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Throwback Thursday: What if the Pats and Eagles had been at full strength?

By Dominique Smith

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Players hold newspapers after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots, 41-33. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Players hold newspapers after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots, 41-33. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 01: Malcolm Butler #21 of the New England Patriots intercepts a pass by Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks intended for Ricardo Lockette #83 late in the fourth quarter during Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 01: Malcolm Butler #21 of the New England Patriots intercepts a pass by Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks intended for Ricardo Lockette #83 late in the fourth quarter during Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Malcolm Butler

When it comes to making game-changing plays in the postseason, Malcolm Butler is a name that comes to mind. Remember Super Bowl XLIX? Russell Wilson sure does. Butler made a game-saving interception that led the Patriots to their fourth Super Bowl victory in team history.

This year, many Patriots fans were expecting to see some big plays from Butler. Unfortunately for them, he didn’t play a single snap in football’s biggest game. While some people believe this was a management decision, it’s never been officially confirmed. Whatever the reason, it proved to be a costly one for the Patriots’ defense.

While his backup Stephon Gilmore fared well against Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery, he couldn’t prevent some of the game’s biggest plays. It would have been interesting to see if Butler could have created more Super Bowl magic.

Most would agree that the Pats dropped the ball on this one. Had they gone the other route, the result may have been different.

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