upstater1
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Patriots DL on Stafford not wanting to play in New England: "People have their preferences"
Patriots defensive lineman Lawrence Guy discussed Matthew Stafford, the Patriot Way and Malcolm Butler's Super Bowl benching, among other topics
cbssportsradio.radio.com
I really appreciated these words from Lawrence Guy. I usually don't pay much attention to interview segments, especially on hot topics, so I thought this deserved its own thread.
First, there may be bias in Guy's view since he's one of the middle class earners who came to New England and benefitted from Belichick's approach, as he made more money because the stars were taking less. It's good for him. But his overall outlook just seems correct to me. A team's mindset is important, a player's selflessness too, the coaches as well. And the culture is built through consistency.
Even when things go wrong (as with the Malcolm Butler situation he addresses) he lays it out in a fascinating way.
About the 2nd Philly SB, Guy...
1. Thinks the game went badly for them, can't comprehend why, and they should have won.
2. Says that Malcolm Butler would have been a big help because he was a playmaker.
3. Does not say the absence of Malcolm lost them the game because it's their job to step up when a man goes down.
4. Swears he does not know what Malcolm did.
5. Swears that Malcolm absolutely knows what he did.
My takeaway as a fan is that the benching deflated the team. Just as Welker's foot-in-mouth moment deflated them. Welker's presence (if not Welker himself) was easily worth another 7 points.
As fans we have to just take this as moments when we have to pay the piper for the Patriot way. If the Patriot way requires accountability, then we can't complain when that very rigid structure leads us to big losses. And yes I believe that benching Welker/Butler is the thing that turned into losses.
But what if players weren't made accountable? Do you win all the other big games? I don't think so. You can tell in Guy's words that he understands that this is the price you pay for winning.
Good luck to the Chiefs in trying to manage this three-headed monster. It's not easy. People do NOT give enough respect to how Belichick has controlled this part of the game. It's so easy to criticize him for Butler but few have considered what would have happened if we just poked holes into the Patriot Way.
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