Tennessee Titans: Malcolm Butler is living rent-free in Browns heads
Tennessee Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler told Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry that his team had no heart in Week 1.
During halftime of the blowout victory over the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler told wide receiver Jarvis Landry that his team had no heart.
Landry revealed Butler’s comment during an episode of “Building the Browns.”
As far as trash talking goes, Butler’s “no heart” comment is definitely a dig, but when you consider everything that can be said on a football field, it’s somewhat tame — and that’s especially true when it’s said in a 12-6 game that hasn’t been decided yet.
Still, it seems to have really bothered the Browns, who certainly took it to, well, heart.
Once the story of Butler’s comments got out, head coach Freddie Kitchens and some Browns players addressed it on Friday, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
"“He does not know our locker room,’’ Kitchens said Friday as the Browns prepare to face the Jets Monday night at MetLife Stadium. “I am sure some of our guys will read this and I want to be affirmative that everybody will find out what are team has, OK? Nobody is going to question our heart.”"
Landry admitted it “took me by surprise,” but that he understands opponents are going to do and say anything to get under the skin of the team they’re playing.
He still had to reaffirm that he knows his teammates do have heart.
"“I know the guys that’s in the building, I know the guys I go to work with every day and how hard they work,’’ he said. “It’s definitely (a dig) for somebody to say that. It definitely kind of took me by surprise for a second. But at the same time, opponents are willing to say anything, you’ve just got to take it for what it is. Again, in that matter, I know the guys here, I know everybody is going to play under four quarters, 0:00 on the clock and a winner is decided.’’"
Cornerback T.J. Carrie stated Landry was probably bothered by Butler’s comment.
"“I’m pretty sure Jarvis was very ticked off about it and is definitely wanting us to go out there and set the tone, now more than ever.’’"
Safety Damarious Randall is looking forward to proving Butler wrong in the playoffs should the two teams meet.
"“If they’re in the playoffs, we’ll see them there, so we’ll see who has the last say-so about that,’’ he said. “When he takes the Titans to the Super Bowl, that’s when he can talk about heart and a lot of other things.”"
The reaction to this is incredible. Do these players really understand that Butler was trying to get in Landry’s head?
We wouldn’t have even known about Butler’s trash-talk if not for Landry bringing it up. And, if Landry just chalks it up to an opponent trying to get under his skin, why even reveal that it happened?
I’d imagine a comment like Butler’s is par for the course in a lot of football games, and there’s plenty of worse trash-talk on any given Sunday that we will never know about.
If simple trash-talk like that is getting to these players like this, I’d hate to see what happens when something worse is said. Not to mention, this just opens the door for future opponents to say worse things in order to throw the Browns off their game.
Long before he even made that pick-six play near the end of the game, Malcolm Butler was living rent-free in Landry’s head, and might have had Landry and the Browns beaten by halftime.