Matt Patricia Makes Admission About Malcolm Butler’s Iconic Super Bowl Play

Matt Patricia is responsible for one of the most significant play calls in NFL history, but he wasn’t able to immediately enjoy the fruits of his labor.

After consistent nagging from Bill Belichick, Patricia installed a three-corner set into the Patriots’ goal-line defensive play sheet a week before New England’s Super Bowl XLIX matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. And sure enough, the Patriots turned to the seldom-used package with the Lombardi Trophy on the line in Arizona.

Patricia was very comfortable with how New England was set up on the right side of the field, where cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Malcolm Butler were stacked. But New England’s defensive coordinator was nervous about his team’s vulnerability on the left side, where a linebacker was susceptible to be picked and leave an open target in the flat.

Of course, Russell Wilson didn’t target the left side, Butler jumped a slant route and sealed a championship for the Patriots with a goal-line interception. But that was unbeknownst to Patricia in the moment.

“I’m on the headset and I’m like, ‘All right, here we go. It’s not the run. We’re gonna get the Snag 7 Flat. Oh, my God. They picked him,'” Patricia said on the latest episode of Julian Edelman’s “Games With Names” podcast. “And then everyone starts screaming and they’re like, ‘No, he picked it!’ I’m like, ‘Who picked what?’ I didn’t even see the play. I didn’t even see the play on the other side. I was so worried because the guy was open in the flat. So everyone’s going crazy and I’m like, ‘What happened?'”

Patricia also didn’t allow himself to celebrate once he found out Butler picked Wilson off. With the Patriots backed up deep in their own territory after the change of possession, Patricia was preparing to send his defense back on the field in the event Seattle forced New England into a safety.

Some late-game chaos wiped those fears away for Patricia, who ultimately was able to rejoice with Belichick and the other Patriots coaches after Tom Brady took a final kneel-down and secured the fifth title in franchise history.