Malcolm Butler not playing for the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII sparked plenty of heated debate and conversation over the offseason, and the talk surrounding the cornerback since the start of the 2018 season hasn’t been good, either.
Butler, who left the Patriots to sign a five-year, $61 million contract with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent, is off to a very poor start through the team’s first two games.
Here are the stats to prove it:
Through two weeks, Malcolm Butler — the cornerback who was infamously benched in the Super Bowl last year — has been targeted 17 times while surrendering 257 yards (most in NFL) and three TDs (most in NFL) when in coverage.
— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) September 17, 2018
Ouch.
Did Patriots coach Bill Belichick make the right call letting Butler leave in free agency? So far, the answer is yes, but it’s still very earlier in the season.
And in fairness, the Patriots’ defense — and the secondary in particular — has not played well through two games. Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles shredded them in Jacksonville’s convincing 31-20 win over the Patriots in Week 2.
Luckily for Butler and the Titans, they have very few games against opponents with an elite wide receiver, but there’s no question he must play a lot better if Tennessee is going to return to the playoffs.
