Feeling like a reunion
Butler will play this time
Malcolm Butler is about to confess. His Super Bowl bsence will be explained, a disappearance that still rankles Patriots fans, especially this week when the former Pats cornerback and current Titans cornerback plays against his executioner, Bill Belichick. According to information gained from the old hidden microphone trick, Butler fessed up on why he did not play in the championship loss to the Eagles. ‘”I didn’t feel like it,” he blurted, shrugging it aside. “Then Bill didn’t feel like it, either.” That’s all the microphone picked up before the tape unraveled like an Odell Beckham rant. There you have it. Butler didn’t feel like playing. But why, why, why, why! Conjure up your own theory, just like everyone else did back then and everyone else is doing this week with the Patriots taking on their former Super Bowl hero on Sunday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn. Another ex-Pat-now-Titan, Dion Lewis, would not offer any backing of the “I didn’t feel like it” explanation. The running back said he didn’t even know Butler never got into the Super Bowl, that he was worried about the offense. “Don’t bring me into it,” said ex-Pat-now-Titan cornerback Logan Ryan. “I was in Tennessee last season.” Poor excuses abound. The mystery will be everlasting. But why. The “I didn’t feel like it” explanation is more ridiculous than what actually happened. About that incident, ex-Patnow-Titans coach Mike Vrabel stayed out of it, saying, “I still can’t believe we cut Law- yer Milloy back then.” One thing for sure. Malcolm Butler will play on Sunday. He really feels like it! A big reunion: Patriots (-6½) at Tennessee: Vrabel will put in the old “linebacker catching touchdowns” play in hopes of catching the Pats sleeping and to bring back pleasant memories of his own. That will be the lone pleasantry in this one. Pats, 28-18. Hail Veterans Day: Buffalo at NY Jets (-7): Nathan Peterman is back in at quarterback for the Bills. Enuf said. Jets, 24-9. Atlanta (-5½) at Cleveland: The Falcons will give up points in this game but not more than they score. Falcons, 31-23. New Orleans (-5½) at Cincinnati: The Saints will roll in on a dented high, halos. and crawl Bengals, back 27-24. with (-3): Washington The Bucs are at Tampa the weirdest Bay QBs, team too. to Redskins, figure out. 33-27. Their Halfway Miami through at Green the Bay season, (-10): and the Dolphins are somehow hanging around. Packers, 28-27. Jacksonville at Indianapolis (-3): Bottoms up to the loser in this battle of division dimwits. Jaguars, 16-13. Detroit at Chicago (-6 ½ ): Lions tamer Matt Patricia summoned his inner Belichick. It is not working. Bears, 27-17. Arizona at Kansas City (-16½): Sixteen-and-a-half points! Wow. Not enough. Chiefs, 41-13. LA Chargers (-10) at Oakland: Some undrafted firstsnap 49ers quarterback plundered the Raiders last week. What a way to leave town. Chargers, 34-20. Seattle at LA Rams (-10): Lot of big spreads this week, like the Ponderosa ranch in “Bonanza.” What’s that got to do with football? Rams, 30-24. Dallas at Philadelphia (-7): Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says he will not make a midseason coaching change. Actually it’s end-season, Jerry. Eagles, 26-12. NY Giants at San Francisco (-3): Upset special! Upset one has to pick the Jints, that is. Giants, 20-16. Last week: 9-4-0. Season: 61-65-6.