New England Patriots: Danny Amendola not over Super Bowl loss
Former New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola is still searching for answers in regard to Malcolm Butler’s benching in Super Bowl 52.
The New England Patriots loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52 is one of the bigger what ifs in recent sports memory. Cornerback Malcolm Butler was shockingly benched for the game. He did not play a single snap defensively, only getting on the field for one special teams play on punt coverage.
The decision to bench Butler had a major impact on the game. New England’s defense was torched throughout the evening by Nick Foles and company.
Without Butler on the field, Philadelphia picked on whoever Stephon Gilmore wasn’t defending. Philadelphia’s offense helped lead the way to a 41-33 victory.
It was an awkward ending to Butler’s career in New England. He signed with the Tennessee Titans in free agency, joining his Patriots teammate Dion Lewis in Tennessee.
Butler and Lewis weren’t the only impactful Patriots to leave in free agency. Left tackle Nate Solder signed with the New York Giants and wide receiver Danny Amendola signed with the Miami Dolphins.
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Recently, Amendola spoke with ESPN’s Mike Reiss. One of the topics discussed was Super Bowl 52. In March, safety Duron Harmon revealed that he was not yet over the loss. Add Amendola to the list of players who is still not over the loss.
In his discussion with Reiss, Amendola said that he asked for an explanation as to why Butler didn’t play but never received one. It is a decision that still confuses him to this day.
"“I have my thoughts about it, because I was out there putting my blood, sweat and tears out on the field that night, and one of our best players wasn’t on the field,” Amendola told ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss on Friday. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know why. I did ask, but I didn’t get any answers. I can’t make decisions like that, so I don’t necessarily worry about it, but I know Malcolm is a great player and he could have helped us win. For whatever reason, he wasn’t out there. He’s going to play more football in his career, and he’s going to be a great player for a long time.”"
Amendola isn’t the only person that was confused by the decision to bench Butler. Fans of the team were dumbfounded as well.
Butler struggled at times in 2017, but he was still an integral part of the team’s gameplan. Butler played the most defensive snaps of anyone on the team in the regular season. In the first two playoff games against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars, Butler played every snap.
To not see him on the field was certainly a surprise. Foles did whatever he wanted to the Patriots defense, throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
While the game didn’t go New England’s way, Amendola did everything he could to help get the team a win. He caught eight passes for 152 yards, continuing his outstanding postseason performance.
Next: 3 Reasons Patriots Lost Super Bowl 52
Despite moving on and signing with a new team in free agency, it is clear that the loss in Super Bowl 52 will linger for some time with the players on the losing team.