfew violation this week?
Because if it started before AFCCG and he had curfew issues this week, that’s a bad look for him.
Granted.That information hasn't been confirmed, only person saying that was Minihane who's generally full of crapola.
This is the point. BB chose the approach that he thought gave the Patriots the best chance to win. The defense he wanted to use was spectacularly awful, playing exactly 1 good defensive series in the whole game and otherwise giving Philly whatever the fuck it wanted.All I am saying it is inconceivable to me that they never decided to throw him out there for a series to see how he would do. The guys who were playing in his place were absolutely horrendous.
To borrow from baseball, its almost like BB stuck with his starter a little too long, and tried to steal a couple of outs, but got whacked with a crooked # instead.This is the point. BB chose the approach that he thought gave the Patriots the best chance to win. The defense he wanted to use was spectacularly awful, playing exactly 1 good defensive series in the whole game and otherwise giving Philly whatever the fuck it wanted.
When faced with the choice between his pre-game logic and the reality unfolding in the field, BB failed to adjust.
Boomer's theory the past two days is that Butler did something to get benched, and in Boomer's experience, it had to be due to Butler sparking up in his room during the week and/or being late to meetings or practice.I only caught the tail end of an exchange on WFAN this morning where Boomer said something about Butler getting “high”. Any idea what on earth he is talking about? That is not something to just throw out there lightly.
Or it's:To borrow from baseball, its almost like BB stuck with his starter a little too long, and tried to steal a couple of outs, but got whacked with a crooked # instead.
They did adjust in the second half. Correct me if I am wrong, but to start the game, Rowe (6'1") was on Jeffery (6'3"). In the second half they switched GIlmore (6'0") to cover Jeffery.I can buy that the combination of Butler being sick and not practicing the game plan, plus a desire to get Rowe out there against the Eagles taller receivers led to the initial decision to start Rowe and not Butler. What I still can’t figure out is why they never adjusted once it was clear that Philly was picking on anyone not named Gilmore with great success. That’s the piece that I’ll never understand, other than if it was a disciplinary thing.