Patriots linebacker Marquis Flowers is not happy about various criticism directed his team’s way, and let loose about it in a Twitter rant on Monday.
Flowers apparently took great issue with a recent column by the Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard, a frequent guest of 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger & Mazz. The story highlighted the Patriots’ defensive problems that went beyond just the benching of Malcolm Butler, spotlighting Flowers’ role in the game as one of the team’s biggest problems.
“So you got all the answers? More than coach Belichick that has been to more Super Bowls than you have been with Women!” Flowers tweeted at a link from BSJ, squarely taking aim at Bedard’s assertions. And after a Twitter user responded saying they have “questions” rather than answers, Flowers responded with the following: “Don’t blame coaches! Blame me, they put me in a spot to succeed and I didn’t execute my assignments well enough to win!!!”
And for good measure, Flowers also responded to controversial comments by the Eagles’ Lane Johnson, who described the Patriots as a “fear-based organization.”
Yea he’s clearly ????????????, a lot of hot air! 5 Super Bowl wins is 5x more fun than 1 https://t.co/aEo8M0gTzz
— Marquis Flowers (@MFlowers59) February 12, 2018
“Don’t Blame Coaches”
Although there’s really no need for the “been with women” part of Flowers’ original tweet, Bedard has probably heard worse and can handle such a jab. But he sort of got what he asked for with Flowers’ response, considering the headline singled out Flowers when the entire defense (save for Stephon Gilmore and maybe James Harrison) got torched up and down the field in the Super Bowl.
That being said … despite a valiant defense from Flowers, the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss is most certainly on the coaches. There’s no reasonable way to explain that leaving Malcolm Butler on the bench for the entirety of the game on defense put the team in the best position to succeed. And no reasonable observer would blame Flowers, a sixth-round pick and career special teams player whom the Patriots acquired from the Bengals for a seventh-rounder, for being asked to play meaningful snaps on defense and cover a dynamic receiving back like Corey Clement.
Corey Clement of the Philadelphia Eagles catches a 22-yard touchdown pass against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Can’t complain about Flowers expressing his true feelings, though. It makes the sporting world a lot more entertaining when guys fight back against the critics. And good on him for taking responsibility for his own failures to execute even though he didn’t need to do that.
Flowers may not even be on the Patriots roster next season. He almost certainly won’t see much time on defense. So if this is his final act as a Patriot, it’s one hell of a parting shot.
— By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.