The New England Patriots defense were absolutely torched on Sunday during Super Bowl 52, as the Eagles posted 41 points on the AFC champions en route to a surprising win.
One of the more interesting storylines to come out of the game was Patriots head coach Bill Belichick's decision to bench Malcolm Butler, despite the fact that the cornerback had played nearly every snap for the team on defense before Sunday's game.
Belichick was thoroughly criticized for the decision, but not just because the Patriots failed to halt the Eagles passing game, but because of how he decided to handle benching Malcolm. It was reported that Butler, the Patriots' hero in Super Bowl 49, was not informed that he would be benched until before the national anthem.
Former Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner criticized his former coach's decision to bench Butler in a strongly worded Instagram post.
Making matters even more contentious, a number of current Pats players liked the post, including Dont’a Hightower.
Would Belichick choosing to play Butler actually have resulted in the Pats winning the Super Bowl? Who knows, but the most people seem to agree that the cornerback's benching could have been handled differently, especially considering Butler's contributions to the team.
Butler is entering free agency, so you would have to guess that his days as a Pat are done.
