NEW ORLEANS -- Cornerback Malcolm Butler has been one of the New England Patriots’ most durable and available players in recent years. Two of his most impressive statistics over the past two seasons have been his playing-time totals:

2015: 98.8 percent

2016: 96.7 percent

Those reflect how Butler was almost always on the field, no matter the defensive package: base, traditional nickel, big nickel, dime or seven defensive backs.

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So when the Patriots opened Sunday’s win over the New Orleans by voluntarily having Butler on the sideline, it was a decision that naturally caught the eye.

Instead of Butler, the Patriots used Eric Rowe at the cornerback spot opposite of Stephon Gilmore. The defensive grouping was their big nickel package, which has three safeties and two cornerbacks on the field.

Asked Monday morning why the Patriots felt that was the best decision for the team, Bill Belichick didn’t elaborate.

“A lot of things go into it,” he said. “But that’s what we decided to do.”

With Belichick electing to keep his reasons in-house, here are a few external points of analysis to consider:

Saints have big receivers. The Saints’ top receivers are bigger than the norm, with Brandon Coleman (6-foot-6, 225) and Michael Thomas (6-3, 212) leading the way. While Butler (5-11, 190) still matched up with them at times in the traditional nickel package, the decision to go more with Rowe -- who is bigger at 6-1, 205 -- might have simply been based on size.

Butler’s performance has dipped. When including the preseason and the regular-season opener, Butler has seemingly had some uncharacteristic technique breakdowns, particularly in the end zone. So it could be as simple as a performance-based decision.

He was still the No. 3 corner. The Patriots played the majority of the game in their big nickel package, but when they called on the traditional nickel with three cornerbacks, Butler came on to the field as the third corner. So it wasn’t as if he wasn’t part of the defensive plan (49 of 65 snaps). If Butler had been removed as a significant part of the plan, it might have signaled there was something other than football considerations at the root of the decision.

Butler could be back this week. With Rowe leaving the game in the second half with a groin injury, which he told reporters after the game didn’t seem serious, Butler could be back in the top spot Sunday against the Texans depending on how Rowe progresses.