Then-Patriot Malcolm Butler during last season's AFC Championship game against the Jaguars. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- In this week's Red Zone Report, Boston Globe NFL reporter Ben Volin chatted with WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman about all things Patriots and previewed the Pats' match-up with the Tennessee Titans this Sunday.
More than anything, Kaufman says, this is the Malcolm Butler revenge game--but the former Patriot has been perhaps the worst cornerback in the NFL this year after getting his big payday with the Titans following his infamous benching in the Super Bowl last season. Will we ever figure out just why Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick benched him?
"No, probably not, and I actually give Belichick some credit for that," Volin said. "I know people want to couch it as him being secretive and not explaining himself and not being accountable, but I tend to see it as him not wanting to bash a player publicly. I'm sure Belichick has his reasons. I don't necessarily blame him for not starting Butler, but I do blame him for not making the adjustment middle of the game when nothing's working, you gotta go back to your cornerback who's played 98 percent of the snaps for you. Frankly, I think what Butler said was probably close to the truth--he just wasn't locked in, he had an inconsistent season, he wasn't locked in on the game plan that week, he went to the hospital, wasn't feeling well, missed the team flight, and I think at that point, the Patriots coaches were like, alright, we can't trust this guy, we have to go with someone else."
Meanwhile, Tom Brady has only had one touchdown in his last two games. Should we be worried? Volin
"He's not playing at an MVP level, but he's been pretty good," Volin said. "Not having Gronkowski has been an adjustment for him. That's his guy. Gronk and Edelman and Brady, those guys are on the same page, and they just communicate, have so many reps together ... the Patriots offense has not been doing well, but I'm not too concerned about it. They're still scoring points, they're still winning games pretty handily."
Kaufman and Volin also talked about how the Patriots can beat the Titans while being limited offensively, the familiarity between the two teams, what Butler's issue has been this year, Volin's predictions for the game, and more. Listen to the full interview below.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports