Malcolm Butler Says Patriots Scout Team Ran Same Short Yardage Pass, and He Got Beat

Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler was a guest on Mike & Mike this morning. When asked to go through the fateful interception play, which came two plays after giving up the insane Jermaine Kearse catch, he said he was clued in that it might be a pass when Seattle lined up with three receivers on the goal line, and that New England’s scout team had run an identical play this past week:

“At practice they had that play,” Butler said. “The scout team ran that same play, and I got beat on it. [Belichick] told me, ‘You gotta be on that.’ At that time, memorization came through, and I just jumped the route and made a play. I just did my job.”

As we showed last night in a still frame, Butler made a hell of a break on the ball. Pete Carroll fell on the sword for the play call, and Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell wished Ricardo Lockette would’ve fought harder for the ball. Nevertheless, it’s a testament to the Patriots’ preparation that Butler was in the right spot to close on the ball and wrest it away.