Malcolm Butler Vs. Steve Smith A Must-See Matchup In Patriots-Ravens
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Baltimore Ravens are the most fearless team in the National Football League when it comes to facing Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's Patriots, especially at Gillette Stadium. Head coach John Harbaugh is always well-prepared and not afraid to attack, their quarterback always elevates when they play each other, and their defense is as consistently disruptive against Brady as any in No. 12's career.
Another particularly tough, ballsy Raven who won't be afraid of the Patriots is veteran wideout Steve Smith Sr.. He has only been with Baltimore since 2014 but perfectly embodies the team's aggressive, unflinching style of play that they know is necessary to beat the Patriots in Foxboro. If and when he goes up against Malcolm Butler, it will be one of the game's biggest must-see matchups.
Butler vs. Smith is the kind of showdown that makes you wish they had a picture-in-picture isolation option on TV screens. It's likely that Butler draws Smith in man coverage since Butler has the speed and quickness to match Smith's skill set, but he also has the same competitive, feisty nature to keep up with Smith to boot. The latter point, especially, will make their matchup great theater.
Butler called Smith one of his favorite players when asked about him on Thursday, attributing it simply to "toughness." He's also as impressed as anyone how Smith is still as explosive and productive as ever in his late-30s.
"At the age of 37 [Smith] looks like he's out there running around like he's 26 or 27," said Butler.
Smith, meanwhile, was not asked about Butler at his Wednesday press conference, but he did wear a Star Wars Yoda onesie to the podium. Even the most frightening, I'll-bite-your-head-off-if-you-ask-a-dumb-question person in the league can't help but have a little fun sometimes.
Monday night, however, will be all business for both Butler and Smith. Expect a lot of chippiness and flared tempers, even though Butler told reporters, "[I need to] just play my game and stay in my game" when asked about how he will handle Smith's usual extracurricular activities. Smith certainly likes to yap, but in Butler he may have found a match.
As there always is with Patriots-Ravens, this game has plenty of juice leading up to it. Hopefully, Butler vs. Smith lives up to its massive potential.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
