Well, it turns out everyone except the Seattle Seahawks expected Marshawn Lynch to get the ball.
New England Patriots rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler, who jumped on Ricardo Lockette's route and intercepted Russell Wilson like he had been in the Seahawks' huddle, expected Lynch to get the ball on the much-discussed second-and-goal play at the end of Super Bowl XLIX. He did a fun breakdown of his championship-clinching play on NFL Network and said he expected what everyone else expected.
"I was thinking run, because of the running back," Butler said. "But I'm a pass defender first, so I have to do my job first."
The entire segment is a great glimpse at the importance of preparation and coaching. The Patriots had their scout team run the exact same play the Seahawks used in the Super Bowl during practice that week. In practice, Butler said he took a step back on the snap and Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw a touchdown. Butler adjusted after getting beat and drove on the slant route on the snap in the Super Bowl. Had the Patriots not run that same play in practice, perhaps in the game Butler's first step would have been backward and Lockette would have been a Super Bowl hero.
Instead, it was the previously unknown Butler who was on NFL Network talking about one of the most famous plays in NFL history.
"Overall, I just knew what was coming," Butler said. "I wasn't sure but I had a good idea."
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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