Corner off ‘Scrap’ heap
Butler declares game is back
FOXBORO — Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler has an announcement to make.
There’s no room for misinterpretation, either.
“Oh, I’m back,” Butler told the Herald yesterday from his locker. “You believe that.”
The early-season woes? Gone.
Yeah, he knows he’s got to clean up a thing or two here and there, but the swagger is alive and well and his tenacity has undoubtedly been on display during his best stretch of the season, which has coincided with the Patriots’ four-game winning streak.
“It’s all good,” Butler said. “I’m back, man. I’m back. It’s Scrap.”
Butler, who was referencing his nickname, “Scrap,” which has actually morphed from “Strap” over the years, was excited while discussing his recent stretch of performances while looking ahead to the second half of the season. That stretch begins Sunday in Denver, where he may be reacquainted with challenging wideout Emmanuel Sanders.
Of course, Butler recognized it hasn’t been perfect. He has given up five touchdowns this season, which is already one more than he surrendered in 19 games in 2016, including the playoffs.
Over the last four games, Butler has allowed 11 catches on 25 targets (44 completion percentage) for 195 yards (48.8 yards per game) and three touchdowns, and he has one interception and four pass breakups.
That’s good but not perfect, and there’s a reason for that. Butler has gotten bitten by one bad play per game. He yielded too much of a cushion on a thirdand-2 slant to Buccaneers receiver DeSean Jackson, who turned it into a 41-yard gain. Against the Jets, Butler gambled and misplayed a pass for Jeremy Kerley, who outjumped the corner for a 31-yard touchdown.
No one in their right mind would criticize Butler for Julio Jones’ 1-yard touchdown catch in Week 7, though Butler would probably like to have done a better job against wideout Justin Hardy during his 22yard catch. And last week, Butler got caught staring in the backfield at the snap and lost Chargers speedster Travis Benjamin on a 24-yard touchdown, which was the only time Butler got beat all game.
“It happens to all of us, which we don’t want to happen,” Butler said of that pesky one bad play a game. “It’s just how the game goes. Just got to keep going forward. You can’t make other plays if you’re still thinking about that play in the past.
“I noticed that, too. It’s just that one play that has been throwing my whole game off. I guess it’s just my life and my season going the way it’s been playing. I’ve just got to keep grinding and keep working. I’m into it.
‘It’s all good. I’m back, man.’ — CB MALCOLM BUTLER On his improved play
“Those guys get paid, too. You still don’t want to give up something that you could have avoided or done better. We could all do better and all have plays that we wish we could have back, but I’ve just got to keep moving, man.
“Take your L like you take your W’s.”
Butler said the parallel between those four plays has been a split-second decision that was just slightly off. But on a larger scale, the energy and confidence have long since been restored to the scrappy cornerback’s game, and that’s why he has been so excited about his return to form.
Butler didn’t make any excuses early in the year when he said the pressure of a new contract weighed on his mind, but he ditched that burden after Bill Belichick demoted him to the nickel role in Week 2 against the Saints. Butler responded in Week 3 with a fiery performance against Texans wideout DeAndre Hopkins, holding the star to a pair of catches for 10 yards in his best wire-towire showing of the season.
Like everyone, Butler had issues in Week 4 against the Panthers, but he has since been rolling. He just has to eliminate that one uncharacteristic play per game, and then he’ll really be back.
“Just the mindset, the attitude, just had to go back to the basics and think about how you got here,” Butler said. “You can’t give up too soon. Things aren’t going to go as well as you want them to, but we’ve got eight more games and probably more after that. Just got to finish strong and keep going. The season isn’t over until it’s over. I refuse to give up.”