Tom Brady knows better than anyone that in the playoffs, games are often decided by a single play, which is why every snap matters. That idea was the main focus of Brady’s weekly newsletter, 199, where he cited Malcolm Butler’s interception in Super Bowl XLIX to add context to one of the most iconic moments in NFL history.
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Butler’s interception of Russell Wilson at the goal line was one of those moments where everyone remembers where they were when it happened. It was the crucial play that decided the Big Game. It also put a bow on one of the wildest final two minutes in Super Bowl history.
But Brady explained that there were more details behind Butler’s moment that many may not know. That included the fact that the cornerback made another game-saving play just minutes before the interception.
“There’s a lot people don’t know about that moment. First, that was not the only game-saving play Malcolm made on that drive. Two plays earlier, he made an incredible play on a deep ball, hanging in the air and batting it away, only for Kearse to make an even better catch from his back,” Brady penned, adding,
“When he saw that Kearse somehow caught it, he jumped up and shoved him out of bounds at the 5-yard line, saving a sure walk-in touchdown.”
This play often gets lost in the fold of the game’s highlights. While trying to mount their game-winning drive, Wilson lofted a pass down the right sideline to wideout Jermaine Kearse. Butler covered him tightly, knocking the ball into the air as the two went to the ground. This was a sure “walk-in” TD, as Brady explains, without Butler’s efforts.
As the ball came down, it somehow still landed perfectly in Kearse’s lap. It remains one of the greatest Super Bowl catches that few remember because of what happened next.
Then, Marshawn Lynch got the ball to the 1-yard line, and Pete Carroll famously decided to throw instead of run on the goal line, and Butler made one of the best interceptions in NFL history. According to Brady, the cornerback worked on that exact move in practice again and again.
“We ran that exact play a half-dozen times in practice. Every time, Malcolm was getting beat and the offense scored. The coaching point was to attack the line of scrimmage on the snap instead of sitting back. Get downhill, over the pick. Don’t get swallowed up by it,” Brady wrote.
Butler struggled to understand the defensive concept of defending the play in practice. But once he reached the most critical point in the big game, it clicked in his mind, and he stepped in front of his receiver to make a play. It’s those types of moments where a player “locks in” that Brady relished while playing.
Later on, Brady reminded his reading audience that resilience and persistence aren’t special abilities. They are the result of effort and will. A missed play does not decide a game. What matters is whether you line up for the next snap, all locked in, without dwelling on the last one.
“People forget that Malcolm was an undrafted free agent rookie who spent half the season on the practice squad. He wasn’t a seasoned vet. He didn’t have the blue chip pedigree of a first round pick. Be he was proof that you don’t need any of that to be locked in and focused on the details of your job.”
If Butler hadn’t locked in and done his job in that moment, Brady would have retired with six Super Bowl rings instead of seven. It goes to show that football is a team game, and it requires everyone to do what they are supposed to do on every snap to win. All Brady could do was watch in that moment, and the culture he bought into ultimately prevailed.
All in all, Butler’s iconic interception will always be remembered as one of the greatest moments in sports history. But as Brady pointed out, everything was building toward that moment and revealed who Butler was as a player. He was a hard worker who never had much flash before the play. After the interception, he received the glory for sticking to the plan and doing his job the right way.
