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Malcolm Butler Plays Like Elite Cornerback In Limiting Odell Beckham After Early TD

By Matt Dolloff (@mattdolloff)

BOSTON (CBS) -- Malcolm Butler entered Sunday's Patriots - Giants showdown with a target on his back and a question mark hanging over his head. Facing Odell Beckham Jr., it was Butler's first real test against an elite wide receiver since Week 1 against Antonio Brown. Viewers would find out whether Butler really had what it takes to be a No. 1 cornerback.

It started poorly and looked ominous just two plays into the game, but from then on Butler made a statement to the world: he is a legit No. 1 corner and a test for receivers himself.

Butler got beat in coverage on Beckham's 87-yard touchdown on just the second play from scrimmage for the Giants, but it was Devin McCourty that took the poor angle that allowed Beckham to break free after the catch. After that stunning big play, Butler locked Beckham down for 3 catches on 11 targets and just 17 yards.

The signature play of the day for Butler was his breakup of a potential Beckham game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The play will stir debates this week since Beckham got possession of the ball and both feet down in the end zone, but Butler almost instantly knocked the ball out of his hands which by rule is incomplete - former NFL head of officiating and rulebook guru Mike Pereira agrees.

The play was not as close as the infamous Dez Bryant non-catch in last season's playoffs, and likely won't give enough credit to Butler for adding another clutch play to his resume.

There were undoubtedly plenty of Butler detractors and skeptics who anticipated a huge day for Beckham entering the game; it looked that way early on and Beckham's day looked good on paper thanks to the 87-yard TD. But Butler essentially wiped him out of the game after that score and you could argue that he was a McCourty tackle away from erasing Beckham from the game entirely.

There's not much more you can ask of Butler to prove that he is a No. 1 corner who is capable of competing with the league's best receivers. And make no mistake, Beckham is not an overrated one-catch wonder; he is world-class. He finished his rookie year with 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns...in just 12 games. Butler had a major test on Sunday - and besides one bad answer, he aced it.

Butler praised Beckham for his competitiveness after the game.

"He'll rough me up, and I'll rough him up," he said. "He'll say, 'I got you.' Then I told him, 'I got you.' We just respect playing hard."

Butler has good speed and hands when he defends the ball, but the most striking aspect of his game is his relentless competitiveness. He goes into every play confident he can do his job well, and for the most part he did on Sunday. Where a lot of corners may have wilted after Beckham broke free for that early TD, Butler elevated himself and played like an elite shutdown corner.

Is Butler that good? Skeptics will point to this performance as "just one game" and demand that Butler show this for the rest of the season against other elite receivers. That is good and fine. Butler has also been burned by lesser receivers and still needs to prove he can play this well consistently.

He may not be Darrelle Revis, but Butler proved on Sunday that you can absolutely trust him to elevate, compete hard and make plays against the best receivers on the field. He is capable of delivering big-time performances against big-time players, and it's a major boon for a Patriots defense that entered this season with major questions about their Revis-less secondary.

Butler announced his presence to the world with his historic Super Bowl-sealing interception, but until Sunday looked more like a one-play wonder and good No.2 corner at best. After his performance against Beckham, Butler announced that he is a legit No. 1 that you need to gameplan for and respect as a playmaker. Bill Belichick banked on Butler blossoming into a top corner this season, and his investment is starting to pay off.

Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read more from Matt here. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.

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