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New England Patriots links 2/05/18 - Super-sized hangover: Flat Defense, Butler benched, coaching miscues

Daily news & links for a Super Bowl loss-aftermath Monday

By Marima

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Danny Amendola, a bright spot
Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

LOCAL LINKS

  • Mike Reiss knows emotions from the loss are still fresh, but offers a look back and a peek ahead, including needs in the draft and in free agency.
  • Ryan Hannble mentions the air of uncertainty surrounding the Patriots’ future following the loss.
  • Doug Kyed looks ahead to the Patriots draft needs after the loss.
  • Zack Cox runs down the Patriots 2018 free agents, with Malcolm Butler and Dion Lewis headlining a long list.
  • Mike Reiss reports Tom Brady says he plans to play next season, while Rob Gronkowski says he’ll evaluate his future.
  • Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Rob Gronkowski wants time to consider his future.
  • Ryan Hannble notes the Patriots defense picked a bad time to have one of its worst games in the Bill Belichick era, allowing the most points (41) and total yards (538) of any playoff game under Belichick.
  • Jeff Howe shares what he knows about the Malcolm Butler benching which, according to Belichick, was strictly due to football, not disciplinary reasons or his flu bug.
  • Kevin Duffy calls the benching of Malcolm Butler an all-time puzzling move.
  • Michael Hurley says absent a clear explanation, Bill Belichick’s decision to not play Malcolm Butler will never make any sense.
  • Ty Anderson believes the benching of Malcolm Butler will go down as Bill Belichick’s greatest misfire.
  • Tom E. Curran sees the Butler benching as a fitting conclusion to a weird year, and is willing to wait a bit before he starts ‘arm flapping with indignation’ over it.
  • Michael Hurley calls out the defense for falling flat.
  • Mike Giardi states the defense failed to do their job last night, unfortunately reverting back to square one on the biggest stage.
  • Phil Perry notes that after the loss, Belichick took to the podium and shouldered the blame for how things played out.
  • Michael Hurley notes Devin McCourty would rather lose early in the playoffs than make it to the Super Bowl and then lose.
  • Mike Reiss states there was no miracle comeback this time, and big changes are on the horizon for the Patriots.
  • Karen Guregian says the Patriots’ comeback magic dried up against the Eagles. /Maybe because there is no “magic”.
  • Ian Logue gives us 5 takeaways from Pats-Eagles: 3rd down defense cost them. /Dearly.
  • Steve Buckley brings up all the sore spots from the game and can’t wait to tie it all up with the unresolved tension between Brady, Belichick and Kraft.
  • Jerry Thornton (Barstool Sports) Does all this weirdness mean Belichick is quitting? /Thought you were better than this, Jerry.
  • Marcus Kwesi O’Mard brings up how Gisele Bundchen consoled Tom Brady after the loss.
  • Antonio Planas writes about the agony of defeat felt by Patriot Nation.
  • Mike Reiss picks some quick Ups and Downs from the Patriots’ loss to the Eagles: Pats defensive coaches off the mark.
  • Mike Reiss writes a pre-game personal piece on how the Patriots’ sustained success has marked the passage of time in different ways. /Good read.
  • Zack Cox talks about how Deatrich Wise plans to change his playing style to limit his concussion risk.

NATIONAL NEWS

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